stargazer

Dark Academia Books: Can anything match The Secret History?

Ever since The Secret History was published in 1992 and inspired the sub-genre “dark academia”, the reading community has been searching for books, which capture a similar atmosphere and setting. Some readers have been disappointed with most of the new releases marketed as dark academia. I don’t doubt, it’s a mixed bag, but personally I have found many enjoyable books, which fit into this category.

Before we start, let me try to clarify the concept of dark academia books. I don’t think there is an actual definition, but typically some (or all) of the below elements can be found:

  • An academic setting, often centred around an elite educational institution
  • Discussions of art, literature, philosophy
  • An eccentric group of students which one way or another set themselves apart from others
  • Dark, gothic atmosphere
  • A (mysterious?) death at its core
  • The dark academia aesthetics are linked to autumn and autumnal colours
Dark Academia Books Aesthetics
Dark Academia Aesthetics

Dark academia may be considered a sub-genre, but it could also be seen as a vibe/setting classification, which can be found in general fiction as well as in genres. Below I’ve included a variety of examples.

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1. The Secret History [1992] by Donna Tart

If you are reading this, you are probably already familiar with The Secret History, but I’ve added it as the first book on my list, serving as a reference point. Richard is part of an exclusive group of Classics students at Hamden college, Vermont. Inspired by their charismatic professor, the group gradually becomes obsessed with the idea of the otherworldly, sublime experience and they initiate hedonistic orgies, which lead to the death of one of the students. The story follows the events leading up to the tragic death plus the equally tragic aftermath. A group of elite students quoting in latin, whilst worshipping Dionysos may sound a tad pretentious, but there is no doubt that The Secret History is a riveting story with nuanced and intriguing characters.

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray [1890] by Oscar Wilde – CLASSIC

Being obsessed with beauty and aesthetics and taking the hedonistic principle too far, ultimately resulting in death – where have we heard this before? Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray a century before dark academia became a thing. The novel fits well with the theme though, including a dark, gothic atmosphere and focus on art and literature.

3. Frankenstein [1818] by Mary Shelley – CLASSIC

Frankenstein is another classic, which might appeal to dark academia readers. Frankenstein is a young ambitious student, who becomes obsessed with an idea and put any moral scruples aside to pursue his ambitions. The dark academia vibes aren’t as strong as for the previous books, but it’s an excellent and very human story, which I highly recommend.

4. Vicious [2013] by V.E. Schwab – PARANORMAL

Two brilliant students, Victor and Eli, recognise their own darker side in the other person. Their ambitions drive them into a dangerous game with life and death, which has life-changing consequences for both of them. Despite themes such as obsession, jealousy and revenge, Vicious is slightly more lighthearted than the other books on the list. If you like superhero comics, but find the traditional “good vs. evil” a bit outdated, you will probably enjoy Vicious with its cast of colourful, but morally grey, characters.

5. If We Were Villains [2017] by M.L. Rio

In If We Were Villains we follow seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college. Like in The Secret History, the reader knows from the beginning that a tragedy has happened, causing suspense from the very first page. The novel, which is structured as a play, can be seen as a ode to Shakespeare. The characters often communicate in Shakespeare quotes, even when not rehearsing and there are clever parallels between the plot and various Shakespeare plays. I loved all the characters and raced through the pages in no time. This is dark academia at its best and like The Secret History it left me with a feeling of utter sadness and regret.

6. Never Let Me Go [2005] by Kazuo Ishiguro – SPECULATIVE FICTION

Hailsham is an English boarding school, where students are trained in art and literature. We follow a group of students during their time at Hailsham and their process transitioning to life outside in “the real world”. Never Let Me Go broke my heart and is to this day still one of my favourite books. Best to know as little as possible about the plot before reading.

7. The Likeness [2008] by Tana French – CRIME FICTION

As part of a murder case, Cassie infiltrates a tight-knit group of students, who live together in a house and function as each others extended family. The Likeness is a crime mystery, but focus is on the characters, all of which have interesting personalities and backgrounds without being quite as eccentric as those in The Secret History.

8. Engleby [2007] by Sebastian Faulks – GENERAL FICTION

Mike Engleby is a university student at Cambridge. He is highly intelligent and writes with wit and irony about life at college including a specific incident, where one of his fellow students goes missing under mysterious circumstances. Gradually, the reader begins to realise all may not be what it seems. A quite disturbing novel with a deliciously dark ending.

