Comments on: How do you like your villains?

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:52:00 +0000

You see I don't analyse the books I read, I either enjoy the story and the way its written or I don't. If its really badly written I might chuck it out, but if the story is good enough that can hold me. Witness the stories I am reading now by Katherine Kerr. Her first books were very stilted, but I liked the story. I have just finished book 6 which was much better. But I don't concern myself with whether the villains are well written I am just convinced or not as the case may be.

Maybe I am too naive about it all. I just read to read.

By: glenda larke

glenda larke — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:48:00 +0000

Jo, a writer feels that too as a reader, but we go one step further and ask ourselves, "How did the writer achieve that state in the reader?" It's the logical progression.

Every now and then I read a book which is so brilliantly written that I forget to ask myself. Now that is the greatest of all writing.

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:05:00 +0000

I had forgotten the Cleganes. Doesn't Sandor have some redeeming features though? Long time since I read these books.

I was thinking today, aren't most of you considering villains from a writer's perspective? I of course only consider them as a reader and basically, don't consider them other than to hate them, or not, in the story.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:40:00 +0000

In my previous post I forgot to mention another great villain – the smirking, sly and ruthless Firgan from the Mirage Makers.

btw, in GRRM’s story I think the brothers you are referring to are Sandor and Gregor Clegane. The latter has the nickname of the ‘Man Mountain’.

By: Satima Flavell

Satima Flavell — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:22:00 +0000

Rats, I can’t find our chat among all the rest of the Frenchness on the Elbakin site. I guess it reads better in English, anyway, but it’s great that you are popular enough with French readers for someone to bother translating it!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:14:00 +0000

I mentioned recently on the Purple Zone that I’m halfway through Empress of Mijak and finding Hekat completely appalling. She is just so completely a sociopath that you lose all the early sympathy for her.

Can’t think of any villains that have scared the bejesus out of me…

By: glenda larke

glenda larke — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Khaldan, you are absolutely right. Herniman is a very nuanced read – unfortunately that is not everyone’s cup of tea, but those of us who love that kind of book, it is like being privileged to peek into a real place for a time, and marvel at the complexity of a society and a world both like and unlike ours.

2paw – gotta love SFX!

Peter: I don’t remember much about the Goodkind books except that I skipped a lot of speeches, but Kennit is a character that has stayed with me. I was really really hoping he was going to come down on the side of good. Actually of the Hobb books, the Liveship trio were my favourites. There were such a lot of great characters there.

Gynie: Gollum – what a great character balanced between evil and what he could have been…

I have the first Abercrombie book, Satima, but have not read it yet. BTW, did you know you and I are chatting in French over here:
http://www.elbakin.net/fantasy/

Thanks Ru – I enjoyed writing Ligea. I love writing firstperson and yet revealing things to the reader that the point of view character doesn’t get…

YOu know who I think is writing the best villains in fantasy at the moment? GRR Martin. Tyrion – is he good or bad? And can there be a worse pair of villains than his rotten-to-the-core siblings? And what about the other pair of brothers (Can’t remember the names – Sandor maybe? The ones that Sansha is having to deal with) who waver between good and evil…

By: Jo

Jo — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:28:00 +0000

As someone to hate, I do agree that Hekat fills the bill. I actually felt very sorry for her at the beginning.

I haven't yet read the Marcus Herniman books, I ordered one from the UK, it got lost in transit. I have ordered another from the States and after three weeks I still haven't got it. Maybe the books just don't want to come to me? Or maybe someone in Customs has taken a fancy to the book. I am told I should wait til the end of the month, so only 5 more days to possess my soul in patience and then I can start howling.

I'm damned if I can remember Captain Kennit - looks like I will have to re-read.

I find that with villains all I am waiting for is for them to get their comeuppance. Whatever kind of villain they are.

By: hrugaar

hrugaar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:20:00 +0000

What interests (and slightly disturbs) me is the way so many people seem to have more of a fascination with movie or book villains than with the good guys; the way the baddies seem to be idolised as totally cool and kick-ass - evil is the new chic.

I suppose it kind of begs the question of where you draw the line between the villain being a suitably formidable and complex adversary (the antagonist) and when she/he just hogs centre-stage and effectively becomes the protagonist?

Having said that, one of the many things I like about Ligea Gayed in the Mirage Makers books is the way she starts out with the apparent outward trappings of a potential villain - the ruthless professional efficiency and cynicism of an imperial assassin - and then we get to see her metamorphosis into a complex heroine who doesn't just kick the old habits out but transforms them into positive action (um, if that makes any sense!).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:16:00 +0000

I don't Know yet for the Isles of Glory, i'm only ending the Gilfeather ^^

Som of my favourites Vilain in fantasy Books is Severus Rogue in harry Potter, and many characters in Lotro as they walk on the line i believe. I like them because they are not obviously vilains, that is part of the story suspense.