Harry Potter has been the stalwart however, putting up record sales numbers and appealing to the widest audience of perhaps any fictional series ever. Therefore, it is from those three series that I have picked five characters who really have stuck out and the stories what they are.

Severus Snape: (Harry Potter) - First appearance (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

When the reader is introduced to Severus Snape, he personifies the same outward persona that he wears throughout the rest of the series. The shrewd man with the greasy hair who is ruthlessly biased, and an apparent antagonist to our three heroes. While a principal antagonist for the majority of the first book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Snape is relegated to that of a nuisance and annoyance who takes pleasure in making Harry and his friends lives as miserable as possible over the next three volumes in the series. The reader is never sure what to think of Severus Snape. On one hand, there is Dumbledore's unwavering confidence and trust in the man. Rowling did an excellent job of slightly discrediting some of Dumbledore's beliefs through the thoughts of the protagonist, Harry Potter, enough at least as to where the reader wasn't thoroughly convinced that Dumbledore knew all there was to know about Snape. The character of Snape grew in both significance and complexity during the fifth book (The Order of the Phoenix) and remained at the forefront throughout the rest of the series.

From Harry's point of view, Snape was evil, capable of doing all of the evil things spoken of throughout the wizarding series. It is true that Snape comes across as very harsh and cruel, and, in fact, shows great bias towards members of his own house; however it isn't until the beginning of the sixth installment that the reader truly begins to believe that Harry and his friends are correct and that Snape is as evil as they believe him to be. Snape's loyalties become the essential plotline in the final two books. His ability to shield his mind and read others' minds made it impossible for the reader to discern where his loyalties lay. Especially convincing is the fact that Snape kills Dumbledore at the climax of the sixth book, exits with the Death Eaters and is than with the same during the entirety of the final installment. Throughout all of this though, there is always some doubt about Snape. He seems to be the only character that no one, on either side can truly identify with. He is apparently the right-hand man of each side's leader respectively, and never is his true identity and purpose revealed until the final few chapters of the last book.

That being said, I believe the vindication of Snape and the chapter in which Harry finally learns of all the missing pieces throughout the years is the best in the entire series. When the reader realizes that Snape is the person Harry must go to in order to find his true destiny and fulfill the prophecy that was laid out ahead of him, it comes somewhat as a shock. The entire series shrouds Snape in darkness, deceit and complexity, and all of the secrets come spilling out in one 22 page chapter. Snape was the best character in the series, and with the series being the most successful fantasy novels of all time, he may arguably be the best fantasy character ever.

Nom Anor (Star Wars: New Jedi Order)- First Appearance: Vector Prime

Never have I read a more complex character. Throughout the 27 book series, Anor plays several different roles. He is particularly an interesting character because he is unlike every other member of his species. This is highly unusual when reading a fantasy/science fiction novel because the species and emotions are unusual enough in themselves the majority of the time. Nom Anor is a Yuuzhan Vong, however has no respect for any of the beliefs of his people, save one; the hatred of those in the galaxy they are invading. An absolutely masterful manipulator throughout the series, Anor's character was written by different authors, each with their own personal spin on this very complex character, making him more unpredictable and loathsome as ever. By the midpoint of the series the reader begins to realize just how manipulative and narcissistic Anor is, caring nothing about the fate or outcome of the world, but only in his personal escalation. He plots to kill his superiors, forbidden amongst his people; he enjoys many of the delicacies of the galaxy, even more strongly forbidden by his people; he forges no real confidences wherever he goes, thus he was able to play both sides in the conflict holding his own objectives above all else. The fact that he never forged any amount of credibility amongst friend or foe allowed him to go into hiding and plot a lower class rebellion with the eventual goal of seating him, in disguise, essentially as ruler of the galaxy.

Anor's charcter was one of complete duplicity. Brilliantly written, consistently altered, with no real insight to his ultimate goal until the reader was finally beginning to tire of all the backstabbing and ruthless politics. As a member of the politic party of his race, he was created to have all of the bad traits politicians may have, while also containing none of the good ones.

Q (Star Trek) First appearance: Pilot Episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation

I know that his original appearance is 20 years ago and that would seemingly make him ineligible to appear on this list. However, Q appeared on an episode of Star Trek: Voyager just within the 10 year time period I gave myself, so he just barely counts. And how could I leave this character out.

