Lots of fictional characters – maybe most of them – are only fun to read about, not to hang out with. I mean, would you really want to be acquainted with Batman? Even apart from the fact that that would involve living on DC-Earth (yearly alien invasions! daily volcanic eruptions! and every ten years, history gets rewritten!) and in Gotham City (2005 murder rate: 1 in 10), you’d be hanging with a man who was apparently potty-trained at gunpoint. Likewise Lazarus Long is a bit of a jerk (and would probably have slept with your wife), and Mal Reynolds, though loyal, is constantly getting his friends killed.
But some characters are different. Some are worth knowing. For example, if I lived in his world, I wouldn’t mind being friends with Earl Hickey – post-list, of course. Not overly serious. Sense of humor coupled with a sense of honor. Life has a reasonable purpose but he’s not a git about it.
(Peter)Conway from James White’s Sector General series. Brilliant, regular guy willing to go all out for his e-t patients and friends, and just considerate and caring as you could want in a pal. And if I meet Murchison before he does…naw, I wouldn’t deny him.
Anne Shirley, from Anne of Green Gables. Nice, but not TOO nice. Spunky, but not TOO spunky. Smart, but not TOO smart. She has everything going for her. In fact, forget about wanting to be friends with her…I want to BE her.
Nancy Drew would be good, too, because life is always exciting when she is around. But…she’s a little too perfect, which is annoying, and sometimes she gets her friends into some very tight scrapes.
I’ve always imagined myself as a solver of mysteries. When I was very young, I fantasized about hanging out with Nancy Drew. Now that I am a lot older, I can see myself fraternizing with Miss Marple. Or, if I wanted fewer tea-cozies and more hard-boiled action, I could be V.I. Warshawski’s sidekick.
Alfred seems like a really good egg, and seems to have a sharp sense of humour when appropriate (and a good ear for when it’s appropriate!). And he’s discrete, so if you need a confidant, he’s the one.
Both the last two Robins (before Steph got killed (grr)) would be cool to hang with (although I’ve no idea how I would end up hanging with them).
Oracle…geek girl. 'Nuff said. OK, hot geek girl, but that’s of little importance, for friends.
Catwoman…I think we’d bore eachother, to be honest, but we’d get along well enough in a group.
Other DCU characters I’d like to hang with:
Jack Knight - there’s enough overlap in our obsessions for us to get along, and I’d be a rapt audience for most of his stories.
Bonfire, from Young Heroes in Love - she’s a HUGE superhero fangirl. We’d probably scare off everyone else while we blabbed incessently about it. Also hot, and on the same team as Offramp, who is also hot.
Tenzil Kem. Yes, to be his friend, I’d put up with living in the 30th Century and all the madness therein.
Miles Vorkosigan. (And most of his acquaintances)
Blind Seer, from Jane Lindskold’s Firekeeper books. With friends like that, you don’t often have enemies.
Abigail Hearns, Lady Owens, from the Honorverse would also be interesting, too.
Shannon Forakker, of course. (Same origin)
Izumi Noa of Special Vehicles 2 (Patlabor).
Kanuka Clancy of the NYPD (Patlabor).
Princess Kushana from Miyazaki’s Nausicaa. I doubt her long-term chances of survival, let alone those of anyone near her, but it would be an interesting life, while it lasted.
