# Short Fiction — Character guide

> Key figures in Short Fiction by Poul Anderson.

- [Colin Fraser](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/colin_fraser.md): Fraser is the rumpled, hatchet-faced man Judy keeps circling back to even as she chases a stage career and richer company. He wants to marry her, but she wants to see the world first, and his dry jealousy of the industri
- [Simon Dalgetty](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/simon_dalgetty.md): Dalgetty sits alone in a coral-walled bar, straining to overhear Bancroft and his companions discuss why their enemies haven't gone to the government. He deflects the chatty rec girl Glenna with a fake name and a shaky s
- [Captain Corun](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/corun.md): Corun commands a voyage into the Xanthi archipelago alongside the sorcerer Shorzon and the grim Imazu, who warns him not to become any woman's blind slave. Haunted by memories of family and old comrades, he feels a cold 
- [Bo Jonsson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/bo_jonsson.md): Bo Jonsson is a rough individualist of the Trojan boom towns, the kind who drinks at the Last Chance on Achilles and knows the iron rules of hospitality and rescue. When Johnny Malone dies in a bar brawl from a poisoned 
- [Ray Ballantyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/ray_ballantyne.md): Ballantyne and Elena are stranded together with four packs and a hundred rounds, and he keeps cracking wordplay while she tries to read whether he's human or something colder. She's spent two years undercover inside Thom
- [Alfric](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/alfric.md): Alfric of Aslak fights his way through a hostile city beside Hildaborg, stripping corpses for disguises and ready to cut down a captive guard until she stops him. He scorns prophecy and priests, yet the Book of the Sibyl
- [Basil Donovan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/basil_donovan.md): Donovan belongs to the old ruling family of Ansa, now reduced to handcuffs and a stun-beam headache after a riot against Imperial authority. Brought before Commander Helena Jansky, he masks fear with studied haughtiness,
- [Dr. Robert Kennedy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/robert_kennedy.md): Kennedy practices medicine behind the polished doors of Sentiment, Inc., seeing only a select few patients and research subjects, his connections reaching into finance, politics, and labor. Investigator Fraser comes to h
- [Dr. Arch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/dr_arch.md): Dr. Arch moves through the hospital's corridors with the quiet authority of someone who has seen too much to be surprised, yet he listens as though each patient matters. He is caught between professional duty and the sec
- [Kery of Broina](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/kery_of_broina.md): Kery arrives at Queen Sathi's twilight court as one of the men of Killorn, a refugee of drought and gray blight, his uncouth manners clashing with the harp music and slim pillars around him. He is drawn to the young quee
- [Ellen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/ellen.md): Helena Jansky commands the light cruiser Ganymede with a peasant's blunt competence and a soldier's discipline, her dark hair and storm-gray eyes giving nothing away. As the ship pushes past the edge of known space, she 
- [Dyann Korlas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/dyann_korlas.md): Dyann stands in the long line of her people waiting to board the Galactic ship, one of the last generation to know this village as home. She and a young man step out of line to be rained on together, a small act of love 
- [Mike Blades](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/mike_blades.md): A curt, hard-boiled operator who keeps a full report of Kennedy's mind-bending business in the hands of several people, just in case anything happens to him.
- [Rikard of Nyrac](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/rikard.md): A cold-eyed, calculating leader from a distant world whose rainbow robes and golden coronet conceal a patient plan to humble the complacent Terrestrial Empire.
- [Dr. Lancaster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/dr_lancaster.md): A scientist whose work sits at the center of a quiet war between the Institute and Bertrand Meade's organization, making his capture a prize both sides want.
- [Cappen Varra](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/cappen_varra.md): A small, quick-witted figure whose knack for slipping through cracks in the world makes him useful to causes larger than himself.
- [Captain Flandry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/captain_flandry.md): A dashing Imperial intelligence captain, stripped and unarmed before a barbarian warlord, who answers insult with bland wit and a mind already mapping escape.
- [Peter Matheny](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/peter_matheny.md): A steady, capable man in a dangerous trade, the kind whose loyalty and competence make him a linchpin when the shooting starts.
