Christopher Moore has given life to a plethora of quirky characters. Charlie Asher, star of A Dirty Job, is a beta male with a dirty secret. The Gothic "Abby Normal," serves as a minion to the equally eccentric Countess Jody and Dark Lord Tommy Flood in the vampire love series. The band of squirrel people, the "Emperor" of San Francisco, and Drool--the natural, and apprentice in Fool--are classified as the outcasts. There are, of course, many other characters who represent many other archetypes, but Moore uses the above to create a very special relationship between his characters and his audience.
The beta male- an erratic, sarcastic man who is a major cause of road rage and uncomfortable situations. Charlie Asher makes everyone aware of his position as a beta male. He is painfully self-conscious, finds it hard to concentrate in the presence of an attractive woman, and is vaguely reminiscent of a serial killer. Mr. Asher never overcomes his life as a beta male, but does learn to become comfortable with himself--that is, until he is turned into a squirrel person. Tommy Flood is another prime example of the beta male. Flood works at a supermarket in San Francisco, is friends with a bunch of guys who call themselves "The Animals," and is living as an unsuccessful writer who is doubted by both his parents and himself. His life takes a more eccentric turn, when an extremely attractive redhead takes a suspicious liking to him. Seeing as he is a beta male, and has an inkling for getting himself into sticky situations, Tommy turns into a vampire. This new life however, does not prevent him from living out his life as a true beta male. He continues his relationship with Jody, the attractive, redheaded vamp, and continues to be as self-conscious as ever. Why does Christopher Moore take such a liking to the race of the beta male? Perhaps Moore himself is a beta male. Or perhaps, it is due to the fact that the majority of the male population consists of beta males.
Being the journal of Abby Normal, mistress of the night, Christopher Moore takes advantage of modern slang and stereotypical, Gothic language. Kayso, Abby Normal is just your average, non-perky teenager, who has an inkling for stripped stockings. Abby's best friend, and ironically her biggest rival, Lily, is another equally Gothic teenager, who makes her appearance in an entirely separate book. Christopher Moore often uses characters, such as Abby Normal and Lily, to connect two separate, yet equal works. Abby many come off as slightly annoying, but her placement in another one of the "insecure" archetypes enables the readers to identify themselves with her. Everyone has gone through an identity crises at one point or another. They dress outrageously, vie for the attention of their friends, and unsuccessfully attempt to estrange themselves from their parents. Abby, though initially seen as another rebellious teenager, proves to be a rather dynamic character. In fact, Abby Normal is much more than just a "whole Saturday night drunk tank of obnoxious." She is Abby Normal, mistress of the night and minion to the Dark Lord Flood and Countess Jody, who also happens to pack a whole Saturday night drunk tank of obnoxious into one, little body.
The outcasts serve a very static role in Mr. Moore's novels. The little squirrel people look like strange creations that have crawled out of Sid Phillips' very bedroom. Drool, and rightfully named so, is a "natural" who has apprenticed Pocket, Lear's true fool. The Emperor of San Francisco, alongside his trusty companions Lazarus and Bummer, roams the streets of San Francisco, on the lookout for anything that might pose a threat to his beloved city. Every character that Moore has created, serves a very specific purpose: to function as a vital addition to the novel, and draw the reader that much closer to the story. Every beta male, goth girl, and outcast has a purpose--a purpose to shed a whole new meaning on the role of archetypes.
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