Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/36944
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

[Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarknessInducedAudienceApathy) is when the audience is put off by the incredibly dark nature of a fictional work and won't care what happens next, lose interest or want all the characters to die off. For example, _[A Song of Ice and Fire](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire)_ can cause this due to its cynical tone, characters making morally questionable decisions in order to achieve their goals and many of the villains being [irredeemably evil](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Monster/ASongOfIceAndFire).

The reason I'm bringing this up is that my trilogy, _The Ragnarǫk Cycle_ is pretty dark. The protagonist is [incredibly self-centred](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ItsAllAboutMe), an existential nihilist and suggested to be suffering from depression. The only person [serving as his moral compass](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheConscience) is heavily implied to be insane, uses her [religious faith to justify some rather... dubious actions](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HidingBehindReligion) she committed and [secretly wants to die](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeathSeeker).

Said protagonist and deuteragonist are pawns of a military organization crippled by corruption and [its politically correct dogma](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad) (think a more "progressive" version of [Blackwatch](http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Blackwatch)) in [conflict with](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GreyAndGrayMorality) parasitized humanoids, who seek to eliminate all forms of discrimination, by turning humans in genderless parasitized humanoids and "cleansing" themselves of [people with disabilities and other undesirable traits](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BuryYourDisabled). Things get even worse when later into the series, this organisation [crosses swords](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlackAndGrayMorality) with a cult that worships and is dedicated to [unleashing](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SealedEvilInACan) a [soul-devouring](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YourSoulIsMine), [omnicidal](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OmnicidalManiac), [aeons-old](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TimeAbyss) [monstrosity](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EldritchAbomination) responsible for the downfall of countless interstellar civilizations.

I plan on having [several moments of levity](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ActionFilmQuietDramaScene) strewn throughout the series (although I'll trying my best to ensure that they don't cause [tonal disparity](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Bathos)), having my leads become better people through the power of character development and the series [becoming less cynical with each installment](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWorldHalfFull). However, I feel that readers will still think that I'm trying way too hard to be controversial and "edgy," rather than being concerned with trying to tell a good story.

So, what are ways to avoid Darkness-Induced Audience Apathy?

Original score: 18