The Kill Society

Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef

Cassandra Khaw2015

A sorcerer in Kuala Lumpur cooks for ghouls and works for the Chinese Hells. He investigates a divine murder to buy his ghost girlfriend's freedom.

Same sardonic register, still urban fantasy

pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

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.

sardonic → bleak, still dark fantasy

pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

Gormenghast

Mervyn Peake1950

A young heir and a social climber navigate the rigid rituals of a decaying, labyrinthine castle. The prose is dense and descriptive.

sardonic → dark

pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

James Hogg1824

A religious fanatic becomes convinced he is predestined for salvation and commits crimes at the behest of a mysterious stranger.

sardonic → cold

pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

Electric Idol

Katee Robert2022

In a modern-day Olympus, Eros is ordered to kill Psyche but chooses to enter a fake marriage with her to protect her from his mother.

pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Grunge

Larry Correia2016

A Marine killed in a bombing is resurrected to hunt supernatural creatures. He joins a private company that kills monsters for government bounties.

Same sardonic register, still urban fantasy

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Pleasure of a Dark Prince

Kresley Cole2010

A Lykae prince follows a Valkyrie through the Amazon to protect her. He intends to claim her as his mate while she hunts for a mystical object.

sardonic → propulsive, still urban fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Hellsing

Kohta Hirano2003

A secret British organization uses a powerful vampire to fight a supernatural Nazi uprising. The Vatican intervenes as London is besieged.

Same sardonic register, still dark fantasy

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

Something is Killing the Children, Book One

James Tynion IV2021

A monster hunter arrives in a town where children are being eaten by invisible creatures. It is a graphic novel about systemic violence.

sardonic → tense, still dark fantasy

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

Creepers

David Morrell2005

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

sardonic → tense

pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

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.

sardonic → playful

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Absalom, Absalom!

William Faulkner1936

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

sardonic → elegiac

pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2

Either/Or

Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

sardonic → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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.

sardonic → bleak, still dark fantasy

pace0·prose0·bleak+2

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.

sardonic → cold, still dark fantasy

pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

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.

sardonic → bleak, still dark fantasy

pace0·prose+1·bleak+2