What makes a good hero? For me, a good hero is active and quick-witted. He feels the world pushing on him and pushes right back. He might not always do the right thing, and his actions might not always have the intended results, but he never stops trying. Here are three of my favorite fictional heroes.

Deryn Sharp of Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series.

Deryn wants to be an airman, so she disguises herself as a boy and joins the service. This is actually the least badass thing she does. An excellent spy, fearless brawler, and able scientific assistant, Deryn can do just about anything… except tell her crush she likes him.

Christopher Chant, the Chrestomanci, of Diana Wynne Jones’s Chrestomanci series.

This handsome fellow is a stock photo from the 2o's, and he's just going to have to do. I LOOKED for a picture of Chris, but sadly, Diana's books all seem to have either unicorns or cats on the covers. Rather unfortunate.

Chris is posh, aloof, bossy, and constantly swans around in fancy dressing gowns. He would be a tosser, except he’s also brave, loyal and learned early in life to never let anyone keep him down. Oh, and did I mention he’s also an extremely powerful enchanter? That’s why he’s always dressed to the nines- anyone in need can summon him instantly by saying “Chrestomanci” three times. You’d always have your hair-did too, if you were in his shoes. Oh, and speaking of nines, that’s how many lives he has- or had. He’s down to two.

Eddie Dean of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.

JGL: rumored to be one of the actors being considered to play Eddie in the upcoming movie-miniseries

Smartass. Heroin addict. Gunslinger? Eddie has more to overcome than just a nasty H monkey on his back, he has to shake off years of verbal abuse from his big brother Henry. Eddie loves and looks up to Henry, so learning to see Henry for the person he really is, is more painful for Eddie than kicking. But through it all, Eddie never stops cracking wise. It’s how he survives, and what makes him (arguably) the most endearing of the gunslingers.

So there you have it- three of my favorite fictional heroes. They’re not always good, but they’re always fun to read.