- [Lieutenant John Laird](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/john_laird.md): Laird works alone, buried in the ruins of a ghost city on a bleak, moonlit planet, sifting through a labyrinth for a prize he barely understands. When a ship's hum returns to the sky, he faces the terror that his weeks o
- [Kery son of Rhiach](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/kery_son_of_rhiach.md): Kery belongs to a mixed world where Terrestrial settlers and golden-furred Khazaki fight and feast side by side, and his closest bonds cross that line. When rebels kill his father and brother and his sister vanishes, he 
- [Jorun of Fulkhis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/jorun.md): Jorun stands at the edge of a half-timbered town on an Earth that has decayed into quiet farms and marble ruins, tasked with moving ten million people off a planet they refuse to leave. He is drawn to old Kormt, whose ro
- [Allen Lancaster](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/allen_lancaster.md): Lancaster exists in the orbit of Dr. Lancaster and the wider conflict between the Institute and its enemies, a figure whose presence is felt through the loyalties and losses that shape Dalgetty's mission. The stakes of t
- [Thomas Bancroft](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/thomas_bancroft.md): Bancroft commands an island operation with armed men and hard decisions, and he is used to being the one applying pressure. When Elena drags in the captive Dalgetty and the prisoner begins reading his thoughts aloud, Ban
- [Arnold Radek](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/arnold_radek.md): Radek moves through the same scientific and political circles as the Institute's allies and enemies, a figure whose expertise makes him valuable to whichever side can claim him. The uncertainty about where his loyalties 
- [Anse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/anse.md): Anse is a soldier-spacer whose world runs on the creed that a man stands by his comrades, a bond he shares most deeply with the alien Janazik. When violence aboard the ship forces him to choose between love, loyalty, and
- [Thomas Gilchrist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/thomas_gilchrist.md): Gilchrist moves through the same dangerous circles as Dalgetty and the Bancroft faction, where guns are drawn and alliances shift in a heartbeat. His position is ambiguous enough that every scene he touches carries the q
- [Dr. Urushkidan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/urushkidan.md): Dr. Urushkidan operates in the same institutional and medical world that Dalgetty must navigate while evading capture. The doctor's composure and access make him both a potential ally and a quiet threat, and Dalgetty's s
- [Daryesh of Tollogh](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/daryesh.md): Daryesh belongs to the off-world powers whose interests intersect with the intrigue Dalgetty is trying to untangle. Even at a distance, the name signals that the conflict is bigger than one planet or one agent, and that 
- [Janazik](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/janazik.md): Janazik is an alien comrade whose culture knows comradeship rather than romantic love, and that bond with Anse is the axis of his life. When Ellen's brother dies, Janazik claims the deed to spare Anse, knowing it will co
- [Chryseis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/chryseis.md): A beautiful woman, possibly a princess or love interest.
- [Queen Sathi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/queen_sathi.md): A queen of an alien or human kingdom.
- [Einar Lundgard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/einar_lundgard.md): A character with a Scandinavian name, possibly a pilot.
- [Empress Hildaborg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/hildaborg.md): An empress who led armies against invaders.
- [Miss Casimir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/miss_casimir.md): A woman with a mysterious past, possibly a spy.
- [Judy Sanders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/judy_sanders.md): A female character, possibly a secretary or love interest.
- [Eileen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/eileen.md): A woman with many pronoun references, likely a love interest.
- [Shorzon the Sorcerer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/shorzon.md): A sorcerer or magician from a fantasy setting.
- [Rayth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/rayth.md): A character with a moderate number of mentions, possibly a villain.
- [Jamie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/jamie.md): A young brat or junior crewman.
- [General Jonan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/jonan.md): A general in a military conflict.
- [Valeria McKittrick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/valeria_mckittrick.md): A fair woman, possibly a damsel or agent.
- [Langdon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/langdon.md): A character with a moderate number of mentions.
- [Captain Imazu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/captain_imazu.md): A captain, likely of a spaceship.
- [Wocha](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/wocha.md): An alien or human with a unique name.
- [Valduma](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/valduma.md): A female character, possibly a witch or queen.
- [Dr. Marcus Lang](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/dr_marcus_lang.md): A great doctor or scientist.
- [Barbara Hood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/barbara_hood.md): A woman with a dual identity, possibly a spy.
- [Mr. Berg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/mr_berg.md): A businessman or official.
- [Dougald Anson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/dougald_anson.md): A character with a Scottish name, possibly a pilot.
- [Gerlaug Kormt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/gerlaug.md): A stubborn old man clinging to his land.
- [VI Alfric](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/vi_alfric.md): A numbered version of Alfric, possibly a clone or son.
- [Volakech](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/volakech.md): An alien or human with a unique name.
- [Queen Gunli](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/queen_gunli.md): A queen of an alien or human kingdom.
- [Jimmy Chung](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/jimmy_chung.md): A character with an Asian name, possibly a technician.
- [Lord Bram of Killorn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/bram_of_killorn.md): A poor lord from a feudal world.
- [Judy Harkness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/judy_harkness.md): A woman, possibly a secretary or love interest.
- [Cerdic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/cerdic.md): A character with a Saxon name, possibly a warrior.
- [Tetsuo Takahashi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/tetsuo_takahashi.md): A Japanese character, possibly a scientist or pilot.
- [Harry Kane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/harry_kane.md): A character with a common name, possibly a villain.
- [Harmon Tyler](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/harmon_tyler.md): A character with a moderate number of mentions.
- [Gonzales Alonzo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/gonzales_alonzo.md): A Hispanic character, possibly a pilot or soldier.
- [Juan Martinez](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/juan_martinez.md): A Hispanic character, possibly a crewman.
- [Michael Tighe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/michael_tighe.md): A character with a moderate number of mentions.
- [Johnny Malone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/johnny_malone.md): A character with an Irish name, possibly a spacer.
- [Karen Marek](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/karen_marek.md): A female character with a Polish name.
- [Julith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters/julith.md): A little girl or young woman.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_44_se/characters