stories where both sides are evil

[Bondi]

Would people in general like a story if both sides (or all sides, if there are more than two) might be bad? I'm not talking about a situation where both sides are morally gray, or where one side might be full of gray anti-heroes going against evil people; I mean both sides are evil and its hard (if not impossible) to justify or excuse their actions. I'm asking because a story that I started might end up like this (I don't have everything figured out yet and its not my current intention but it has the potential to end up that way).

[Jorm]

I would definitely read that.

[EmeraldThread]

Yes! I'd definitely be interested to see how it plays out, since I don't think I can remember having read a story like that very recently.

[Blah!?]

I'd totally read that too. Having both sides of a conflict be morally gray seems to be the latest trend, and honestly I'm kind of getting tired of it. Having both sides be truly evil, though... That could be interesting.

[March Hare]

Dangerous. It's a difficult concept for a reader to get his/her head around, so for it to work it would probably have to be extra-exceptionally well-written and cleverly imagined, avoiding the trap of "a character wholly evil will turn out to be a flat one". Of course, if it does work, it works phenomenally, I am sure.

[Chanel_no5]

You know me... I love reading about evil characters.

[TheCakeIsAlive]

It sounds like a really interesting concept. I'd definitely be up for reading it.

[Pearlised]

As tough as I think it would be for the reader to properly grasp the concept, I think that if it is written well then it'd be brilliant!!!

I'd totally read it!

[thegreatpretender]

Honestly, evil people are just far more entertaining. Everyone likes a good hero, but everyone WORSHIPS a good villain. The more demented and twisted they are the more you love them. Both sides being evil? That's something I can get behind and read.

[March Hare]

Everyone likes a good hero, but everyone WORSHIPS a good villain. The more demented and twisted they are the more you love them.

"Worship" and "love" are definitely not words I'd use here. "Admire", certainly; "root for", many times; "like", oh yes. But no worshipping or loving. I can get to love and worship an AUTHOR who knows how to bring a fantastically evil psychopathic misbehaviourist to life on paper, but the villain him/herself, no.

[cuneas]

The issue isn't whether the character's actions are justified. The issue is whether the characters are _sympathetic_. An evil character can still be sympathetic. But if there isn't a single character who isn't so vile that it's impossible to sympathize with them, well...

Let me put it this way. George R.R. Martin writes in that style, and given that they just made a very successful mini-series out of his work, I guess there's an audience for it. But I read the original "Games of Thrones" novel, and I hated it more than any other book I've ever read in my life and I want to physically hurt him for writing it, so personally, I'd suggest that if you're going to write exclusively about villiain, make them sympathetic villliain, not rock-bottom human monsters.

But it's up to you.