Some of the best novels to read are ones where the reality of the world is harsh, and the morality of what is right and wrong isn’t as straightforward or black and white. When writing any sort of novel or story it’s important to know which genre you want to write about. If you want to create a story and world with a tone that is dark and dreary then you have to build things accordingly. There are many novels and films which have stories with worlds that are depressing and dark, the novel “Galveston” is a great example of this. Written by Nic Pizzalato, a writer who also wrote the groundbreaking series true detective. He created a world within Galveston that has a heavy tone and characters to compliment the world itself.
It’s important to note that in these dark worlds there should be a lot of room for the main protagonist to make mistakes as he tries to deal with the situations he is faced with. Another example of a novel that does this is sharp objects in which murders of young girls are occurring all across town. In that show, the ‘who did it’ question arises.
The ‘who did it’ question is an interesting one as in sharp objects the look of the town in which the protagonist is returning to is quite normal from afar but as the reader goes deeper and deeper into the town, they are faced with the realization that there are secrets hidden in every corner. Another great example would be Steve Hamilton’s “A scandal of the particular” which has a protagonist that mirrors the dark world he is living in. The world of Scandal of the particular is set in downtown Vancouver where Hyman Kazan is residing in. Hyman’s character is barely holding on as his life is not going the way he planned. He is a lawyer who is struggling with his demons, and addictions that are trying to get the best of him. His character has lost faith in the system and is starting to show his dark side, his biggest challenge in a lot of ways is trying to not cross the line that might lead him to become someone he never imagined he could be. Hyman Kazan’s character is the one who is guiding the readers through the novel and his perspective is in a lot of ways three-dimensional and the readers kind of understand what and why is he thinking certain ways.
The book explores the underbelly of Vancouver and the justice system that at many times fails not only the ones it has sworn to protect but also the ones trying to find justice. His character is tortured by the present and the past but more so he is a character that is simply fed up and tired of the justice legal system which lets victims down while giving an easy passage to criminals to walk scot-free. In one of the first pages of the book, it is described how he is dealing with the pain of not bringing justice to a rape victim who was attacked by a person of color who was wielding a knife. The man was released and let go even with overwhelming conviction simply because the evidence wasn’t sufficient for the judge, more specifically the victim couldn’t identify how she was penetrated because she was nervous and ridden with anxiety.
So, in conclusion, if you want as an author to create a deep, dark and intriguing world then simply read books that are of that nature, and surely in no time, you will introduce the world to a story that will grip them like no other.
