Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell in this sequel to Ninth House, the smash bestseller by Leigh Bardugo. Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters. Indeed. Yes, join us horror enthusiasts under these cobwebbed, dusty alcoves. Horror and dark academia know each other quite well. If you enjoy dark academia books, then I would highly recommend delving further into the horror genre; you might find yourself more at home than you realize. You may not want to leave. Let’s go over some delightful horror dark academia books to get you started.
Dark Academia and Horror: An Overview and Definitions
Before we dive in to some examples, let’s review definitions. Book Rioter Adiba Jaigirdar wrote a great post last year titled “What is Dark Academia and Why Is It So Popular.” In the post, dark academia is discussed as a nebulous term, more of an aesthetic than a strictly defined genre. Jaigirdar writes that the general theme is “a focus on the pursuit of knowledge, and an exploration of death and morbidity.” Setting is often key, with many (most?) dark academia books taking place at an academic institution. Dark academia with horror casts a spotlight on death, the dark side of the pursuit of knowledge, and can include supernatural factors as well. There is even a sub-genre called “horror academia,” which Aesthetics Wiki defines as “a sub-genre of academia that focuses thematically on the overwhelming amount of knowledge in the world. Visually, it takes horror — especially cosmic or Lovecraftian horror — and applies it to academia, research, and learning.” When it comes to literature on dark academia and horror, I think on where the line is crossed in the pursuit of knowledge and how far. What do these characters do with the knowledge — supernatural or otherwise — that they discover and harness? And does this power twist their moral consciousness? There are exceptions to every rule, certainly, and feel free to debate the examples below. This list includes titles that explore the questions above. They cross those lines, bound past them, and twist those consciousnesses to unimaginable degrees.
Dark Academia and Horror: Books Set At Academic Institutions
The below examples are what might be defined as the purest forms of dark academia horror books in that they are set in and around academic institutions.
Dark Academia and Horror: Academics/Research Gone Wrong
While the majority of dark academia books take place in and about academic institutions, I believe there is a branch of dark academia horror books in the sub-genre, a sub-sub-genre if you will, that is what I like to call: Academics And/Or Research Gone Wrong. Be it investigating haunted houses (i.e. The Haunting of Hill House) or playing god (i.e. Frankenstein), there are academics who think they can go above and beyond the natural laws, whatever the cost. The pursuit of knowledge without limits or repercussions, at least in the minds of the researchers. This can lead to unimaginable horrors, often of our own creation. But she’s not done yet. She gathers her students and begins her last lecture, telling a story that puts in motion Yuko’s final revenge for what happened to her daughter. This book is told in multiple voices, covering a tragic event that ends up with a final confrontation between teacher and student. This is the ultimate book of building dread. Sure enough, they accidentally release the devil from a book-bound prison. The devil will stop at nothing to stay free, taking everything and everyone out of his way. From possessed ink to murder, Tess and Eliot have to find a way to put the devil back before he comes for them.
Dark Academia and Horror: Friends Forever
Dark academia and horror will continue their long relationship as the dark academia sub-genre expands and evolves. I hope to see even more horrific takes exploring dark academia, and even more so, I hope that dark academia brings more readers to the horror genre, because there are some amazing writers out there. For those who do want to delve further into horror, I recommend checking out these Book Riot posts: Needless to say, they find a lot of data. Definitely check up on the TWs in this book because there are a lot of them, including rape. This is a great retelling of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” following Alex Easton, a retired soldier who goes to the ancestral home of the Ushers when they find out their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying. The dark academia horror branch of this story comes in the form of the British mycologist neighbor visiting an American doctor, both of whom are pulled into the investigation of Madeline’s and the Usher house’s affliction. It was a terrifying delight to read these two scholars of science react as they perform an autopsy on a rabbit they thought was dead. What could possibly go wrong? Not only is this a great example of an investigation gone horribly wrong, it’s an incredible exploration of grief, the buildup of resentment and old wounds, and relationships that have festered over time. Things take a much darker turn when Devon’s son is born, and he hungers not for the pages of books, but human minds. This is dark academia horror in its potency, where knowledge itself can be taken into the body.
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