Stories on the Darker Side of Fiction (for Adults)

 What are "dark" stories?  Well, they can be stories that deal with difficult topics, "evil" (in whatever definition is used), stories that take a twisted path or a controversial point of view or perhaps all of the above.   

If you want to listen to the podcast it's here: Alchemy of Genres

I have talked about the Sandman series before, but with a Netflix series ready to launch, part 2 of the full cast audio out now on Audible; well, the series is on my mind....plus it fits perfectly into this darker category.  The general (very broad) story is the story of one of the Endless, Dream, (also known as Morpheus).  This one story of something that happened, the consequences and aftermath to Dream incorporates a huge number of stories that on the surface seem quite disparate but by the end you will see how they twist and turn making nothing extraneous.  Some stories are very dark, some quite horrific, some sweet, some silly....but ultimately, the whole is awesome (and why it's still one of his seminal works).

I heard this was being made into a series, and according to IMDB, Hulu started airing it on Sept 21.  I haven't watched it, but if you have, let me know how good (or bad) it is.

This is a apocalyptic story where every creature that reproduces using two genders (aka sexual reproduction between xx & xy); is in danger of ending when suddenly every person with an xy chromosome dies...all at once, everywhere on Earth.....except for 1 guy and the capuchin monkey he has been watching.  The series is told from his point of view exclusively, as he figures out what happened, struggles to come to terms with it and makes life decisions (some good, some bad) that lead to consequences.   Lots of stuff to unpack, definitely some misogynistic assumptions in a few places, but an interesting and dark journey.

Preacher is a classic dark comic story/series by Garth Ennis (who is a master of the dark side).  Preacher tells the story of Jesse Custer, a preacher in the small Texas town of Annville.  Custer is accidentally possessed by a supernatural creature named Genesis.  Genesis is an infant created by the unauthorized and unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon.  The possession incident flattens the church where Custer is preaching and kills his entire congregation.  Custer then journeys across the USA attempting to literally find God, who has abandoned heaven the moment Genesis was born.

Lots of examinations of religion, Christian idealogy,  the nature of good and evil, human nature and American culture in the 90's .

Chevy was born with a unique gift that allows him to go into the memories of others.  As a detective, he uses this ability to find peace for victims who have been hurt or attacked as he delves into their memories and picks out details, corroborating facts and sometimes finding things that will help put the criminal behind bars (at the very least confirming the memories are true and not manufactured lies). Seneca is Chevy's partner, with a gift for mirroring other gifts, allowing him to follow Chevy inside memories and be a second witness to the events.  Neither Chevy nor Seneca are prepared when they are asked to go into the mind of a serial killer in the hopes of finding survivors.  They are even more unprepared for the monsters they find inside the man's mind, or the way he seems to be able to attack and trap them inside his thoughts and dreams.  

Alice Winters is adept (and known for) a roller coaster ride for readers and characters alike.....as things go from a truly horrific moment into a truly ridiculous or a sweetly romantic one; and then swing back.  She explores a lot of interesting and twisted notions while leaving readers (and the protagonists) unable to be sure what is real and what is created by the killer.

Liu's steampunk artistic graphic novel is set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asian world.  She tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of incredible power.  She needs to find a way to get along with the monster inside her in order to save the destruction of everything.

Liu really has made a beautiful examination of a world in the midst of a revolution, showing several factions of truly awful magical means striving to be in charge; uncaring of the waste of lives or consequences in their struggle for power.

The Metahuman Files is a series about a secret military squad of soldiers who have survived a horrific genetically altered chemical attack and now have extra powers of varying degrees in addition to their military training.  They work together to fight terrorism, but in a future where war=profit and superheroes (aka metahumans) are valuable; the death rate of 98-99% is worth the payoff for terrorists who are working to build their own army of superhumans and leaving piles of bodies in their wake.  Turner delves into the politics, the horror, the pain and trauma of this universe which doesn't feel too far from our own really.  The only clues it's the future is the easy acceptance of LGBTIQ populations and the changes to cities & environment due to global warming......

