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The Invisible Enemy What makes a good villain? Is it their dastardly deeds? The maniacal laugh? That dark something that sends shivers down your spine? Is a good villain one with redeeming qualities such that you almost like him, or are the best ones so terrible that you simply love to hate them? Do you like the villains that force you to look at something in a different way . . . or the ones completely incomprehensible? I found myself asking these questions when I was watching Monsters, Inc. with my daughter a while ago. I was struck by the fact that of all those monsters, only a few were the bad guys, only a few weren’t endearing. And the worst one of all was terrifying simply because he had the power to become invisible. Is there anything as bad as an enemy you can’t see? It reminded me of The Warriors, a supernatural thriller I’d read recently. It had been a while since I picked up a book like that, so every time demons and angels clashed within those pages, I got chills. Part of it was the wonder—if I had the vision the characters had, would I be able to see these battles around me? But part of my reaction was also awe—there is just such power in the unknown. Now, in a good book, I think the villain has to fit the story. In a supernatural thriller, an invisible enemy is fantastic. But in a romantic suspense? Might be a little out of place. In stories like those, a good villain has to be a person, first of all. Preferably one with a human side we can all relate to. My personal opinion is that we have to identify partially with any bad guy or he doesn’t have much of an effect on us. A perfect example is in Brandt Dodson’s White Soul. The story’s set up so that you know all along that one character is the bad guy—I mean, he’s a drug lord, so that goes without saying. Right? But Dodson writes this man so very well that you come away liking him, even when he proves his true colors time and again. That takes skill. What’s more, I think it takes bringing invisibility even to our human villains. Cloak them in lamb’s wool. Hide them behind bright smiles or generosity. Give them a heart, and then twist it so that the reader’s heart is twisted too. That will make a great villain—one that will stick with the reader long after the last page in turned.Wanna give me your take? Questions, comments, silly statements? Email me at BtL@ChristianReviewofBooks.com View Other Columns: Celebrating the Tradition
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