I am currently entrenched in my first attempt at writing a psychological thriller and am hoping to spark some inspirational conversation relating to your absolute favorite characters in this genre? There are so many compelling villains out there and I would love to hear from some lovers of the dark scary stuff as to which characters bring you inspiration as you write or think about character development in your stories! For me, I've gotta say, Hannibal Lecter is at the top of my list. I love the complexity he brings!
Creepy/Thrilling Character Favorites?
- Thread starter pratfalleffect
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My all-time, hands-down favorite creepy character is Frances Dolarhyde from Red Dragon. While the Thomas Harris novel introduced Hannibal Lecter, he was nowhere near as compelling as Dolarhyde, who was a sick f--- who committed horrible acts but was so tenderly rendered by the author that you understood why and felt kind of sorry for him. Much more interesting than Lecter, IMO.
Maryn, whose lone attempt at a thriller sputtered
Maryn, whose lone attempt at a thriller sputtered
I feel like there is nothing more beautiful than a writer's ability to create empathy for a deeply disturbing character. Frances Dolarhyde is an excellent choice!! I think at first glance, Hannibal can seem like just another serial killer however I feel like his ability to understand the intricacies of the human mind allow him to prey on people's most intimate vulnerabilities.
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It's not from the psychological thriller genre, but the murderer Carcer from sir Terry Pratchett's [edit: fantasy] novel Nightwatch creeped me out like few other characters managed. Maybe not a complex character but darn, wouldn't want to meet him.
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I will have to check this one out, I'm not familiar with it. Honestly, that's exactly what I was looking for, those characters that just give you the CREEPS! Thanks for sharing!