The Internet Book Database of Fiction

by **Kvetch** » Sat May 15, 2004 7:47 am

Apart from in L E Modesitt's work (thread)

Does anyone know of explicitly or implicitly described lefthanders in (written) fiction ?

EDIT: My list of these people is here.
As you can see, I'm also interested in righthanders who become left-handed through force of circumstance and ambidextrals. And just about everything else.

by **Aunflin** » Sat May 15, 2004 1:54 pm

Josua Lackhand from Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. And I believe, from my impression reading the series, that he was lefthanded before he lost his right hand, though I could be wrong.

As for any others, I'll have to give it some thought.

by **Kvetch** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:15 am

BUMP

I would really appreciate replies to this.

by **Eoghan** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 5:25 pm

Jamie Fraser in Diana Gabaldon's books is left-handed.

by **Kvetch** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 4:40 pm

in case you avoid the LEM forum, bump. sorry to impose if you have read my bump on the other thread.

by **Evaine** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 8:53 am

I was thinking about Rosemary Sutcliff, and suddenly remembered that one of her heroes was left-handed. Drem, in Warrior Scarlet, has a withered right arm, and the story is about whether he will be able to kill a wolf and therefore become a full adult member of the tribe. It's set in the Bronze Age.

Google Profile · by **mrdude** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 2:27 pm

I belive ender in enders game was lefthanded, if I'm not mistaken.

by **Kvetch** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:18 pm

I'd forgotten about Warrior Scarlet, thank you.

Are you sure about Ender, I read them after starting my search, and feel i would have noticed (not that I'd put money on that though)

by **Kvetch** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:43 pm

Collating my private list and your notes, I am proud to present my list:

Principals/Principal Ajuncts

Eric 'cat' Chant - Charmed Life - Diana Wynne Jones
Is noted as lefthanded in schoolroom context. Is unable to do magic with right hand. Note of being made to write righthanded

Lorn - Recluce/Magi'i of Cyador - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Trains self that way ?

Nathaniel Whaler - Ecoloitan 3&4 - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Naturally lefthanded. Notes that being lefthanded is 'another advantage' when in a firefight and has his right arm diabled
P 95 P 127

Fenella Brown - Memoirs of a Dangerous Alien - Maggie Prince

Alucius - Corean Chronicles - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
natural sinistral, trains self to fight righthanded.

Murder Victims

Dick Burton - Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
Murder disguised as suicide (shot in wrong temple/gun in wrong hand - can't remember which). DB described as a 'klutz' due to LHdedness. NOT a good book.

Walter Protheroe - Poirot's Early Cases - Agatha Christie
Plot hinges on disguising the murder as a suicide, but shot in RIGHT temple.

Ajuncts

Rigneligo, Envoy/Regent from Hamor - The death of Chaos - L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Is described as having a scabbard on the right side, to be drawn from lefthanded. Later is described as having a holster on right side. Not a 'nice' person, but this is not an outgrowing of his LHdedness
p 235 p 397

Chris Donatti, Hitman - Stone Kiss (and precedeing novels?) - Faye Kellerman
During a fight, the main character pins the wrong arm or something then REMEMBERS that Chris is Lefthanded, before getting decked - handness has come up before? Not 'nice' person - not coneccted to handness?

Donations

(Prince) Josua Lackhand - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy - Tad William
From IMPRESSION reading the series, he was lefthanded before he lost his right hand (due to Aunflin)

Jamie Fraser - ??? - Diana Gabaldon (due to EoghanÃ¡n)

Greg Rivas - Dinner at Deviant's Palace - Tim Powers
It mentions in the first chapter that his left hand is his knife hand. Also, he's a musician. (due to jweb)

Maedhros - Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkein
Morgoth captured him and hung him by the wrist from the heights of Thangorodrim. Fingon rescued him, at great risk to himself, but Maedhros lost his right hand in their escape. (due to Brad_H)

Relyn - Fall of Angels - l.e. Modesitt Jr.
becomes left handed after he gets his hand lopped off. (due to torybear)

