I remember when I was trying to choose a font (http://bjh21.livejournal.com/101053.html), I rejected Optima (http://www.identifont.com/show?T9) on the grounds that it was too likely to be used for electricity advertising and bad science fiction. I rather liked Zapf Calligraphic (http://www.identifont.com/show?27X) until I realised it was Palatino with the serial numbers filed off, and hence (a) in everyone's printer and (b) a display face, dammit. I think I did well with Brioso Pro (http://www.identifont.com/show?I4F) – despite its loveliness, I don't think I've ever seen it used by anyone else.

Incidentally, I notice that Adobe's Bembo Std (http://store2.adobe.com/cfusion/store/html/index.cfm?store=OLS-UK&event=displayFontPackage&code=1297) includes alternate "R" glyphs with shorter tails.

I was discussing Optima with kyte on Mono after this post, and she pointed out that its major downside these days is an increasingly strong association with M&S. Shame, because I rather like it. I have admittedly seen it used to set bad SF (or at least fantasy; the one springing to mind is the execrable War of Powers), but then it was also used in at least one edition of a Hitch-Hiker novel IIRC so it's not all bad.

This week I read a novel set in a rather nice serif font I hadn't seen before, which Identifont pegged for me as Dante, and whose italics impressed me in particular (I keep thinking it's a shame Identifont doesn't show italics). The novel itself wasn't outstanding, but the font made it a pleasure to read nonetheless.