8.8 KiB
Dark Fantasy
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Author: u/hoja_nasredin Dai-Gurren Brigade*
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URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/3z15jl/dark_fantasy/
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Score: 5
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Created: 2016-01-01T16:56:49
Post:
Having been reading Dungeon Keeper Ami I'm now in search of something to read set in a Dark Fantasy world. By that I mean full of withces, warlocks, imps, tortures, brutality, being awfull to people, maybe vampires etc. Not necessarily all of them, for example for me the first Doom qualifies as a Dark Fantasy. In particular I would love to find a consistent world, as I'm usually more intresting in the setting then in characters. Somwhere were it make sense to commit dark rituals and you are not constaly guessing how come a single guy could built this mega dungeon where he tortures dozen of people and none of the villagers ever noticed.
Let's disucss Dark Fantasy.
Comments:
u/biomatter [+12] (2 hours later)
I'm in the middle of reading the Mistborn novels right now, so I'm very biased, but it kind of sort of fits your bill? The first book really sets the stage: "Mistborn: The Final Empire". It takes place in a super-dystopia literally ruled by a god-like tyrant. The setting is very dark, and the book has its fair share of brutality, but I don't know if it's quite as dark as you want. The author does not dodge to avoid gore or horror, but at the same time the novel does follow a hero...
However, I will say that Brandon Sanderson (the author) is one of the most superb world-builders. Everything makes sense and is touched on at nearly every level - for example, how the magic affects politics, society, culture, all the way down to the layman. I won't go into the details here, but... gosh. I'm midway through the second book and I'm only glad I waited until after college finals to pick this up because I don't know how I would have managed otherwise.
If you haven't already heard of it and discarded it, I would highly recommend checking them out.
u/hoja_nasredin [+3] Dai-Gurren Brigade (2 hours later)
I read the first two books of that series. I admit I really liked how the stuff in his world was connected and made sense, the reason I didn't read the third book is... Well you are still reading the second no reason to spoiler it for you.
Also reading his book made me think of the Orson Scott Card's book about how to write fantasy.
u/Revisional_Sin [+1] (a day later)
Other people have read the trilogy! What didn't you like?
u/hoja_nasredin [+1] Dai-Gurren Brigade (a day later)
u/whywhisperwhy [+1] (a day later)
u/biomatter [+1] (a day later)
Oh man! You are right.
[Mistborn Book 2 Spoilers](#s " That was a fairly dissatisfying ending. I really liked the first book because despite the dark setting it was about the rise of a hero, ya know, and how Vin came to competence. But the 2nd book had kind of a claustrophobic plot - it all took place in a much shorter amount of time while everyone was trapped in one city. I was really excited when Vin and Elend finally got over their problems, 'cause I was ready for the story to conclude with a happy ending. But then NOPE. "EVERYTHING WAS A LIE LOL". Urgh. I'm going to read the third book, but I am not entirely looking forward to another book of... I'm not sure how to describe it. Oppressive atmosphere? Dismal hopes? Misery? I dunno.")
u/Mekanimal [+5] (5 hours later)
I've quite enjoyed the writing of Joe Abercrombie. It's more gritty than dark but the characters are pretty morally grey and no one does anything for the sake of it.
u/hoja_nasredin [+3] Dai-Gurren Brigade (41 minutes later)
One example of Dark Fantasy I like is Warhammer Fantasy. It have all osrt of crazy elements most turned to eleven. Unfortunately it relies on the rule of cool to keep going and the lack of a single book or series makes it really hard to explore.
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+2] Roll the Dice on Fate (an hour later)
Well on that note there's Wishful Thinking, a 40k SI. Though it's more muchkinry with free awesome powers than it is rationalist.
I'm honestly rather confused that it doesn't have more readers actually.
u/hoja_nasredin [+2] Dai-Gurren Brigade (4 hours later)
Thanks, will give it a try. So far I only read 1 40k fanfcition https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3946501/1/Thousand-Shinji but it was a lovely experience,
u/PlaneOfInfiniteCats [+3] (5 hours later)
I personally liked Shinji and Warhammer40K much more than Thousand Shinji. It's very well written and very enjoyable to read.
u/Iconochasm [+4] (5 hours later)
Well, until it trails off into incoherence in the latter chapters. I loved the beginning and middle.
IN THE NAME OF HUMANITY, DIE! BY MY HANDS BE BROKEN!
u/FuguofAnotherWorld [+1] Roll the Dice on Fate (22 hours later)
Never could get into it myself. Too cringey.
u/Advanced_Shitlord [+2] (7 hours later)
Not sure this qualifies but I'll throw it out there anyways. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22500562-fimbulwinter has witches. It's about a guy transported to another version of earth by a goddess. An earth that's starting to go into an ice age as the gods are going to war. She wants him to be her champion. The mechanics of the transportation let him pick his magical affinities. It's far more munchkiny/wish-fulfillment than rational. Also tons of sex. Oh yah I should mention that it has a harem.
u/hoja_nasredin [+2] Dai-Gurren Brigade (a day later)
Started reading it. Usualy self insert and harem is a sign of a bad book, but so far it seems good enough.
u/IomKg [+2] (a day later)
It's by the same guy that wrote time braid, so i would expect good action and worldbuilding.
u/hoja_nasredin [+2] Dai-Gurren Brigade (3 days later)
Ok the gingerwoman is genius. Hell that book have all elements of a bad fiction but I'm loving it, what the hell?
u/Anderkent [+1] (4 hours later)
You might like The March North
u/embrodski [+1] (a day later)
Joe Abercrombie. Best Served Cold is a stand-alone book and is a good introduction to the world. If you like it, he's got a whole series.
u/Rhamni [+1] Aspiring author (an hour later)
I'm not sure my world qualifies as Dark Fantasy in general, and there certainly aren't any imps or witches with cauldrons. But, the book I am writing follows a bunch of people who wake up at the gates of a ruin city that used to be Evil Capitol. So... the Dark stuff is all in the past, and the characters are just trying to survive/loot the place/figure out who brought them there. Even so, they discover a lot about how the magic wielding, skull-architecture obsessed Bad society worked. Much of it isn't dark, like permanent space twisting and industrialised alchemy, but there is also... uh...dark stuff. Not Black Magic, as that doesn't exist as a separate thing, but things like research journals describing all the magical science they managed to get out of a less wasteful holocaust, to the thought police and social engineering. It will hopefully qualify as a rational setting. It won't stray very far into rationalist territory, though.
u/hoja_nasredin [+3] Dai-Gurren Brigade (2 hours later)
So... any part of it is already availible?
u/Rhamni [+1] Aspiring author (6 hours later)
Unfortunately no. A few chapters are done, but I don't feel I have enough to show anyone. I will probably ask this sub for feedback after I get a little further, but the whole thing will not be put online, because I'm hoping to get published. Anyway, the only Dark thing they have seen so far is a stairway.