It has been said that the process of writing is also the process of determining what we think about a subject. I long ago came to the conclusion that the process of growing up is also the process of fixing on our preferences, what we like–not what we should like, not what we are supposed to like, but what we actually do like.

The intelligentsia, of which I sometimes feel like a rogue member (considering my academic background), has tastes (or perhaps it would be wiser to say professes to have tastes) that are not common, low, coarse or crass. It is considered sophisticated to assume the fallen nature of mankind, the futility of action and the world weary sense that all is transience doomed to decay. But where’s the fun in that?

Occasionally a piece of literature, a movie or a play will manage to blend the tropes of high art with the tastes of the common man, and manage to escape the shackles of the Commentariat. Films such as The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather or a few of the Batman series come to mind. Still, this is rare. The tastes of the critics are rarely those of the majority of the audience.

I figured out what I liked a long time ago. I want some action, but not too much. I want the plot to go somewhere worth going. I want the conflict to be meaningful, both to the protagonist and to his world at large, some tragedy is okay so long as there is triumph as well, and most of all, I want a protagonist that I can cheer for, admire and respect. Does this mean that the common man just won’t do? Not really, because the common man is often far more heroic than his intellectual betters give him credit for.

I was on a panel at a science fiction convention a few years ago when one of the panelists said that, “There are two types of science fiction stories: superman stories and non-superman stories.” I immediately realized that he was absolutely correct, maybe not literally but pretty close, and I also realized that I like superman stories. If the protagonist is not at least highly competent, or does not become so during the course of the book, I have trouble getting into the story. I like a focus that can carry me along to a satisfying, if not always happy conclusion. I think most people do.