Q makes his first appearance in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation by capturing the Enterprise and putting the entire crew of the ship on trial for the entire body of crimes committed by humanity. A being based on pure logic, as it's the only thing that makes sense to him, Q doesn't understand evolution and maturation, because as an omnipotent being, everything to him exists at the same time. After Picard proves his point and Q concedes humans should be allowed to exist, the crew is freed to go. Throughout the series Q makes several more appearances that allow his character and being to evolve far beyond what was seen in the first episode. The character himself becomes fascinated by the resilience of the human race and with Picard and Riker in general, once becoming mortal and attempting to become a member of the crew.

Q places them in several tight situations, apparently playing games with their lives. However, in each case, the crew turns out more aware of some vital lesson and mantra that enables them to grow stronger and wiser, enabling them to complete more difficult tasks in the future. In this way, Q can be seen as a father to the race of humanity, very similar to the God portrayed in the Holy bible.

Therefore, Q is essentially god. More correctly, he is what we may envision god to be at this stage of our species' development. An omnipotent being able to change anything, at any time to his liking, Q can appear at any time, in any form, to give advice, both wise and disastrous. The character was created to be a physical manifestation of god, tying into the beliefs of Gene Roddenbury and introduced to an upheaval from modern religious bodies. Q was the epitome of an omnipotent being with God-like powers and he turned out to be flawed and arrogant and, because he was immortal, had no regard for life and emotion. While this would incense religious patriarchs of the day, the character greatly intrigued the science fiction fan base and became a staple of modern fantasy.

Jacen Solo (Darth Caedus) - (Star Wars Expanded Universe) - First appearance: The Last Command

Jacen Solo is an interesting character in many ways. It was difficult to choose him over other Expanded Universe characters, particularly Corran Horn, who has become a huge Star Wars star in his own right, and Boba Fett, who simply doesn't have enough of a role to foster being on this list. His arch was great in the Legacy of the Force Series, trumped only by Solo's, and that also was a big factor. Anyway, Solo is unique, for he, his twin sister Jaina and his brother Anakin, are all completely bereft of the direct interpretation of George Lucas. The twins are in fact the first major characters to be born to the Star Wars Expanded Universe after the events of The Return of the Jedi.

Throughout their childhood, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin existed in the stories as accessory characters; their roles were certainly significant and they always factored into the climax and resolution of each story, however they themselves were still not seen as the heroes, that honor still belonged to their parents, Uncle and all their other wacky friends. As the reader was able to see the children mature literally from birth through death, in Jacen and Anakin's case, a sort of kinship began to develop between reader and character. By the time the twins were 15 they had their own young adult series, and they had become somewhat of co-main characters with their parents in the adult novels. The young adult series, Young Jedi Knights, enabled the reader to get to know the twins personalities in much more detail. Jacen was a lover of all forms of life, love and laughter; telling jokes repeatedly, capturing and caring for many different types of animals, and through the force he seemed to have a kinship with all living things. These were very important books in establishing Jacen as an adult and would establish a strong foundation for the character's future.

When the New Jedi Order series hit, the roles of the classic heroes and the next generation of heroes took a dramatic shift, beginning with the death of Chewbacca. This event seemed to singlehandedly hand the reigns from one generation of Star Wars' characters to the next. The new generation was now front and center while the classic heroes, while still heavily involved in the plot, became more accessory characters. Jacen was the star of the 27 book series. In each book a deep understanding of the character was embedded amongst the reader. He openly questioned beliefs of the Jedi in the beginning, eventually questioned the nature of the force, and finally decided he had to go and discover truth for himself. The character was supposed to be killed at the midpoint of the series in the novel Star By Star, however this was scratched and they killed his little brother Anakin instead. This enabled the breaking free of the Jedi doctrine which had, up to that point in his life, been all he had known.

The Legacy of the Force series was essentially entirely about Jacen and his fall to the dark side. Because of his understanding more about the force than anyone else in the books, his fall to the dark side was nothing like any Star Wars fans could have imagined. It wasn't a quick, painless thing that took place in the span of 2 hours and screen time, as is the case with Vader, but a long process embarked upon by someone who, even through his evil deeds, is trying to do some good. He eventually lets the power seduce him, as he promised he would never do, however the reader comes to understand the motives behind the fall and that it's not as cut and dry as portrayed in the movies. With Jacen's death, an entire new arch of Star Wars came to a close, and the bridge to a new generation began, with Ben Skywalker, Alanna, and others beginning to take the reigns as the next legends of the Star Wars Universe.