Alice killed someone for the first time at the age of 6, under the guidance and control of her grandfather.  She was kept a prisoner, forced to do terrible things, experiencing horrific abuse and trauma for 20 years until she escaped by faking her own death.  Now she is working as a magical P.I., doing small things to try and make up for all the horrors of her past.  The story & series begins with a case that will both open a can of worms for her as well as forcing & encouraging her to build relationships with others (including a hot alpha werewolf...yum!).  Throughout the series we see her finding and creating her own family and friendships, forging alliances and allowing herself to love while always hoping to never directly confront her past or her actual family as it may result in her death, or worse, her return to slavery and torture.   

This novel is dark for several reasons; showing & examining the aftermath of war and the trauma and lasting effects of slavery and sex trafficking.  Pastia is a slave, and a prostitute in order to earn his master money.  He has tried various times to escape but he has trackers and various procedures have been done to remove his memories and his will as well as to ensure he follows orders.  Captain Griffin has been searching for his king since the battle that lost the kingdom, and when he was forcibly taken from his people.  He is shocked to find him with no memories and living as a slave and a whore on a backwater planet.  Griffin manages to free Pastia from the planet and his master, but can they find a way to restore his memories and undo years of abuse?  If Pastia can remember being King Helios, will he be able to become the king he used to be and free his people? There are so many level in this story; rebellions, betrayals, wars and just the many horrible things humans do to each other...but there is also hope and love and faith for a better future.

Warning:  This is an omega-verse style novel, where there are various different biological levels and males can get pregnant, if that bothers you; do not read this.

Omegas have zero authority or agency and Braun has long given up hope of kindness from alphas or society.  His brother is trapped in an abusive relationship and Braun is terrified of what his father will arrange for him.  When his father abruptly dies, Braun is placed into a halfway house (omegas aren't allowed to live without someone to take care of them).  When he witnesses a crime, Braun feels no choice but to run away.

Tarek is a cop and an alpha who is brought into Braun's life by two Betas who are trying to help him and event though Tarek is sexy, Braun doesn't trust anyone, especially not police alphas.  As Tarek struggles to get Braun's trust, and to help him; the crime that he witnessed turns out to be more serious and far-reaching than first realized, further threatening them all.  

Derek is a tattoo artist; a survivor of childhood trauma and abuse and still dealing with the PTSD from that as an adult.  He is nonetheless taking care of his abusive father by paying for his hospice care (because he's that guy).  Derek meets Basil when they are stuck in an ATM enclosure during a power outage and Basil helps Derek handle the panic.  Basil is deaf and skeptical about dating someone in the "hearing world", as he's been burned before; but he really likes Derek.

This book is sweet but also dark as it deals with PTSD, the effects of abuse, prejudices, especially as it relates to disabilities.  It delves into how disabilities aren't the problem, but the assumptions & prejudices coming from others that attempt to box in a person.  Lindsey shows how hard it is to keep fighting but also the rewards for refusing to limit one's self.  This entire series (Irons & Works) is dark, but hopeful; showing people with various disabilities living their lives, falling in love and just dealing.  Some issues are more problematic than others, and all are M/M romance, so if that bothers you, this won't appeal to you.

Hunter told a lie to save himself from being outed (and from a possible deadly beating); but the lie shattered the other person's life...and they live in a small town.  Eventually the lie is found out and now Hunter hates himself even more.  He cannot forgive himself and the town will not let him forget....so Hunter is punishing himself engaging in risky behavior (and possibly hoping for death, while not actively seeking it).  Roman, a stranger in town to buy some land, befriends and eventually falls for Hunter.  Together, perhaps, they can find a way to help Hunter find peace and forgiveness as well as to empower himself to take charge of his life in a positive way.....plus, therapy....lots and lots of therapy.

