After
We Ride the Storm
Devin Madson2020
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak0
We Dream of Gods
Devin Madson2022
Four protagonists navigate the collapse of empires as a god returns to the world. The story concludes a series defined by total war and betrayal.
Same bleak register, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace-1prose0bleak0
Mélusine
Sarah Monette2005
A disgraced wizard and a cat-burglar are drawn together in a city of canals. The plot involves political intrigue and severe mental trauma.
Same bleak register, still dark fantasy
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
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.
bleak → grim, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
The warded man
Peter V. Brett2009
In a world where demons rise from the ground every night, three survivors search for lost magic to fight back. It follows their lives from childhood.
Same bleak register, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose0bleak0
Queen of the Conquered
Kacen Callender2019
A noblewoman with mind-control powers enters a royal competition to kill the colonizers who murdered her family.
Same bleak register, still dark fantasy
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-1prose+1bleak-1
The Claw of the Conciliator
Gene Wolfe1981
An exiled torturer travels with a gem that can heal the dead. The narrative uses archaic vocabulary and an unreliable perspective.
bleak → dreamlike, still unreliable narrator
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+1bleak0
The Darkness That Comes Before
R. Scott Bakker2003
A monk, a barbarian, and a sorcerer navigate a holy war. The narrative focuses on philosophical manipulation and a cold, strategic view of power.
bleak → cold, still epic fantasy
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+1bleak-1
The Light and the Dark
Mikhail Shishkin2013
Two lovers exchange letters that transcend time and space. One writes from a domestic life while the other writes from the front lines of a war.
bleak → elegiac
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+1bleak-2
In the Night Garden
Catherynne M. Valente2006
A girl with tattooed eyelids tells a prince interlocking stories of monsters and folklore. The narrative is a series of nested myths.
bleak → dreamlike
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2
- pace-1prose+1bleak-2
Ficciones
Jorge Luis Borges1945
A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.
bleak → meditative, still unreliable narrator
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2
To recover
bleak → playful
- pace0prose-2bleak-3
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-2·bleak-3
- pace+1prose-2bleak-3
The Kaiju Preservation Society
John Scalzi2022
A food delivery driver joins a secret organization that travels to an alternate Earth to care for massive, dinosaur-like creatures.
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-2bleak-3
Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James2000
A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.
bleak → earnest
pace0·prose-2·bleak-3
- pace0prose-2bleak-3
Smokin' Seventeen
Janet Evanovich2011
A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.
pace0·prose-2·bleak-3
- pace+1prose-2bleak-3
The Martian
Andy Weir2011
A man does arithmetic to stay alive on Mars. Problem, attempt, result, repeat.
bleak → wry
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3
Faster
- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
A Memory of Light
Robert Jordan2013
The final volume of a long-running series where various nations and magical users unite for a final battle against an ancient evil.
bleak → earnest, still epic fantasy
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-1bleak-2
First lord's fury
Jim Butcher2009
The final book of the series follows Gaius Octavian as he leads a military defense against an insectoid hive mind. It concludes the war.
bleak → propulsive, still epic fantasy
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-2bleak-2
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman2020
Earth is converted into an 18-level televised death game. A man and a cat must navigate traps and monsters to survive.
bleak → sardonic
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-2bleak-3
The Stainless Steel Rat
Harry Harrison1961
A futuristic con man is caught by the Special Corps and forced to use his criminal skills to catch other lawbreakers.
bleak → playful
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3
- pace+1prose-2bleak-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.
bleak → propulsive
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2
Slower
- pace-2prose+1bleak-2
Love & Sleep
John Crowley1994
Pierce Moffett researches the history of magic while living in a small town. The narrative shifts between his life and the Renaissance.
bleak → meditative
pace-2·prose+1·bleak-2
- pace-2prose+1bleak-1
Boneland
Alan Garner2012
An adult Colin searches for his lost sister while an ancient shaman performs rituals in the same landscape. The two timelines mirror one another.
bleak → elegiac, still unreliable narrator
pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+1bleak-2
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.
bleak → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+1·bleak-2
- pace-2prose-1bleak-2
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.
bleak → tender
pace-2·prose-1·bleak-2
- pace-2prose0bleak-2
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.
bleak → meditative
pace-2·prose0·bleak-2