Harry Potter/Tom Marvolo Riddle (Lord Voldemort), Harry Potter Series - First appearance (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

These two characters are connected from the very first chapter of the series all the way through to its conclusion. They are very similar in most respects (which is the purpose of the entire story arc), and neither of them would be half as interesting without the other, which is why I have them listed together. Harry Potter would simply be a normal boy who had some unusual adventures, whereas Voldemort would have been the typical villain who was stopped in the end, if not for the fact that their souls were literally combined, and this fact adds to the complexity of the entire body of work.

Tom Riddle and Harry Potter were each brought up in the care of Muggles (non-Wizarding Folk) and neither of them found a meaning or purpose in life until they were admitted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Both boys regarded Hogwarts as their home and each of them set out to destroy the other. Harry's character is far less complex until the fifth installment, in which we learn that he is unavoidably connected with the evil Voldemort and will remain so unless one of them is killed. While their experiences are quite similar, they react to those experiences in exactly the opposite ways; Harry learned to love while Voldemort learned to hate. This is the essential concept behind J.K Rowling's series. Love vs. hate/Light vs. Dark. And while the ending is obvious, light/love prevail over darkness, the means to which we are brought to that climax are quite original. As perplexing as their relationship is throughout much of the series, the two characters continue to display completely opposite responses to the same relative emotions. While Harry gets angry and forgives, Voldemort gets angry and punishes.

Harry cares so much about others that he does whatever he can to help them, while Voldemort hates other so much that he will do whatever he can to hurt them. Harry's character can tend to be a little on the annoying end, as he is unreasonably angry and frustrated many times throughout the series; the reader must realize that he is simply a teenager going through all normal teenage emotions, albeit with a huge weight bearing down on him in the form of imminent death. However, while Harry faces his challenges with bravery and perseverance, Voldemort chooses to do so with fear and loathing. This is the essential concept of character, and it is brilliantly demonstrated throughout the series. These two characters are perhaps the reason the series will remain a rampart in modern fiction for many years to come.

Most of the copies of this series are no longer sold in stores, but you can find them through eBay and other online shopping site very easily as I did. I gave this series and every book in it (ten titles) a whopping 10 out of 10.

I think that even people who don't like StarWars would love these books. It has action, drama, somewhat romance. And the story line is one of the best I've seen in a book series in a long time.

To give you a hint of the series the story is about young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi going on missions and growing together as master and apprentice. The story takes place briefly after episode one the Phantom Menace, and end months before episode two Attack of the Clones.

I would strongly advise that you buy this series. Not just the first one, because like what happened to me, you'll want to get a read the rest of them over and over again.

Well, it has something to do with fanaticism-that means being filled with an excessive and ungovernable zeal or with an obsessive interest for a pastime or hobby.

One can be a fan, but when one becomes a fanatic, the overwhelming like or interest of a subject goes overboard and the so-called fanatic cum maniac will start violating social norms-such as the case of those Star Wars enthusiasts out there.

If memory serves right, Star Wars events occur in the imaginary Star Wars galaxy. There's also this "opening crawl" of text that gives specific context for the events of the film. And yes, in each instance, the crawl is preceded by the line, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

Though the characters commonly interact with out-of-this-world creatures of many different types from various planetary systems within the Star Wars galaxy, most of the characters in the film are still essentially identical to humans. Anyone who likes magic, Jedi knights, witches, and princesses that are related to the prime examples of the fantasy genre will surely go gaga over this film.

Though many science-fiction and fantasy films feature sleek and futuristic settings, Star Wars was depicted as dirty and grimy. George Lucas, its director, says new props were actually rubbed with dirt to give them a weather-worn appearance (that's practical, huh?), which he calls "a used or ancient future."

Whatever that means, copycats followed suit and further popularized this technique in the science fiction-horror films Alien, which was set on a filthy space freighter; Mad Max 2, which is set in a post-apocalyptic desolate tract; and Blade Runner, which is set in a crumbling, sullied city of the future.

