Hello everyone! Today I have a wonderful book to spotlight. I was really drawn to Vicious because it is a serious examination of the Superhero tropes of Hero and Villain . For comic fans I would relate Victor and Eli’s relationship akin to Reed Richards and Dr. Doom, but way more lethal! I was fortunate to have the chance to ask V.E. some questions about comics, her writing influences, and the future of stories set in the Vicious Universe. Enjoy!
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.
Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?
In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.
1) I was intrigued by the phrase " a comic book without pictures" in the title solicitation. Where you heavily influenced by the comic book world in creating your story?
I was influenced by both the content and structure of comic books, from the heroes and villains and the vivid colors in which they’re painted to the staccato pacing, the turn-page urgency and the constant sense of action. I wanted to emulate that in book form!
2) Have you read any current comic book titles? What are some of your favorites, past and present?
I’m definitely a fan of Watchmen, Sin City, and Sandman (I joke that I like Antis (as in Anti-heroes) and Archetypes. I’ll also devour anything Marvel—I’ve been a huge X-Men fan since I was a kid, and right now really like Young Avengers Assemble, even though it’s not as dark as I usually skew.
3) There is an interesting dynamic with Victor and Eli having female companions/ sidekicks. Was that deliberate on your part?
Yes, in that I wanted the sisters divided, and I wanted to see how Victor and Eli react to and interact differently with them. But I always struggle in calling them sidekicks. I know they’re technically secondary characters, but would argue that they are the two most powerful people in the book. Hell, if VICIOUS actually HAS a “hero,” it’s Sydney.
4) Do you think a Villain is an acquired trait ? Or just natural to certain individuals?
I think villainy is a product of upbringing more than nature, but I do think some people are born different. Victor, for instance, even before he dies, is detached and driven by cold logic. He’s a card-carrying sociopath before he ever becomes an EO, and while his upbringing certainly didn’t help, it wasn’t what made him that way. Eli, on the other hand, is very much a product of whatever trauma he went through as a child, though I’m sure the underlying psychosis was there.
5) Would you like to explore more stories in the world of Vicious? What type of characters would you like to focus on if you did?
I would absolutely love to. While I did my best to give VICIOUS a sense of closure (because as a reader, nothing irks me more than an unnecessary cliffhanger and an interminable wait) the fact is I am not done with these characters (I know exactly where they go from here). I hope I have the opportunity to share the next stage of their journey, and introduce new characters into the world of VICIOUS.
6) What Superpower would you like to have?
I would have the ability to control time, but only to pause, speed up, or slow down. Going in reverse seems to be where all the trouble starts ;)
V. E. Schwab
V. E. Schwab is the author of The Near Witch, a YA fantasy from Disney Hyperion, as well as The Archived, the first book in a YA supernatural series, also from Disney Hyperion. The product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a Southern upbringing, Victoria has a penchant for tea and BBC shows, and a serious and well-documented case of wanderlust. This is her first adult book. Find her online HERE
