LitQueuelitqueue

After

Vision in Silver

Anne Bishop2015

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Doubletake

    Rob Thurman2012

    Cal Leandros deals with his brother's estranged father and a dangerous lottery held by the Puck race. A figure from Cal's past returns to hunt him.

    tense → sardonic, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → cold

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Split Infinity

    Piers Anthony1980

    A man travels between a high-tech world of games and a parallel world of magic. He must master both systems to avoid being assassinated.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

    Kimberly Lemming2021

    A spice trader saves a demon while intoxicated and joins his quest to kill a witch. The story features frequent sexual content and humor.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Night Pleasures

    Sherrilyn Kenyon2002

    An immortal warrior and a skeptical accountant are handcuffed together while being hunted by supernatural predators.

    tense → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Hellsing

    Kohta Hirano2003

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

    tense → sardonic, 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.

    Same tense register, 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.

    Same tense register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → 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.

    tense → bleak, still dark fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2