The Scariest Monsters Look Like Us

 by Thomas Kies 

In honor of Halloween (and the Day of the Dead), I’d like to touch upon one of my favorite subjects.  Villains. Bad guys. Boogeymen. Ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties and things that go bump in the night. 

When I’m writing, I enjoy creating my protagonists because they’re fun to be with, even if it's only in my own mind.  But there’s real joy… and catharsis… in writing the villains.  

Don’t we all harbor that dark side? When your boss makes a humiliating comment, wouldn’t you like to do something horrible to him, even if only in your imagination? When a store clerk ignores you, wouldn’t you like to grab them by the collar and give them a good smack? Do you have an ex who has cheated on you?  Honestly, don’t you think about digging a shallow grave in the woods?

But enough about my twisted imagination.  Let’s talk about some truly great literary villains. And a lot of them look normal.  Just like us. 

You can’t talk about legendary bad guys without including Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire, Count Dracula.  Wealthy and sophisticated, he enjoys the nightlife. He’s suave, handsome, and a great seducer.  He’s undead and enjoys a hearty meal of blood. At first glance, he doesn’t look scary. 

Dracula has spawned an untold number of vampire novels, short stories, and movies.  These include Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice (which has spawned its own literary, movie, and television industry) and Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. 

Speaking of Stephen King, he’s given us a treasure trove of literary villains.  Pennywise, the shapeshifting stealer of children from It. That novel didn’t make me any less afraid of clowns. Emily and Rodney Harris, the retired college professors who also happen to be cannibals from the novel titled Holly. Jack Torrance, the teacher/writer going mad at the Overlook Hotel in The Shining. In the sequel to The Shining, there’s Rose the Hat from Dr. Sleep.  She’s a vampire that hunts children with psychic abilities to torture and feed from them.  Randall Flagg, the pure embodiment of evil, from The Stand and The Dark Tower series.  

But if you’re a writer, the most memorable villain is Annie Wilkes from the novel Misery. A few years ago, I was doing a book signing and a woman came up to me and said, “I’m your biggest fan.” I about peed myself. For a moment I thought she was going to offer me cookies.  

Don’t think I didn’t check whether she was carrying an axe. 

But at first glance, Annie Wilkes didn’t look scary. 

On to other villains.  We have to include Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes's arch-nemesis and intellectual equal.  Moriarty would sit like a spider in the center of his own web of wickedness and do his evilness without ever getting his hands dirty. 

Another villain who has sparked his own industry is Hannibal Lecter from Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs. A brilliant psychiatrist, cultured, articulate, and impeccably mannered, Lecter is also a cannibalistic serial killer. He's proof that evil doesn't necessarily announce itself with a hideous face or a sinister laugh. Sometimes it wears a nice suit and speaks with perfect diction. At first glance, he doesn’t look scary. 

And what about the villain who works behind the scenes, manipulating, whispering, scheming?  The villain who understands human weakness and knows how to exploit it. Iago from Shakespeare’s Othello is that kind of character. You could liken those characteristics to advisors to current business leaders, politicians, or even presidents. At first glance, those advisors don’t look scary. 

Who are my favorite villains in my own stories?  Bogdan and Valentin Tolbonov from Darkness Lane and Graveyard Bay.  The Tolbonovs are half-brothers running their own faction of the Russian Mafia. Valentin is coldly charming and manipulative.  Bogdan is the muscle.  Both are devoid of any shred of conscience and aren’t afraid to show their streak of sadism. 

Those boys were fun to write.

Now, if you really want something to think about, many real-life serial killers look normal.  Ted Bundy- handsome, well-educated, charming.  John Wayne Gacy- ran a construction business, participated in community events, dressed up as Pogo the Clown for children’s parties (there’s that clown thing again). Dennis Rader- the BTK Killer (Bind, Torture, Kill) was unassuming in appearance, married, and had two children.  

None of them looked scary.  And there are dozens of other serial killers just like that. 

So, I hope you had a fun Halloween. Yes, it’s time to put away the costumes and masks.  Now, tonight, before you turn off the lights to go to bed, check on your loved ones and make certain they’re safe, then make damned sure those doors are locked tight. 

You never know what’s lurking outside.  And remember, if someone comes to the door, at first glance, they may not look scary.