Greg Rivas - Dinner at Deviant's Palace - Tim Powers
It mentions in the first chapter that his left hand is his knife hand. Also, he's a musician. (due to jweb)

Drem - Warrior Scarlet - Rosemary Sutcliff,
has a withered right arm, and the story is about whether he will be able to kill a wolf and therefore become a full adult member of the tribe. set in the Bronze Age. (due to evaine)

The Guardian of the Egg of the Phoenix in RAH's Glory Road is fully ambidextrous - and switches mid sword fight from right to left - most disconcerting to a normal righty.
Also, both Wesley aka the Dread Pirate Roberts & the Evil Prince Humperdink in The Princess Bride were able to switch hands from right to left in the middle of a Sword fight.
(above 2 paras due to kiltannen - not sure if these are books though)

Gerswin (from the Forever Hero) was effectively (NOT naturally) ambidextrous.
Ryba and the guards of Westwind carried dual shortswords, and some of them were proficient in using both simultaneously. (due to jweb)
from MY reading, he started of righthanded, although I don't think it expicit either way

Changelings are often depicted in folklore as being sinistral. (due to Brad_H) - EXAMPLES?

Ender (Orson Scott Card) - possibly, (due to mrdude)

by **Evaine** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:31 am

In the Princess Bride, that wonderful duel was between Dread Pirate Roberts/Westley and Inigo Montoya - and there was a book as well as the film.

I should have known Cat Chant :oops:

by **Kvetch** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 2:08 pm

but a book of the film, and does the ambidexterity turn up?

Google Profile · by **mrdude** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:22 pm

Kvetch wrote:but a book of the film, and does the ambidexterity turn up?

Nice avatar and sig for the 666 post!

by **Hunter B** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 9:11 pm

Yeah, I can see you were preparing for it :lol:

by **Kvetch** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:46 pm

/Proud

I've come across a left bodied character (one of the witches in 'a hat full of sky', Terry Pratchett.

can't remember the name. will look up.

by **Edge** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:59 pm

Are you talking about the witch that has two bodies? I'm not sure that counts.... :wink:

by **Kvetch** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 4:18 pm

Yes I am. It obviously doesn't count for handness, but I wasn't going to create a left bodiness in fictional characters thread was I? I thought it was vaguely relevent

by **Edge** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 4:54 pm

I'm just saying.. I think that's a rather unique example.

On the other hand, it ties in pretty well to another point I think is relevant - when it comes to 'handedness', that's only one aspect of 'body dominance'. A person can be right-handed, but also left-footed, left-eyed, left-eared... etc. etc.

by **Kvetch** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 4:57 pm

but that is even RARER to come up in books, but if it turns up, post away.

I realise my last post may have come across rather agressivly, but it wasn't meant to.

by **britz** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:47 am

i know its debatable as to whether the old testament is fiction or non fiction but i thought i'd mention that in the king james version in judges 3:15 it says;

But when the children if Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera , a benjamite, a man left-handed, and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab

also in Judges 20:16 its says;

among this people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; every one could sling stones at an hair breath and not miss.

by **Evaine** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 5:08 am

Thanks britz - you've just given me my new sig for Ship of Fools!

by **Kvetch** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 7:42 am

five stars for britz! new people for my list! yay!

by **britz** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:22 am

thanx!

Google Profile · by **mrdude** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 10:26 am

Kvetch wrote:I'd forgotten about Warrior Scarlet, thank you.

Are you sure about Ender, I read them after starting my search, and feel i would have noticed (not that I'd put money on that though)

Yeah I'm not sure now either, they do mention which hand he leads with but now I am unsure which one it is. Right now my copy is out on loan to a freind so I can't check.

by **Kvetch** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 2:46 pm

when you find out ...

by **Kahrey** » Fri Oct 08, 2004 5:16 pm

I have the book, but I haven't read it yet. I'm trying to keep myself from reading too many at a time....

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