*they own you
I don’t know that I’m very good at describing fiction from a reader’s viewpoint, so please bear with me.
For anyone who has watched Rick and Morty, this little quote from Dan Harmon got me thinking of all the villains I’ve read about so far. I think I’m ready to branch out from book villains who get outsmarted in obvious ways, who ultimately change, who are bad but understandably so because of their trauma, to name a few examples. I think I’m looking for a plot that strikes as new. I usually tend to read fantasy, historical or sci-fi; however for a great, well-written story I’ll easily pick up another genre.
Please give me your recommendations for books with the best villains, fresh and exciting.
by Healthy_Plastic3348
2 Comments
Try [Sirens of Titan](https://imgur.com/a/SJUZ6lg).
It will make you question organized religion as well as take you on a self discussion about freewill vs determinism.
It sounds deep but just glossing over it, it’s a great novel to unplug and read to.
Not the most favorable “villain genre” but if you are familiar with Kurt’s other works like Slaughterhouse-five this is a great read as well 📚
i loooove a good bad guy; they elevate good stories into great ones. my three favourite books with incredible villains:
Shakespeare’s Othello – Iago is the template for good modern antagonists.
Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian. The book requires a disclaimer; it’s disturbing AF. i frequently had to take breaks to digest the atrocities i found in its pages. (No Country for Old Men is a McCarthy honourable mention)
Titus Groan and Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake. These are my fav books of all time and deserve a much wider readership than they have. The writing is above anything else i’ve ever read; he paints a picture unlike any other author (maybe because Peake was an illustrator too; he did the original cover art for alice in wonderland and treasure island). These are pretty dense, but extremely worthwhile. Watching the villain is so fun.