Dark Academia Reads

What is Dark Academia?

All over the world, students have returned to the classroom in hopes of acquiring knowledge and skills. But...what if something mysterious and sinister lurks in the halls of Academia? Welcome to the subculture world of Dark Academia, where horror intermingles with the world of higher education. 

What is "Dark Academia"?  The overall aesthetic of old classical buildings found on older college campuses. The emphasis of Classic works of literature, the poems of Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and John Keats. An appreciation of art, music, literature, and philosophy combined with a dark, boarding school fashion aesthetic. This aesthetic and influence has found its' way into popular culture via shows like The Umbrella Academy, The Magicians, Wednesday, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (all of which I have delightfully binge-watched!).

One of the first works published in this genre was Donna Tartt's The Secret History in 1992. I actually read this novel in my college dorm room, which was decorated with prints of the works of Botticelli and photos of Italy, while listening to Classical music and drinking a glass of wine. The dormitory itself was covered in ivy....and it was definitely haunted (more on that later). And the book itself was interesting and terrifying in its' twist regarding an old Greek ritual taking place on a modern college campus. This novel is at the root of all the following recommendations, which have a college setting, interesting characters, and a dark undercurrent of something being not quite right. And, often times, culminating in tragedy. 

Dark Academia Booklist

Take a look....if you dare!

Ninth House

If We Were Villains

Catherine House

A Lesson in Vengeance

In My Dreams I Hold A Knife

A Deadly Education

Plain Bad Heroines

The Cloisters

An Education in Malice

Ghosts of Harvard

Classic Lit Starter Kit

The Major Works

The Complete Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley

Short Stories, Volume 2

The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde

The Yeats Reader

The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

Final Thoughts:

1. A common criticism of Dark Academia is that it is elitist and full of privilege, because of its' emphasis on higher education and classic works of art and literature. Don't hold yourself back from learning something new. Embrace Knowledge. 
2. Library cards are free. Knowledge is free and accessible with the use of your library card.
3. The Discover & Go ticket program gives you access to art galleries and museums for free!
4. A world of knowledge, literature, art, and beauty awaits you....and it's free. 
5. Did I mention that it's free?
6. As mentioned above, I did attend a university back East and lived in an ivy-covered dormitory...which was haunted. I had an experience there and described it to my philosophy professor, who verified that the person I encountered had died several years prior. The University Library was also a bit haunted. And there was a beautiful Gothic Cathedral in the downtown area, as well as an old cemetery nearby. It was the perfect place for those of us who were emulating the Romantic Gothic style of the time, and holding meetings of our own "Dead Poets Society".
7.  "Carpe Diem....seize the day....make your lives extraordinary"- quote from the movie "Dead Poets Society", said by the character John Keating (portrayed brilliantly by Robin Williams).