As a teenager, I was probably more drawn towards the Dragonlance series than any other work of fantasy – though the Shannara series may have been a close second for a season. Something about Raistlin drew me in. Despondent, cynical, and disappointing to his twin, he epitomized the mysterious bad guy (or was he really bad?) – perhaps all the more so when he achieved his ultimate goal. Here is an exchange showing his complicated cynicism in full force:
“Hope is the denial of reality. It is the carrot dangled before the draft horse to keep him plodding along in a vain attempt to reach it.”
“Are you saying we shouldn’t hope?”
“I’m saying we should remove the carrot and walk forward with our eyes open!”
Raistlin Majere / Margaret Weis
(It is surprisingly difficult to find decent fan art for Raistlin. The featured image comes from here.)