I have spoken about this series several times; but since this first book in the Winter & Snow series deals with a serial killer, I couldn't resist adding it to the list.  The "nevermore" refers to the killer being inspired by the works of Poe, and so this book delves into the terror of being targeted; but also dealing with disabilities, cheating and the toxicity of living closeted.

Jennifer is a housewife and a mother.....she is also a vigilante determined to clean up the streets and make the criminals pay.  How long can she live this double life?

A really intense story.

Alexis Caine is fragile.  Diagnosed as delusional because what he saw kill his unit in Afghanistan isn't possible (officially--because the supernatural world isn't real, right?)  He is living with his twin brother in New Orleans after being rescued from a psychiatric hospital (between the drug interactions & the skepticism regarding the supernatural, Alexis was really a mess).  Yes, he sees ghosts, but is he really crazy?  Yes, he suffers from PTSD, but does that make him useless? Alexis gets a job working with Micah who runs a craft store and does ghost tours; and both the job and Micah are exactly what Alexis needs.  As they fall for each other, they are dragged into a murder investigation with supernatural connections.  

In this book, the darkness comes from the supernatural things seen, as well as the fears confronted.  I adore this series.

Nolan has returned home, unwillingly, after a scandal and a breakup which leaves him with a destroyed reputation and all of his possessions seized.  Then he finds out that his father is dying, so he has to come back to help.  He gets a job at an animal rescue center with Dallas, who cannot speak due to damage from an accident.  The two each have their own issues to work out, but also the town seems perfectly alright with extreme bullying and intimidation on both of them.  This is a dark and difficult look at small town & peer prejudices (the things that everyone knows are true).  Kennedy shows how the targets of that abuse handle things, knowing that both words AND stones hurt; but also builds a hopeful story because both characters find the strength to overcome and make their own happiness.

This is a very cool, and very dark, series which takes the premise and works the "what if" of serial killers who hunt those above the law, and who find love, in a fashion that works for them.

Unhinged features Adam, who is a model and a spoiled billionaire's son, but is also a trained killer and a diagnosed pyschpath. (His literal diagnosis is oppositional defiant disorder, attachment and conduct disorder, PTSD and signs of psychopathy).  Noah has been hunting for the person who killed his father....and finds him....it's Adam.  Adam proceeds to share details of Noah's father's multiple crimes of pedophilia (and thus the reason he was killed); and this knowledge unlocks hidden memories of Noah's own abuse.

Adam is fascinated and growing obsessed with Noah and the fascination seems reciprocal.  Adam can't love, and Noah doesn't know what love really looks like anyway, so can they make it work with what they have?  Can they also bring town a hidden and powerful pedophilia ring?  

This premise shouldn't work, but it SO does.  There are 2 books so far with another coming soon, and it is definitely a twisted, different sort of story.

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a neverending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.  Dark themes of war and treachery but also a story with fierce love and struggles to protect their child as well as each other.  This graphic novel series is both deep and stunning (both in art and in story).

The Dark Kingdom is preparing itself for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy--the arrival of a new Queen; the Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself.  But this new ruler is young and very susceptible to influence and corruption; whoever controls her, controls The Darkness.  Now, three sworn enemies begin a ruthless game of politics and intrigue; magic and betrayal.....the destiny of an entire world is at stake.

Bishop's writing is intense and this series is intricate, dark and fascinating.

Victor is the "psy" part of a PsyCop team.  He is a medium (able to talk to & see the dead); and he is even more powerful than he has officially admitted to.....(which is why he takes so many drugs).....He is also closeted because cops don't like "the gays" and he is both gay AND psychic so he tries to hide some of it.  Victor self medicates a lot to escape the memories and PTSD from being a guinea pig for a secretly funded psychic training institute (which actually did more torture than training).

Jacob is a non-psychic (or a "stiff") who hooks up with Victor (and isn't afraid to be out).  They both are dragged into a case where a serial killer can change his appearance at will, and kills by absorbing all the bodies energies, as well as their soul.   As they struggle to solve the case, they get to know each other better.....lots better.  

