There’s not much I love more than curling up and getting cozy with a dark academia book in the fall. Here’s a list of some of my favorite dark academia books, as well as ones on my to-read list.
what is dark academia?
a summary :
— intellectual obsession, ambition at all costs, desire, classical studies, aestheticism, philosophy, morality and ambiguity, gothic atmosphere
The Secret History
By Donna Tartt
themes :
— elite academia, greek mythology, immorality, betrayal, psychological manipulation, crime, tragedy, philosophy, aestheticism
If We Were Villains
By M. L. Rio
themes :
— theater, Shakespearean tragedy, rivalry, artistic obsession, tragedy, crime, elite academia, secrets
The Picture of Dorian Gray
By Oscar Wilde
themes :
— gothic fiction, vanity, immorality, decadence, corruption, obsession with youth, hedonism, victorian society
Dead Poet’s Society
By Nancy H. Kleinbaum
themes :
— prep school, literature, nonconformity, poetry, coming of age, individualism vs. tradition, mentorship, rebellion, tragedy, carpe diem
Ninth House
By Leigh Bardugo
themes :
— secret society, dark magic, occult mystery, power and corruption, survival, revenge, gothic atmosphere
Babel
R. F. Kuang
themes :
— historical fantasy, language and translation, revolution, magic, knowledge as power, betrayal, tragedy and sacrifice
A Deadly Education
By Naomi Novik
themes :
— magic school, anti-heroine, survival of the fittest, fate vs. free will, moral ambiguity, power and corruption
Vicious
By V. E. Schwab
themes :
— immortality and consequences, anti-heroes, revenge, friendship and betrayal, obsession with power, experiments, grey morality
The Atlas Six
By Olivie Blake
themes :
— intellectual obsession, secret society, competition, magic and power, deception, forbidden knowledge, sacrifice
Bunny
By Mona Awad
themes :
— psychological horror, betrayal, feminine identity, cult dynamics, surrealism, envy and desire, transformation
A Discovery of Witches
By Deborah Harkness
themes :
— paranormal romance, fantasy, forbidden love, magic, supernatural creatures, heritage, mystery, time travel, family legacy, power, betrayal
In My Dreams I Hold A Knife
By Ashley Winstead
themes :
— psychological thriller, mystery, revenge, friendship and betrayal, college, obsession, self-discovery, unreliable narrator, ambition
For more fall aesthetics, check out all my autumn posts.
