Creepy characters we love to hate (and secretly can’t)

There’s something fascinating about a character who creeps you out, makes you uneasy, or shocks you with their actions—but somehow, you can’t bring yourself to hate them completely. These are the villains and morally gray characters who blur the line between right and wrong, forcing readers to wrestle with their own sense of judgment. They unsettle us, intrigue us, and make our hearts race, which is why they are perfect companions for October reading.

In thrillers and suspense novels, some characters are written to be frighteningly clever, ruthless, or unpredictable, yet their motivations or circumstances make their actions feel, at least in part, understandable. In How to Kill Men and Get Away with It by Katy Brent, the protagonist’s cunning and dark choices are chilling, but her perspective invites empathy and even admiration for her ingenuity. Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen and This Girl’s a Killer by Emma C. Wells present characters whose morally questionable or violent actions are layered with complexity—making you uneasy, yet unable to fully condemn them.

It’s this balance between fear and fascination that makes these characters so memorable. We are both repelled by what they do and drawn to why they do it. Their unpredictability and depth create tension and engagement that linger long after we finish the book. These characters force us to confront uncomfortable questions: How far would we go if we were in their shoes? When, if ever, are dark actions justified?

Part of the appeal is how well authors construct these characters. The most compelling morally gray or villainous characters are multi-dimensional—they have fears, desires, and justifications that make their actions feel real, even when disturbing. We might feel a thrill at their cleverness, a shiver at their audacity, and a conflicted sympathy that keeps us thinking about them long after the story ends.

This spooky season is the perfect time to immerse yourself in these complex, creepy, and strangely relatable characters. Which characters have unsettled you while also making you think, “Maybe I get it?” Share your favorites in the comments and celebrate the villains and antiheroes that make October reading so compelling.

Now available in print and on Kindle!

Within these pages, you’ll encounter merpeople and vampires, terrifying nights in the wilderness, the quiet horror of domestic violence, poisonous plants, the extremes of human appetite, and all the small and large ways life can unsettle us.

From horror and speculative fiction to literary explorations of shadow and chaos, this anthology invites readers to step into the eerie, the strange, and the unknowable. Witness what rises with the bad moon—and confront the unsettling truths that linger there.

For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.