Using Demons: Lazy or not?

[Swordfry]

Pretty simple really. Do you think using demons in your world is lazy or cheap? They are evil, no doubt, so they make for quick, easy instant-villains. I am just so tired of seeing them. I decided a while ago to revamp my entire world because I wanted to change demons into something more believable like aliens and get more creative in my world building.

I do like when demons are used very sparingly and are ancient, super powerful beings from. Something to really fear.

Thoughts?

 

[ScipioSmith]

I don't think so, but then I use them myself.

On a less narcissistic note, I think 'demons' as a term is actually far less constraining than say 'elves' or 'orcs'; because while people have a sort of idea of what those imply, even if its just Orlando Bloom in a blond wig, and the author will have to work to get away from that, I think the public imagination is not so well defined when it comes to demons, so the author has more freedom to play around.

 

[Devor]

It's like anything in that it's all in how you use your demons.

I do think that as a primary antagonist they can fall a little short. Villains can be "evil," but I expect them to have a real story. But as a tool for your villains, I think they can be pretty awesome.

 

[2WayParadox]

I like demons, with the whole summoning rituals and layers of hell attached to them. In some stories they're approached more as a part of humanity (with the whole cardinal sin theme).

I do like it when the MC whips out a demon though. I even read a little story with a necromancer as the MC once, and I loved that as well.

I feel like putting a twist on the whole 'evil and dark' thing could make the richness of the material around it a real asset to your story.

 

[Creed]

If we're talking about the whole fiery, horned, hell-spawn demons then yes. But "demon" comes from the Greek for deity (and according to Google's sources, genius). I guess that's where some authors make the distinction between a demon and a daemon.
I prefer the latter model in pretty much every circumstance I've seen it. Steven Erikson, for example, used demons wonderfully, and in The Bonehunters pretty much told the reader that a demon is just something from another world, which parallels your idea of using aliens.
That's my form of demon- creatures from other realms (whether they were pulled in or pushed themselves through) with varying levels of intelligence. A demon could technically be some form of alien, ruminant herbivore. Not so threatening, really.
The same evil connotation of demon still arose and persists in my Universe, so people fear the daemons as if they were Hell's demons. Even if they are basically alien cows.

EDIT: This is definitely more of a stylistic choice for me. Devor makes a good point in that it shouldn't matter what they look like on the surface, it's more how they act and how you the writer make the reader perceive them.

 

[X Equestris]

It all depends how you use them. I should also attempt to make them distinct. The Dragon Age franchise's use of demons does that pretty well.

 

[thecoldembrace]

Being an old D&D nerd and a lover of Warhammer, I have found that demons can be used in many creative ways other than what is typically displayed. For me I use the daemon version that Creed pointed out, and while not being hell spawned, I save fiends/devils for that.

I use daemons as a more chaotic creation of the universe, something that manifests from some type of pure emotional state, hate/fear and other things. But being creations that have existed for so long (generally) their schemes and plans are fun to plan and plot and because of their longevity they can become a very challenging obstacle for a hero to overcome.

I personally hate it when characters walk through demons as though they are just nuisances, and I hate human demons. They should be terrible, powerful and stand as something that makes it worth reading about. Never sit with just the demon that is out for blood. There should be ones who are infinitely cunning and intelligent and not just dumb brutes. Work with the idea and you can create something that isn't boring and generic.


-Cold

 

[Jabrosky]

If I were tasked to write a demon story, they would have a motivation more specific than inherent "evilness". For example, they could be misanthropic to the max. We all know how abusive we can behave towards anyone outside our own moral compass, so imagine demons applying that mentality towards our whole species. They'd be like scaled-up Nazis.

Of course, these demons would still need some rationale for exterminating humanity. They could believe they're defending the global ecology from human civilization, or maybe they perceive our peculiar intelligence as a challenge to their power. Bottom line is, demons need some kind of agenda.

 

[Mythopoet]

It's only lazy if you write them lazily.

 

[Noldona]

..., they would have a motivation more specific than inherent "evilness". For example, they could be misanthropic to the max. We all know how abusive we can behave towards anyone outside our own moral compass, so imagine demons applying that mentality towards our whole species. ... Bottom line is, demons need some kind of agenda.

I agree. Using demons as an insta-villain just because they are "evil" is lazy. Good villains aren't evil for the sake of evil. Good villains don't even consider themselves evil. They are guided by their own moral compass and goals. Flesh out the goals of the villain and what lengths they are willing to go to achieve this goal. Give the villain reasons for wanting to achieve this goal. Who knows, once you build your characters and stick them in your world, they might surprise you in what they do.

 

[Deleted member 2173]

I would say, use "demons" as a template of the antagonist you wish to create. In my series, The Living Stone, there is a race of crimson skinned succubi and incubi. The visual cues give the reader a pretty good idea of what kind of people these may be. At the same time, you can increase reader interest by playing against type with some of the expectations.

 

[wordwalker]

Agreed, the idea isn't lazy if you use it well.

To put it another way, is your idea for a suitably nasty villain/creature one that you can develop better by calling it a demon, or do you call it something else?

I like to think something's starting to get demonic if it either:

• Comes from a hellworld, or any other dimension; in Robert Aspirin's universe it's short for dimen-sion-traveler. This might be the best specific key. if your plots involve "closing the portal" or voyaging into Lost Worlds. (It's also one way demons are more realistic than aliens: you can write a vast demon invasion that's still only as good as its portal, but if the heroes shoot down a flying saucer the Venusians can keep sending more saucers.)
• Is something primal, probably unpredictable or destructive by nature. I like a smart, scheming demon too :devil:, but using the word for a line of uncontrollable mad-things fits even better for me.
• Is an intangible spirit, but too evil or alien to just be called a "ghost." Of course the Greek and pre-Christian sense was the word could mean any kind of spirit, and that spirits didn't have to be "intangible," but of course the word's changed.

That's what makes me look at a villain concept and think "you might be a demon." Any of those three might be enough, but if something's got a home in our world, a mind, and a body I'd rather call it some kind of "creature." Or "person."

 

[Swordfry]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I am glad that some of you here will create better demons. It's just that I have seen many authors just bring in demons almost because they don't want to write a real villain, and these demons are just simple, evil beings that evil because evil.

I like unique spin on demons. Like Terry Brooks' idea of them in his "Shannara" series. Those demons are just the more nasty creatures like goblins, harpies, furies, etc, that the elves thought they needed to lock away in a separate parallel world. Heck, even his more real demons from his "Word/Void" series are cool too. Some of them are more like the bad kind I have described. But the good ones (if I recall correctly) were simply agents of the opposing "evil" force in the world, the Void. They were intelligent, rational thinking beings.