Author Insights: Are villains necessary?

L. J. Bonham: Villains and antagonists are crucial to any good story. Drama requires conflict, ergo the protagonist must have someone, or something, to struggle against.

AI: Do you like villains?

LJB: Oh yes, don’t we all? A good villain is often the most rewarding character to write. They are vessels for the author’s darker emotions and desires. You can do things through them that you would never consider doing in real life. Freud might call it taking your Id for a walk.

AI: Who are your favorite villains in literature or film?

LJB: Hans Gruber, the German terrorist/thief played so well by Alan Rickman in “Die Hard,” epitomizes the perfect villain. Gruber is smooth, intelligent, and even kind when it fits his purpose, but he is a ruthless sociopath driven to achieve his ends by any means. I’ve always thought cold calculation was more terrifying than blind, raging violence. A Hans Gruber can hold a story together by sheer force of will, whereas your basic mad dog killer runs out of gas early.

AI: Does a villain have to be human, or even alive?

LJB: No. Great villains are often not what we would consider intelligent life. Take “Doomsday Book,” by Connie Willis. The villain is a disease, the Black Death. It stalks the human characters with cold, unmerciful, and unpredictable menace. Connie handles it so well that you’re hooked until the very end.

AI: Can the villain be the hero?

LJB: Not entirely, although they can develop into the de facto protagonist, such as King Kong or Godzilla. A good villain has some qualities that elicit sympathy from the reader, but not so they become an anti-hero. The anti-hero is a different character type altogether and not a villain in my opinion.

AI: What is a “cooperative villain?”

LJB: That’s my term for a villain who is necessary to the hero’s mission. Hannibal Lecter in “Silence of the Lambs” is a classic case study. Jody Foster’s character must work with Hannibal to achieve her overarching goal: find the serial killer and rescue his next victim. However, Hannibal creates almost more obstacles for the hero than he removes. Like all good villains, he stays focused on his goal, and his cooperation is a constant conflict of mutual manipulation. He’s a memorable character because of his depth. Who really remembers the antagonist of the story, the serial killer, compared to Hannibal?

AI: So, who’s your favorite villain in your work?

LJB: It has to be Sir Alfred Tourmente in “Shield of Honor,” no question. He’s followed closely by his son, John, who graduates to full, no sh*t sociopath in the sequel, “Bond of Honor,” due out in early 2015 from Sky Warrior Book Publishing. Pick up “Shield of Honor” today on Amazon, B&N, or Smashwords. You’ll love to hate Sir Alfred.