Besides these intriguing and captivating features of the movie series, a website offers several reasons for the enormous and long-term appeal of this top-grosser and why maniacs are actually increasing by the minute (some omitted for being confusing):

• Hot AT-AT battle scene almost as good as losing virginity
• Some see a lot of Lobot in themselves
• Some actually claim they are Bobasexual
• C-3PO's hilarious fagotty antics have an undying and timeless appeal
• Some already own an Admiral Ackbar costume and would want to wear it somewhere acceptable
• This series actually use the stirring words, “Let's get out of here.”.
• Some women (and gays) find movie showings as a great chance to find single, available men

Talk about crazy. But we're talking about mania, right? Who needs logic or reason? Don't be surprised if you find some sad maniac describing the insane lengths he/she went through to see The Phantom Menace - camping out on the street, taking time off work, neglecting loved ones, not bathing and so on.

In science fiction however, particularly films, there often is an element of romance within it. (Think boy gets the girl at the end and they fly off into the abyss to colonize a planet in peace.) And I'm all for that. I think it's cool. However it is usually an after thought in the film or book in question. However that's not quite what we're discussing here.

Then what is Science Fiction Romance? Is there a sure fire definition? Not yet in my opinion. But you'll definitely know it when you read it. In lieu of a definition here are some hints that will help narrow your focus.

In this kind of story the basics of science fiction do apply be it technological, behavioral, social or otherwise i.e. futuristic world, time or place-- not necessarily visitors from a futuristic world time or place. Because that could be considered Time Travel. Think space ships, genetically altered babies, aliens, intergalactic wars, space pirates you get the picture. And there always has to be a romantic element that is central to the plot and development of the character i.e. not only is she is a space pirate but her husband is a Captain in the Intergalactic Police Force charged with capturing her.

Sounds easy enough? Well we're not quite finished. Because they have to have a believable relationship (we're not talking about real. After all why would a space pirate fall for a stuffy old captain anyways? But the real -er the better.) And more importantly, there has to be a happy ending. What's the point if they both die in a tragic explosion killing themselves and never having the chance for that baby (who has to choose which side of the law he/she is on in the sequel) to come about? Sounds formulaic? I think not.

There are plenty of writers who write works of tragedy (and you know the ending will be let's just say “heartbreaking”) and their work is considered sound, valid even praised as excellent pieces of literature. Why then books with the expectation of a happy ending be less valid or even praised as a type of literature? In this world of good news and bad. Wouldn't you rather have more good news? I would. Bad news will come any way, I don't always have to read about it. But back to my point.

So does Science Fiction Romance fall under the heading of Science Fiction-- where it is more often scoffed at or does it belong under the heading of Romance where there is a loyal following but keeps a low profile under the categories of Futuristic or Paranormal depending on who categorized the directory. If we as an audience were to seriously review our favorite scifi books, movies and tv shows and give the work a closer look, would we recategorize?

What if Star Wars was more about Han and Leia? Would it be Sci fi/Space Opera or would it be considered Scifi Romance? Read the Courtship of Princess Leia and let me know.

What's this have to do with anything? It's the basic plot for both Harry Potter and Star Wars; two detestable franchises from two different generations. What's worse than two geeks going at it with fake light sabers? I don't know. Maybe two more geeks twirling a wand about and screaming odd words at the top of their lungs pretending they can do magic.

The story-line between the Harry Potter books and George Lucas' Star Wars are so similar it makes me wonder if perhaps Mrs. Rowling didn't have Lucas on speed dial, so she could make sure her dialog was as cut and dry as possible, written in a slovenly manner that reuses the same formulas for story-telling over and over, and the same useless side stories that don't have anything to do with the rest of the book.

Mrs. Rowling's poor writing really shines through in her supposed close to the series, where many die-hard fans are upset by her story-telling. My question to them is why haven't they been upset all along? She's used the same cut and dry techniques, giving characters wooden dialog, bumbling about in a half attempt to tell a story and sum it up nicely… only to have written around 300 pages of nonsense before the whole book is over.

But it's just a children's book! Of course it is. That's exactly it. A children's book. The fact that so many adults have read the stories and acclaimed them as the best that the fantasy genre has to offer really sickens me. Especially when drivel disguised as a children's book soars high, while great works of fantasy, such as those written by Neil Gaiman, Terry Goodkind, and even Anne McCaffrey, pass under the radar of the same adults.

What about the movies?! What about them? They do well enough for the thinly veiled attempt they are to hide Rowling's flaws. The actor who plays Harry is going to have to try extra hard to keep that beard in check the longer the series goes on. Seriously. Children's books? Then leave them to the children. Stop going on and on about it because it's the first book you choose to read. Honestly. It's not that great.