Thieves. They steal our reading hearts. Admit it — somewhere in your fantasy/sci-fi library is some charming rogue who won you over even as he/she lifted your purse. It’s what they do, damn them. With their clever tongue and even more clever hands. Their shifty eyes and even more shifty ethics. They play us poor readers like the marks we are. And despite that, we keep coming back for more.

We all have our favorites. Around here one such a one is Locke Lamora, along with his band of fellow con artists collectively known as The Gentlemen Bastards (also the title of the series, which begins with The Lies of Locke Lamora — think Ocean’s Eleven in a fantasy setting).

And who could leave out Bilbo Baggins, The Hobbit’s reluctant thief who not only robbed a dragon of its greatest treasure, but stole his way as well into the carefully guarded halls of dwarven hearts. So let’s talk thieves, burglars, con artists, scammers, robbers and rogues.

Who is your favorite thief?
Please mention the book/series/author so other readers can find your favorite thief.

One random commenter will win a book from our stacks.

Author

  • Bill Capossere

    BILL CAPOSSERE, who's been with us since June 2007, lives in Rochester NY, where he is an English adjunct by day and a writer by night. His essays and stories have appeared in Colorado Review, Rosebud, Alaska Quarterly, and other literary journals, along with a few anthologies, and been recognized in the "Notable Essays" section of Best American Essays. His children's work has appeared in several magazines, while his plays have been given stage readings at GEVA Theatre and Bristol Valley Playhouse. When he's not writing, reading, reviewing, or teaching, he can usually be found with his wife and son on the frisbee golf course or the ultimate frisbee field.