Dark Academia is the latest and greatest literary darling aesthetic, inspiring everything from outfits to articles (like this one). But what exactly does it entail? For the purposes of this article, a book that lays claim to this aesthetic needs to have two things: It should have something to do with a school or academic study (although in a pinch, a vaguely academic person or setting will suffice), and it should have themes that are sufficiently, well, dark. Behind those ivy-trimmed walls should lurk something sinister, whether that be a supernatural threat or just the nefarious systems of academia.
The deluge of dark academia might feel overwhelming at first. Where do you begin? Which books are the most important? Why is everyone wearing a waistcoat and tie, regardless of time period or setting? Read on to find the answer to at least one of those questions — here’s a beginner’s guide to Dark Academia, in the form of a starting lineup of a reading list.
The OG: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Although not the earliest published on this list, Donna Tartt’s novel is truly the one that started it all. Set in a remote New England college, rumored to be based on Tartt’s own alma mater, Bennington College, this mysterious, haunting book is ground zero for every aesthetic Tumblr post you’ve maybe ever seen. And any reading list that doesn’t have this one isn’t worth your dog-eared copy of Catullus.
The Secret History follows Richard Papen as he narrates, in retrospect, his induction into a small group of classics scholars at his university, who seem to have many secrets and intrigues of their own. From the first page, this book fascinates and repels; Tartt’s mastery of tone has undoubtedly inspired many novels with similar aesthetics.
The Campus Novel: Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
Dark Academia overlaps with quite a few other popular genres; one of them is the campus novel, a book that takes place almost entirely on the campus of a college and often stars an academic or graduate student. This book, one of the most iconic of the genre, is admittedly lighter in tone than many other dark academia picks, but it makes up for it in sheer commitment to the whole “academia” part of the label.
Lucky Jim is a biting, clever satire of the misery that an academic life can inflict on a person, as well as a portrait of a very specific time and place in British history. It’s exactly the kind of book the characters from The Secret History (archetypes of Dark Academics, see above) would find to be hilarious, despite not being from that time and place at all.
The Classic: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
This pick makes the list purely because there has never been a dark academia listicle that didn’t include this title. It’s impossible not to, after all. The Picture of Dorian Gray may not center a college or a university, but its main character is a pinnacle of the dark themes and Dionysian abandon that characterize the genre, all, of course, in the guise of a classic gentleman.
Oscar Wilde’s chilling tale examines a central theme of many core dark academia books — the shocking disparity between the outer appearance of academic upper-class society, and the inner workings of an often flawed and harmful system and the people within.
The Wild Card: Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou
From start to finish, Disorientation is a wild ride, with twists and turns that are not only difficult to predict but incredibly audacious. Elaine Hsieh Chou weaves a compelling, dark modern fairy tale, populated with characters that feel strangely familiar and yet outlandishly ridiculous at the same time.
Disorientation’s vibe matches its title exactly — this book feels dizzying to read, and will have you emerging from the other side with a new perspective on academia and a healthy respect for those who choose to go through the gauntlet. It follows doctoral student Ingrid as she navigates the strange world of academia, and discovers secrets that will change not only her thesis, but her perspective on the world and her place in it.
The Vibe Pick: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
Of all the books on this list, this one is the best at nailing exactly the kind of vibe everyone is going for with dark academia. Starring a troupe of theatre students studying together at university, If We Were Villains takes a tried-and-true premise and works wonders with it.
M.L. Rio crafts a dark and winding tale with this novel, playing with the readers’ expectations and the characters’ own ideas of their roles within their world. As the cast reacts to and grapples with an unexpected tragedy, the reader also gets glimpses of a future created by the fallout, creating a plot that still surprises as much as it compels.
The Reader’s Read: Stoner by John Williams
Oh, Stoner. The pretentious pick of all pretentious picks keeps its crown on this list because it’s just that good. Stoner is a classic campus novel, trailing its erudite protagonist through his career at the University of Missouri. It also fulfills the “dark” part of dark academia well, as Stoner’s life as a student and then a professor has precious few moments of levity.
Nevertheless, Stoner endures as a quietly brilliant portrait of one man’s life, and his struggle against an existence that seems at times an overwhelming burden. And of course, the waistcoat on the cover just means it’s that much more of a must-read (on this list, at least).
The Bestseller: Babel by R.F. Kuang
If you’re looking for a book that’s revolutionized the genre (literally), then tack this one on to your TBR, if it isn’t there already. R.F. Kuang’s Babel is set almost entirely in a fantasy Oxford, one that makes a profit by literally leveraging and exploiting the translation of languages. It follows Robin, a ward of an academic, on his journey through the halls of the venerated university.
The novel is another fantastic example of dark academia; despite the loveliness of the setting, and the idyllic environment it creates, the book eventually reckons with the darker underbelly of its premise, and bears it out to a final, inevitable conclusion.
With this starter pack, you’ll cover a lot of ground, from the landscapes of Missouri to the hallowed halls of Oxford — of course, all through the eyes of university campuses. You’ll explore the many themes of dark academia, from the compelling and dangerous nature of the systems that uphold our institutions, to the mystery of why dressing like it’s still 1915 is practically a prerequisite.
After that, it’s time to strike out on your own — the world of dark academia is much larger than these seven books, spanning centuries and encompassing almost any genre. Who knows? Maybe the next step is for you to write the next classic dark academia book, to appear on many a reading list to come!
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