Dead but not gone

[Lisarenee]

So we all expect it of vampires and zombies, but what's the deal with authors bringing a totally dead and gone character back to life? Probably the worst offender is George R.R. Martin who can't seem to let a good character die (and yes I wouldn't be surprised if Eddard Stark some how comes back to life), but dead come-back-to-life characters seem to be popping up all over the place. Do you like this trend or do you find it unnerving? Would you like to see more of this or would you like to see a dead end in sight for this trend?

If you mention a specific series and/or book and go in depth about it, please don't forget to include a spoiler tags like:

*****SPOILER FOR A Game of Thrones******
My comment
*****End of Spoiler****

[Dawn, Desperately seeking new worlds]

If you have chosen to kill them let them be gone.
One series in particular (Chicagoland Vamps) killed off a crucial character and then she brought them back what a let down.

I hate to loose characters but you know it would happen if this was real. I think that is what I like about Kim Harrison and Carrie Vaughn they let someone go and the character has to manage the fall out.

Sorry I still have not read Ms Martin...not sure what I am waiting for on that one but anyway sorry I cannot comment on that in particular.

[Jill]

I know, of what you are talking about in the games of thrones books. I just wonder if it is not just the world they live in. Just seems everything is possible in a magical world, that is what I love about it.

I know of some characters that I wish authors would bring back magically, Sirius Black for one, but in that world, death seems to be final.

I guess what I am trying to say is, it depends what sort of world the author weaves as to whether I would accept a character brought back from the dead or not. I sort of accept the ones in GOT because of the world, although I would definitely bring back some different ones (view spoiler)[ Khal Drogo for one (hide spoiler)]

[Lisarenee]

******Harry Potter Spoiler *************
Well, Jill, now that you mention Harry Potter, didn't they kind of do the same thing in that book? While we didn't have the benefit of his death, as the series started years after, didn't everyone think Lord Voldemort was dead? He managed to survive by using his Horcruxes to, in essence, save himself from being totally gone? But his physical form died, didn't it? Could this be perceived as killing and bringing back a character?

[Joseph]

IMO, when it comes to fantasy, bringing characters back from the dead is a trick of the trade, and magic. You really can't say as a reader of that genre you're completely suprised when it happens. In a work of historical fiction or a mystery, that'd be another story, you can't break the rules of science as easily when you are not the one writing them. ;-) Even then, though, it still can happen, but it's not always the author's decision. Best example, Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wanted to keep Holmes dead after the detective went over the falls, but public demand forced him to bring Holmes back, though as they say, Holmes was never the same man after that.

[Lisarenee]

lol True, I believe if you use a touch of slight of hand, almost any character who appears to have died has the potential to come back to life. An example, if my memory serves, would be in The Last of the Mohicans when we find out the person we thought was being killed had been switched for another at the last minute. Definitely nothing magical there, but I loved the twist.

[Lisarenee]

Question, is timing everything in regards to bringing someone back? I actually liked what happened in the Chicagoland Vampires series, but I read the book out of order and so I started in on the book which ended up having the dead person walking again. If a fairly good amount of time goes between death and resurrection, does it affect how you feel about it? Is it more acceptable if the death to life is more instantaneous (at least in the same book)? One of the more recent Sookie Stackhouse books had a dead but not gone incident happen and I'm curious if that is more acceptable than letting time get in the way? Is it a matter of feeling had or is it just too unbelievable?

[Kristin]

Idk bc I read A Drop of Crimson b4 the Night Huntress series so I knew about Bones but I still cried like a baby when he "died" in the series and was so excited the way he came back. Same thing w JM being the reincarnation of Darius. Or Autumn being brought back from the BDB series. I still have hope for Eddie in the fallen angel series. I guess I'm a reader that if u as a author have taken the time to make an amazing character and leave me hanging bc u killed them, then bring them back, if its done well its a epic part of the book for me. As for the GoTs books, I've been having the worst time w them. I like a handful of characters and that's it. And I drudge through the chapters of the characters I pray get killed w every turn of the page. But no deal so far lol.

******spoilers for the Night Huntress, BDB and Fallen Angel series in this post!**********