Pleasures of the dark side

Do you like to read about the trials of fundamentally decent people as they strive for moral victory? Me neither. These books feature shortcut-taking characters - wounded, damaged, and cynical - who make questionable choices while scrambling to get what they need to survive. These writers all have something to say, but more importantly, a tale to tell and an understanding that the former is not a substitute for the latter. The stories are dark and sometimes funny, peopled by druggies, hustlers, and conflicted souls. Sometimes protagonists make a half-hearted stab at doing the right thing, sometimes not.