10-10-2012, 09:36 PM | #16 |
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I will agree with the Abercrombie suggestion. I think there's alot of ambivalence and darkness there. I only read the first book of the triology and overall it didn't ring my bell, but in terms of what you're looking for it sounds like a good fit.
I quite enjoy Glen Krisch when it comes to darkness in general. In particular - Where Darkness Dwells, but The Nightmare Within also sounds like it could hit some of your sweet spots. I recently read The Tube Riders by Chris Ward and I thought that was pretty dark and very enjoyable as long as you don't mind most of the protagonists being children/teenagers. I would also put 1984 by George Orwell and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood in the list. |
10-10-2012, 10:13 PM | #17 |
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10-10-2012, 10:53 PM | #18 |
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Wuthering Heights.
It's a dark, almost gothic book in which there's no clear division between good and bad, and the ending is very poignant. Nothing like the films. If you haven't tried this, give Emily Bronte's brooding classic a read. |
10-11-2012, 12:43 PM | #19 |
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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Definitely not what I would consider a happy ending.
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10-11-2012, 07:00 PM | #20 |
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a great classic is 'the postman' by david brin... check it out its nothing like the movie.
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10-11-2012, 07:10 PM | #21 |
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Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door. Pretty disturbing, but so well written - in the opening chapters before the s**t really starts to go down, I felt like I was back in the 70s reliving my youth.
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10-11-2012, 11:52 PM | #22 |
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I like Andrew Vachss, F. Paul Wilson, Dean Koontz, Charlie Huston, Richard Kadrey, Walter Mosley for sort of darker authors.
Helen |
10-12-2012, 07:11 AM | #23 |
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Just finished "Prince of Thorns" by Mark Larence.The main character is a 15-year old sociopathic prince who plans to unite the warring kingdoms of his world with a band of evil bastards and a lot of death and rape. The more his background is explained the more interesting it gets though. Think Fantasy Dexter.
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10-12-2012, 07:32 AM | #24 |
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"The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters. Definitely dark and creepy.
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10-12-2012, 08:03 AM | #25 | |
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Quote:
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10-12-2012, 08:53 AM | #26 |
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10-12-2012, 09:01 AM | #27 |
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Hey, screw right back at you, I'm checking it out first!
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! I've definitely have a lot of great books to go through. Just need to find the time to sort it all out and then find even more time to read it all... |
10-12-2012, 12:47 PM | #28 |
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I also like Vachss but while his stuff is dark he also draws clear good-and-bad battle lines. They're just drawn a little differently than Disney would draw them. Burke (and Max) may not wear a white hat but his ethics are inflexible. He helps people who need help and hurts people who need hurting (a bit of a twisted Robin Hood).
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10-12-2012, 01:05 PM | #29 |
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Ha. In all seriousness, The Girl Next door is very good, very dark. Though definitely not for everyone.
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10-12-2012, 03:11 PM | #30 |
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The Nightside series might fit this. By Simon R Green.
In some cases the best friends of the lead character try to kill him and have very good reason why. Good and evil are not always one or the other and there are major consequences to power. |
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