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After

Dark Dance

Tanith Lee1992

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The great and secret show

    Clive Barker1989

    Two immortal spirits use their human children as pawns in a war to control a reality-shaping magic called the Art.

    Same dreamlike register, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Ghost Stories

    Henry James2001

    A collection of Victorian tales where the existence of ghosts is often left to the reader's interpretation.

    dreamlike → meditative, still gothic horror

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • The Unholy Consult

    R. Scott Bakker2017

    A messiah leads his armies toward a final confrontation with an ancient, soul-devouring force. The world is ending.

    dreamlike → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Golden

    Lucius Shepard1993

    A vampire detective investigates the murder of a woman bred for her blood. The story takes place within a sprawling castle during a summit.

    dreamlike → decadent

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

To recover

dreamlike → playful

3 more ↓

  • The Lost Symbol

    Dan Brown2009

    Symbologist Robert Langdon follows a trail of Masonic puzzles through Washington D.C. monuments to save his kidnapped mentor.

    dreamlike → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Walking Disaster

    Jamie McGuire2013

    This novel retells the events of 'Beautiful Disaster' from the perspective of Travis Maddox. It follows his college years and obsession with Abby.

    dreamlike → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

  • Mile High

    Liz Tomforde2023

    A professional hockey player and a flight attendant clash on the team's private plane during a season-long road trip.

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Creepers

    David Morrell2005

    Five urban explorers break into a long-abandoned hotel in New Jersey and find themselves trapped with a killer.

    dreamlike → tense

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Patient Zero

    Jonathan Maberry2009

    A detective joins a secret government task force to stop a terrorist group using a bio-weapon that reanimates the dead. It is an action thriller.

    dreamlike → propulsive

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

  • The Rising

    Brian Keene2003

    A father travels across an apocalypse where the dead are possessed by malevolent, intelligent demons. The world is ending permanently.

    dreamlike → bleak

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak+1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    dreamlike → playful

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

    The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

    dreamlike → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    dreamlike → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Mr. Hands

    Gary A. Braunbeck2007

    A grieving mother uses a supernatural entity to take revenge on those who harm children. The story follows the consequences of her vigilante pact.

    dreamlike → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

  • The Dark Eidolon

    Clark Ashton Smith2009

    A sorcerer seeks revenge against a king in a dying world under a dim sun. The story uses dense, archaic prose to describe necromancy and demons.

    dreamlike → cold, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Unblemished

    Conrad Williams2006

    A mother protects her daughter from a lineage of flesh-eating monsters. The story follows a serial killer and a man holding ancient secrets.

    dreamlike → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1