Episode 191 - Dark Fantasy

Book Club for Masochists: a Readers’ Advisory Podcast

This episode we’re discussing the fiction genre of Dark Fantasy! We talk about horror, grimdark, violence, amoral protagonists, epic fantasy vs small scale fantasy, the importance of tone, and more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Things We Read (or tried to…)

• Berserk by Kentaro Miura (Wikipedia)
• The Citadel of Fear by Francis Stevens (Gertrude Barrows Bennett)
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman
• The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi
• Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
• Shadowland by Peter Straub
• Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn
• Twice Cursed edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane

Other Media We Mentioned

• Dark Souls (Wikipedia)
• Elden Ring (WIkipedia)
• Magic Knight Rayearth by CLAMP
• Pet Shop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino
• The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Episode 147 - Contemporary Fantasy)
• Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Wikipedia)
• Ravenloft (Wikipedia)
• Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
• Leech by Hiron Ennes (Episode 184 - Horror)
• The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (Episode 176 - Fantasy)
• Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton W. Snyder
• Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday (Wikipedia)
• The Sandman by Neil Gaiman and various artists (Wikipedia)
• Children of Men (Wikipedia)
• The Children of Men by P.D. James
• Fables by Bill Willingham and various artists (Wikipedia)
• Deerskin by Robin McKinley

Links, Articles, and Things

• Dark fantasy (Wikipedia)
  • Category:Dark fantasy anime and manga
  • Category:Dark fantasy video games
• Grimdark Magazine

20 Dark Fantasy by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

• The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan
• To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
• The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
• Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
• The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
• The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
• The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu
• Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang
• The Changeling by Victor LaValle
• Jade City by Fonda Lee
• She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
• Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
• Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
• Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
• Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon
• An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
• The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi
• The First Binding by R.R. Virdi

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Join us again on Tuesday, April 2nd we’ll be talking about the format of Non fiction Graphic Novels and Comics!

Then on Tuesday, April 16th we’ll be giving an update on Media we’ve recently enjoyed!