9. Legendborn [2020] by Tracy Deonn – YA FANTASY

While attending an early college program, Bree joins one of the school’s secret societies, which is a continuation of the legend of King Arthur into modern times. The characters and the writing style may be too young to qualify for dark academia, but the story includes many elements typically found in the sub-genre. Obviously, I am not the target audience for this YA novel and I couldn’t help sighing, when presented with all the usual YA tropes, including a rather cliched love triangle. Furthermore, I laughed at the fast-paced ending for all the wrong reasons. But overall, I found it good entertainment and will definitely recommend for YA fantasy readers. Opposite most dark academia books, which focus on privileged white students, Legendborn has good diversity and representation.

10. Babel [2022] by R.F. Kuang – FANTASY

Babel is the most recent release from R.F. Kuang, the author of The Poppy War. It was published the 23rd August and I haven’t read it yet. However, it is excessively hyped and may turn out to be the next big thing in dark academia. Robin, a Chinese boy, comes to London, where he enrolls in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation β€” also known as Babel. The novel is centred around the significance of language and translation and is according to the author her most ambitious work so far.

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Autumn is approaching, which is the perfect time to pick up dark academia books, especially if you (like me) don’t read horror, but still crave a bit of Gothic atmosphere for the dark season. Hopefully, you will be able to find a recommendation on my list above, which covers a variety of genres and writing styles.

If your objective is to find something with similar vibes as The Secret History, If We Were Villains is by far your best bet. For crime readers, The Likeness also has a surprisingly good resemblance.

Do you have any dark academia recommendations?

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by ThatArtsyReaderGirl.

69 comments

  1. I’d never hear of Dark Academia, nor thought of putting these books, several of which I’ve read, into a group. But it makes sense. I enjoyed the first three books on your list, and Engleby too: though I couldn’t get on with the Ishiguro, which maybe I should try again, as I read it when it first came out. I think, on balance, it’s not a genre I’m drawn to. Perhaps I’d better take each book on its own merits, rather than thus categorising them!

    • Judging from the comments, you are not the only one, who haven’t heard of dark academia – ah well…. Yes, it’s always best to take each book on its own merits, rather than using a label or genre to classify. However, I think the dark academia concept might be useful for all the readers, who particularly enjoy this kind of academic setting.

  2. I’ve read the first three books on your list and Never Let Me Go. Of those four I enjoyed The Secret History the most. I’d never thought of these books as Dark Academia, or heard of it as a genre or sub-genre before. I thought Never Let Me Go was a terrifying story when I read it several years ago and I disliked it. But I have enjoyed other books by Ishiguro. Engleby has been on my bookshelves for years – I hadn’t realised it’s a ‘disturbing’ novel, I’ll bear that in mind when I come to read it.

    • Never Let Me Go is my favourite of those four, although The Secret History is a close second. I am sorry you didn’t get on with Never Let Me Go, but we completely agree, that it was terrifying (and maybe not even that unrealistic). Maybe, I shouldn’t have mentioned that Engleby is disturbing, it’s probably best not to know much about it, when starting out.

    • Apparently, you are not the only one, who haven’t heard of dark academia, so maybe not the best topic to write about? Ah well, never mind. Never Let Me Go really was heart-breaking, which is one of the reasons I loved it so much. And it was quite shocking as well, I knew nothing about it beforehand.

      • No, dark academia was a terrific topic, a chance to learn something. I also realised there must be loads of genres and sub-genres evolving that I know nothing about.
        A book that makes you feel something is special, isn’t it?

        • Books that make you feel something are special and I will often remember them for a long time. Glad if I could introduce some people to dark academia, it is quite an interesting genre that combines mystery / crime with good character portrayals – both are some of my favourite elements in fictions.

    • I love making lists and I love dark academia, so it was an obvious idea! Glad you liked it. πŸ˜€

  5. Dark academia is new to me too as a genre/sub-genre. Having read your description I was unsure – do I like this, might I like it? I do like a good gothic (no horror) and love autumnal reads. Discussions of art, literature, philosophy are always a draw. But I’m not big on academic settings and I’ve never been interested in reading The Secret History. Hence I was keen to see what else might belong here and your list is great! From it, I’ve read and enjoyed Frankenstein, read and was surprised to enjoy Engleby; very much want to read Never Let Me Go but am slightly wary of it and keep meaning to pick up Dorian Gray. The rest don’t appeal. Which leaves me sitting on the fence as usual! Good post Stargazer 😊

    • My guess is, if you don’t have any urge to pick up The Secret History, most likely dark academia as a genre isn’t for you. The Secret History is pretty much the prototype for a dark academia novel. Of course, all genres cover a huge variety of books, so that doesn’t mean you won’t like any of the books, which fit into the dark academia box.