This series delves into a lot of dark themes, especially prejudices and government experiments "for the greater good" which do irreparable harm; as well as overcoming trauma and addiction.....plus there are lots of awesome cases to solve and watching a relationship build and characters grow.

Another tale of secret government experiments/torture....This one is set in a shifter universe.

Alpin is a rabbit shifter who has suffered torture and trauma for six years.  He finally manages to excape but with only 3 feet, he can't run very fast.  Malachi is a wolf shifter who find the starving rabbit being beaten and rescues him, even before he realizes he is a shifter (he just hates the injustice and cruelty of what he saw happening).  It takes a bit for Malachi to help Alpin heal and learn to trust, especially with the whole rabbit/wolf thing....but eventually Alpin tells his story and they both decide to go back and rescue the shifters still in the lab.  This is a sweet love story but it is rooted in a tale of horror and trauma.

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside.

In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn’t remember why she’s in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood…

Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.

Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful.

And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.

Ok, so I copied the blurb from Goodreads. (sorry, not sorry; don't want to spoil the story).....what I can say from my own reading, is that this was AWESOME!  It felt like a mix of so many twisted stories I have read, especially Alice the video game.....but Henry takes everything into her brain and finds a way to make it originally hers.  All the recognizable elements of Alice in Wonderland are there, but SO different.   Highly recommended!

Cold Hard Ground is another in the "evil experiments" sub-genre of dark themes; this one is centered around war and human scientists trying to create the "perfect soldier" which is a blend of human and shifter (wolf specifically).

Kor was betrayed and captured by human scientists, who torture and run experiments on him as an alpha wolf.  After awhile, his recovery and healing abilities fail and he is left blind.  Misha is a human whose father (a scientist) has also betrayed him and he is also being experimented on as they try to build a super soldier.  Misha is now a wolf/human mix which the world has never seen, but when they are given the chance to escape; they take it...and Misha helps make sure that Kor has what he needs and helps as much as he can (they are both weak and in terrible condition).  In their escape, and then subsequent Kor's re-entry into wolf society; they fall for each other as they also learn how to live with the consequences of the torture they endured and to rise above it while fighting to expose the corruption of both governments and find peace for all.

Rebel (main character), reminds me a bit of Harley Quinn, so while Killer Crescent is a dark story of serial killers and evil magic....it's also fun.  Rebel is born of witches but has no magic...until the night she finds out that she can now shapeshift (very unusual for a witch) and may also have buried magic.  Rebel is sent (i.e. blackmailed into going) a training school but she IS a rebel....and also an assassin (possibly---ok, yes...definitely at least a little bit psycho).  She finds various very hot guys, including the one in charge of the school and its training program and proceeds to have fun with them all.  After all, why only have one mate when you can have 3 or 4 or more?  

This book is the first in the series and pretty new (came out July 2021), so I hope it continues to be fun while delving into dark topics; but for now, a big fan.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied "droid" a self aware SecUnit (security unit) that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself as "murderbot" (but never out loud).  Scornful of humans,  all murderbot really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.  When a neighboring group of scientists and their SecUnit go dark, it's up to this group to get to the truth.

The uncomfortably almost human android/clone unit and its growing awareness is definitely creepy, cool, shocking and intriguing.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.

11,000 years ago, a god was born.  Cursed into the body of a human Acheron has endured a lifetime of hatred.  His human death unleashed an unspeakable horror that almost destroyed the Earth.  Brought back, against his will, he became the sole defender of mankind.  Only it was never that simple.  For centuries he has fought for our survival and hidden a past he never wants revealed.  Now his survival and ours, hinges on the very woman who threatens him.  Old enemies reawaken and unite to kill them both.

This book delves into so many topics; slavery, prostitution, death, torture, love and hate....it's no wonder it is a VERY long book.  Also Acheron is a pretty central character to the Hunter Universe that Kenyon has built, so he gets a substantially long story.

You can read this without knowledge of the series, but it would probably help you to care more about Acheron as a person if you have seen him in the background of other stories.