Eleven of the vilest villains in horror fiction

J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is the author of the humorous fantasy adventure Fish Wielder and, more recently, Demon Freaks. One of his eleven top vile villains in fiction, as shared at the the B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog:

Dark from Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

While we’re on the subject of seductive, evil tempters, I should probably mention the mysterious Mr. Dark. Who he is exactly is never explained, but his job is clear. He is the ringmaster of the Pandemonium Shadow Show, a travelling carnival that arrives in the dead of night to entice the unhappy and dissatisfied with the promise of their hearts’ desires.

Part of his power is that the hypnotically animating tattoos on his body seem to show the stories of those he encounters, enabling him to understand and exploit their weaknesses and dreams. He offers to fulfill their dearest wishes, but his true goal is to steal the life force of his victims, feed the furnace that powers his carnival with their souls, and enslave their bodies forever as freaks in his travelling show.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is among Sam Reader's eight top books about the horrors of adolescence.

--Marshal Zeringue