Maybe it’s the snowstorms and freezing rain, or the post-holiday blues, but I’ve been hankering for some dark fantasy lately. For those uninitiated to the charms of this sub-genre, dark fantasy is very different from the high epics of the Tolkien school of fantasy. The heroes are rarely heroic, the villains are horrendous, and the world-building, while usually as vivid and fully-realized as its counterparts, are not exactly places you’d like to visit. This particular type of literature definitely isn’t as well-known or popular with fantasy fans because it doesn’t have that escapist appeal that draw so many folks to the genre.
Personally, I like my dark fantasy tinged with a little horror and a lot of grit. Forgotten worlds of horror rather than dreams. And I am by nature a generous soul, so I thought why not share the misery! With that in mind, I give you five of my favorite dark fantasy books. Let me know in the comments what I missed or should check out next!
Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock
People of the Longhouse by W. Michael and Katleen Gear
Okay, so this one’s a bit of cheat, since it’s technically historical fiction of a sort. However, it’s got magic, child slaves, evil spirits, a bloodthirsty weapon named CorpseEye and the kind of characters that move you to tears. This is probably the darkest book from the Gears I’ve ever read, and not coincidentally, one of my favorite too. This is the first in a new series and I promise you’ll be hankering for more after reading this one.
The Heroes by Joe Abercombie
A brutal combination of fantasy and military fiction, this book is gritty and realistic look at combat–nevermind that it’s a fantasy outside our time and space. Blood-drenched and violent as it is, the book never loses sight of the characters at its heart and the horrors they face. Full of guts and madness, this should appeal to fans of Steven Erikson and George R. R. Martin.
Never Knew Another by J.M. McDermott
A unique and spellbinding book about the harsh realities of economic violence, set in the grim Dogsland. This is unlike any other fantasy book I’ve ever read, and the parallels to our world are downright scary. The world is in a permanent Dark Ages, the rich live decadently while the poor suffer, and to make matters worse there is a epidemic of demons polluting the genetic stream. No one is as they seem is this taut story, and the even the good guys have a mean streak.
The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach
The strangest of all of my selections, this fantasy is set on a world with little technological development and revered artists spend their lives weaving carpets made of human hair. While the book, originally published in German in the 90s, does have spaceships, it reads like a fantasy and the focus is definitely more on the metaphysical. It’s a disturbing and unforgettable look at the inexorable march of change and progress.
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