What is it about the villain that captures our interest? Sure, they provide a force for the hero to battle. But there’s more than that. While the hero is a spotless and shining example of our virtue, the villain shines a light on those dark recesses of our soul. They have motivations that are far murkier. They’ve had to make the tough choices. They are the losers who have to keep pushing through when the world turns against them. A good villain makes a story memorable.
There are two sides to every story. The following books look at familiar stories from the villains’ point of view.
Medea: A Delphic Woman Novel by Kerry Greenwood
I know what you’re thinking: How could there be a good side to a woman who kills her own children. But did you know that Euripides was paid by the city of Corinth to write his version of this myth with Medea murdering her children? This modern interpretation is closer to the original.
Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr by Nancy Isenberg
Aaron Burr is mostly remembered as the man who shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel. However, though he's been stricken from the pantheon of the Founding Fathers, Burr influenced our burgeoning nation in innumerable ways.
Darth Vader and Son by Jeffery Brown
This playful graphic novel reminds us that before Darth Vader was the Dark Lord of the Sith, he was just a single dad with a precocious young son.