      As far as I remember, you enjoyed Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day are quite similar in terms of moods and themes (I actually think Ishiguro once said, he is basically writing the same novel over and over again), so you might enjoy Never Let Me Go. The actual subject matter and context is a lot more uncomfortable in Never Let Me Go though and I can see why it doesn’t appeal to everyone.

      • Thanks for the advice here, Stargazer, I won’t be seeking out books from this genre but as you say, I’m sure there will be one or two which cross the boundaries. I am so impressed that you remember how much I liked Remains of the Day!

        • Haha, I have a good memory for certain things, but it’s quite selective – not sure why I remembered that specific fact. Maybe we tend to associate other book bloggers with the books they like, because that is the side of them we know about?

    • The Secret History is an excellent story, which I would highly recommend. It’s includes crime/mystery elements and is quite fast-paced, but it also has a lot of focus on the characters and the writing is excellent.

      Btw. I have tried to subscribe to your blog via WordPress reader, but it doesn’t seem to work. Have you heard of others with the same problem?

    • I always prefer to read the full length novel, but The Secret History is very long, so I can see why you would choose the abridged version. To me it was time well spent, though!

    • It really was surprisingly entertaining, even for someone like me who is outside the YA segment.

    • Thanks! The reviews of Babel seem to be very positive so far. For some reason, I normally prefer to wait a bit before picking up these very hyped books.

    • It is a rather specific sub-genre, but personally I enjoy it a lot. Hope you get on with Engleby, if you decide to pick it up!

  11. Ooo! Dark Academia! Love this topic idea. It made me think of dark or bully romances set in schools. I could have done a post like that!

    • Fair enough, it is a very specific sub-genre and I can see why it doesn’t appeal to everyone.

  14. Dark Academia was totally new to me and I will have to try one of these for sure. I looked it up and found several articles about that subgenre. So thanks for introducing it to me.

    I have read The Likeness, and I agree, it is dark. Frankenstein is on my Classics List, so I will get to it in the next year. Never Let Me Go and Engleby both sound good.

    • I am glad, if I could introduce you to a new bookish concept. Personally, I really like dark academia, but it is quite a specific sub-genre and certainly doesn’t appeal to everyone.

      The Likeness is the only book from the Dublin Murder Squat series I’ve read so far, but I mean to continue with the series. I really enjoyed The Likeness, but would perhaps have preferred it to be a bit shorter.

      Frankenstein was such a surprising read for me, I guess it’s easy to get the wrong impression, if you are only familiar with Frankenstein from pop culture. I look forward to hear your thoughts on it.

    • I do find it an interesting sub-genre, but I guess it depends on your reading taste. I too was surprised by Frankenstein, it was so different from what I imagined!

  17. Interesting. I associate “dark academia” largely or even only with The Secret History. I didn’t even know this term existed before I started blogging. In my personal opinion, If We Were Villains is also this definition, but it ripped off Tartt’s book big time and this is something which I wanted to talk about for a long time on my blog. In my opinion also, Tartt took a lot of character and relationship (minus school and academia) from Patricia Highsmith – including the zeal on a part of an awkward character of humble origins to be part of some elite circle (Herman Hesse’s The Glass Bead Game, also?). I argued that in one of my articles on my blog, and school and academia we know associate with Harry Potter, anyway, so I guess after its publication her book even gained in popularity.

    • Thanks for an interesting comment, Diana. Yeah, I think dark academia pretty much started with The Secret History, but since then it has developed into a broader concept, both in the bookish world and within fashion/lifestyle.

      I didn’t feel If We Were Villains was a rip-off of Tartt’s book, but of course there were similarities. Since I haven’t read Patricia Highsmith, I can’t really comment on the similarity to the characters in The Secret History.

      It’s an interesting discussion though, which readers will probably never agree on. We all have different thresholds for, when we think something is a rip-off. Personally, I have no problem with authors and artists being inspired by each other, that has probably happened from the beginning of time. As long as the artist adds something new/different, I am fine with it. Probably, there is a lot of coincidences as well, where two authors independently of each other come up with a similar plot / character / trope. If you are only allowed to use tropes and characters, which have never been seen before in any book, I feel it would be very difficult to write anything.

