Most science fiction is a modern reworking of the Romance Quest, in which, traditionally, character development is subordinated to theme and plot. This kind of fiction depends less on "psychology" than the way in which the characters are organized into a pattern which ultimately expresses the author's values. Although Farmer goes to unusual lengths to create psychologically complex characters in the Riverworld series, even slowing down his plot with their frequent interior monologues, his characters are rarely as interesting as their historical counterparts. Often they seem to be speaking directly to the reader rather than to each other, articulating ideas Farmer wishes to emphasize. They are basically "types" rather than "individuals," present in the series to replace science fiction's conventional concept of the hero with Farmer's own, much more idiosyncratic version.

The protagonist is Sir Richard Francis Burton, based on the famous British linguist, author, explorer, and adventurer...