A lot of bad fantasy writers tend to use sexual sadism as a short hand for 'evil'. Sometimes I think it's more due to laziness than the author's particular thoughts about sexuality -- instead of creating a believable villain, it's easier to just go "HAY THIS PERSON GETS OFF ON TORTURING THE HERO LOLOLOL!!11!" and leave it at that. Like having the villain hurt children for no reason, it's an easy, cheap way to creep most readers out.
Of course, Terry Goodkind seems JUST crazy enough that he might actually trying to mIake a statement instead of just being an idiot. My memory isn't clear, but doesn't the dominatrix-type character in the first book eventually get her comeuppance, as it were? Egh.
no subject
A lot of bad fantasy writers tend to use sexual sadism as a short hand for 'evil'. Sometimes I think it's more due to laziness than the author's particular thoughts about sexuality -- instead of creating a believable villain, it's easier to just go "HAY THIS PERSON GETS OFF ON TORTURING THE HERO LOLOLOL!!11!" and leave it at that. Like having the villain hurt children for no reason, it's an easy, cheap way to creep most readers out.
Of course, Terry Goodkind seems JUST crazy enough that he might actually trying to mIake a statement instead of just being an idiot. My memory isn't clear, but doesn't the dominatrix-type character in the first book eventually get her comeuppance, as it were? Egh.