      Anyway, as I said, great points, which gave me food for thought. Maybe I will think more about it and write my thoughts in a later post.

      • I am planning to do my in-depth comparison between We Were Villains and The Secret History this autumn, the structure, characters and even dialogue similarities shocked me, to say the least. I do not expect originality and am fine with authors getting inspired by each other as you say, but you are also right that each of us have our own “threshold” of what is ripping off and unfortunately, in my eyes, M.L. Rio did go too far in many instances in her book. I cannot imagine how anyone can publish something like this under their own name when every page of that book screams Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. I know I would not have been able to bring myself to do it.

  18. I think dark academia books are really interesting. I like that you not only picked books in an academic setting, but also darker books one might read while they’re in school. Great list!

    • Yay, I am glad to have found another reader, who finds dark academia books interesting. It’s always nice with variety in these type of post, I feel. Then there is hopefully a book for everyone. Thanks! πŸ˜€

  19. I loved The Secret History and was intrigued by your list. I have read the classics mentioned and Never Let Me Go but M. L. Rio’s book is the one that piqued my interest the most. I do love it when you do a list like this. It makes me want to add to an ever expanding book collection which grows faster than I can read!

    • The books you mention are pretty much my favourites from the list, although I would probably add The Likeness as well. If you loved The Secret History, I am 99% sure you will enjoy If We Were Villains as well, although maybe read Diana’s comment above. She found it was too similar to The Secret History.

  20. Great post. I have loved The Secret History and Never Let Me Go. Both excellent. I think I need to read If We Were Villains, which looks good. I’ll check if it’s at the library. I feel like I know other books in this genre, like maybe Blue Angel (Francine Prose) or The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz though I’m not sure if they fully fit the genre.

    • Thanks Susan. Yeah, we definitely agree on these two books. I have heard of The Plot before and yes, I think it qualifies as dark academia. Blue Angel is new to me, but I will check it out on Goodreads. Thanks for the recommendations!

    • Judging from the comments on this post, dark academia is considerably more niche than I thought. However, it is still an interesting sub-genre, worth checking out!

      • I’d read Dorian Gray and Frankenstein, both of which can be lumped in with other genres, but viewing them through the lens of this genre is illuminating too!

  22. Gosh, all these books sound so exciting! Dark Academia is one of my favourite genres after Sci-fi and it was great to get new recommendations! The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my absolute favourites. I haven’t read The Secret History yet but I’m definitely looking forward to it!

    • I am glad to hear, you enjoy dark academia as well. If it’s one of your favourite genres, you should try definitely try The Secret History. πŸ˜€

  23. I’ve heard about the whole “dark academia” vibe born Tumblr, Pinterest, and IG but couldn’t have been able to point at any particular story that gave birth to it so this post was quite interesting. I had a lot of fun with Vicious when I read it and will have to look into the other titles you suggest here! πŸ˜€

    • Yeah, I thought the dark academia trend was all over the place, but having seen all the other comments, I am starting to think maybe it isn’t that popular in the book blogging community compared to other platforms. Anyway, good to hear you are aware of the concept. Haha, Vicious was quite fun, wasn’t it. I love it, when you are rooting for one of the villains.

  25. I’ve never heard that term “dark academia” before so didn’t know it was a “thing” people talked about. Of the other books you’ve suggested Engleby is the one that appeals most. I have a copy – somewhere….

    • When I think about it, I haven’t seen much dark academia in the bloggingsphere, whereas on Booktube and other platforms, it is extremely popular. Engleby took me by surprise, it is quite dark and (I believe) different from the author’s other books.

      • I’ve npt read Engleby myself but consulted my husband who has and who has read other books by him and he’s confirmed your suspicion. It’s not like his other work at all

  26. I love dark academia and thoroughly enjoyed The Secret History. Never Let Me Go, not so much πŸ™ But ‘If We Were Villains’ and ‘Engleby’ sound really intriguing. Gonna add that to my TBR.

    • Yay, great to hear you are also a dark academia fan! Haha, I never recovered from the fact, that you didn’t love Never Let Me Go! What happened?!πŸ˜† If you enjoyed The Secret History, there is a decent likelihood, you’ll like If We Were Villains as well. Donna Tart’s writing is superior and The Secret History felt more mature than If We Were Villains, but the story was just as good in the latter and I really enjoyed all the links to Shakespeare.

    • I am glad you are enjoying The Secret History. It has been a while since I read it, perhaps it is due for a reread. Thanks for stopping by!

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