I'm not sure how acurate this is but this tends to be a general impression I have gotten over the years.
Popular character types:
The traditional hero type. Kirk,Superman,Crighton, etc. Usually good looking, white who has flaws but always overcomes them. They take chances and are known for being clever in how they defeat their enemies.tend to be ladies men.
the nerd.type. Spock,Lone Gunmen,Xander. Smart or at least very up to date on pop culture. Very relatable with a sense of humor who tends to be awkward in certain situations.
the kick-ass chick. Buffy,Ripley,Xenia. Sexy with all the traits I mentioned in the traditonal hero category except I do think there love intrests tend to be more devalued than the male counterpoint.
the arch villian. Lex Luthor,Scorpious,Dukat. Someone who is evil and has far reaching goals. Usually has a personal connection to the hero. Also has a distinct look.
Unpopular character types.
everyday females: Unless the character is the hero I think female character tend to be devalued alot. You can't just be a regular person.
quirky female characters: I think some sci-fi fans tend to look at quirky female characters as being ditzy or dumb. I'm not sure sci-fi fans respect characters who have bellow average intelligence and they really come down hard if it's a female.
Unlikable asshole. Tony Soprano,Dexter, Frank Underwood. I think there is a need for sci-fi fans to have a character that has at least one reademble trait in them. We even what the villian to have that trait. For some reason I do think sci-fi fans put more importance on likeable over intresting or darkness. Unless it's a horror film of course.
overt gay character. Granted this is more of a problem that doesn't just connect to sci-fi fans but to alot of people in general. I do think sci-fi fans like the rest of society has become more progressive on gay characters but I do think there is still a feeling that if the character is gay he or she has to be dignified and with as few flaws as possible.
Jason
Popular character types:
The traditional hero type. Kirk,Superman,Crighton, etc. Usually good looking, white who has flaws but always overcomes them. They take chances and are known for being clever in how they defeat their enemies.tend to be ladies men.
the nerd.type. Spock,Lone Gunmen,Xander. Smart or at least very up to date on pop culture. Very relatable with a sense of humor who tends to be awkward in certain situations.
the kick-ass chick. Buffy,Ripley,Xenia. Sexy with all the traits I mentioned in the traditonal hero category except I do think there love intrests tend to be more devalued than the male counterpoint.
the arch villian. Lex Luthor,Scorpious,Dukat. Someone who is evil and has far reaching goals. Usually has a personal connection to the hero. Also has a distinct look.
Unpopular character types.
everyday females: Unless the character is the hero I think female character tend to be devalued alot. You can't just be a regular person.
quirky female characters: I think some sci-fi fans tend to look at quirky female characters as being ditzy or dumb. I'm not sure sci-fi fans respect characters who have bellow average intelligence and they really come down hard if it's a female.
Unlikable asshole. Tony Soprano,Dexter, Frank Underwood. I think there is a need for sci-fi fans to have a character that has at least one reademble trait in them. We even what the villian to have that trait. For some reason I do think sci-fi fans put more importance on likeable over intresting or darkness. Unless it's a horror film of course.
overt gay character. Granted this is more of a problem that doesn't just connect to sci-fi fans but to alot of people in general. I do think sci-fi fans like the rest of society has become more progressive on gay characters but I do think there is still a feeling that if the character is gay he or she has to be dignified and with as few flaws as possible.
Jason
