Riverrun

Queen of the Darkness

Anne Bishop2000

A powerful queen must consolidate her rule and rescue her consort from madness to face a final supernatural threat.

dreamlike → dark, still dark fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Ficciones

Jorge Luis Borges1945

A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.

dreamlike → meditative

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

Sung in Shadow

Tanith Lee1983

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in an alternate, magical Renaissance Italy. The prose is dense and focuses on atmosphere and alchemy.

Same dreamlike register, still dark fantasy

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

At Swim-Two-Birds

Flann O'Brien1939

A student writes a story about a man whose own characters rebel and plot against him. It incorporates Irish myth and multiple layers of fiction.

dreamlike → playful

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

The Rooster Bar

John Grisham2017

Three law students realize their school is a scam and drop out to pose as lawyers. They steal identities to survive and pay off their debts.

dreamlike → sardonic

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Thraxas

Martin Millar

An overweight, beer-drinking private investigator with minor magical abilities solves crimes in a corrupt fantasy city.

dreamlike → wry

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Redshirts

John Scalzi2012

Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.

dreamlike → playful

pace0·prose-2·bleak-2

Mind's Eye

Douglas E. Richards2014

A man discovers he has the ability to access the internet and process data directly with his mind. He is hunted by a secret organization.

dreamlike → propulsive

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

The Atlantis Gene

A.G. Riddle2013

A geneticist and a counter-terrorism agent uncover a global conspiracy involving human evolution and an ancient Antarctic discovery.

dreamlike → propulsive

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Monster Hunter International

Larry Correia2007

An accountant kills his boss, who has become a werewolf, and is recruited by a private company that hunts monsters for government bounties.

dreamlike → propulsive

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

The Habitation of the Blessed

Catherynne M. Valente2010

A priest finds the lost kingdom of Prester John. The story is told through three nested layers of journals, myths, and historical accounts.

Same dreamlike register

pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

Among Others

Jo Walton2011

A teenage girl at a 1970s boarding school copes with her twin's death through books and subtle magic. It is written as a series of diary entries.

dreamlike → tender

pace-2·prose-1·bleak-1

Tehanu

Ursula K. Le Guin1990

A widow cares for an aging mage who has lost his magic. The story focuses on domestic life and the aftermath of past adventures.

dreamlike → meditative

pace-2·prose0·bleak-1

The Damnation Game

Clive Barker1985

An ex-con becomes a bodyguard for a billionaire who made a deal with a supernatural gambler. The debt comes due through gore and resurrection.

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

The Black Company

Glen Cook1984

An elite mercenary unit serves an immortal sorceress. The story is told through the cynical journals of the company's doctor and historian.

dreamlike → grim, still dark fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Snow, Glass, Apples

Neil Gaiman2019

A retelling of Snow White from the stepmother's perspective. The princess is a vampiric creature and the queen struggles to protect the kingdom.

dreamlike → cold, still dark fantasy

pace-1·prose0·bleak+1