March SFFKit: To the Dark Side With You!

March is about the Dark Side of SFF. Maybe you'll choose to read a book that speaks to the dark side of SFF, where the material is grimdark or stops just short of being horror. I've got a bunch of 'space horror' on my TBR--books like Architects of Memory and The Last Astronaut--and the grimdark options are just as tempting. Have you heard of Michael Sliter? I adore his grimdark series (first book in the series is below in the picture!), Pandemonium Rising, but as an indie, he hasn't gotten much attention.

Or if you don't want to go quite so dark, the other option is jumping into a read about a character who has to choose whether or not to 'go to the dark side', and you're free to interpret that in any way you wish :)



Let us know what you end up deciding to read, and don't forget to update the Wiki at https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2023_SFFKIT

I don't think I have anything here but I'll keep an eye on this topic in case somebody mentions something I have and don't realise it fits

Ah, I'm really torn here! I would love to re-read The Broken Empire trilogy (by Mark Lawrence); but I also have Half a King (Shattered Sea #1; by Joe Abercrombie) calling to me... Maybe I can get them all in? We'll see what I feel like this weekend. :-)

Not sure what I'll read yet, as I'm trying to read off my shelves.

I would recommend Rider at the Gate by CJ Cherryh for a darker type of SciFi, not quite horror.

Yum, bacon...

ETA: I think I found one! Star Gate by Andre Norton appears to fit the challenge here.

And while I try to make a point of mentioning lesser-known SFF authors, there are definitely well-known ones who fit the bill! I think most (if not all) of what's been written by Joe Abercrombie, N.K. Jemison, Fonda Lee, Tamsyn Muir would work, along with the Expanse series.

It's all in the perception :)

I'm tentatively planning on finally getting around to Gideon the Ninth...

I am planning on reading Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie.

I've started Half a King (Shattered Sea #1; by Joe Abercrombie)-- which is tagged as Grimdark.

I think that Sea Seige by Andre Norton would fit well.

I unexpectedly finished Half a King (Shattered Sea #1; by Joe Abercrombie) last night!

In this fantasy world built by the elven and whose ruins have been inherited by humans, Yarvi plans to pursue a quiet life. Born with a disfigured left arm/hand, his prospects in the feudal realm where martial prowess are highly esteemed, especially in the monarchy, are limited. His plans, however are upset when his father (the king) and his brother (the prince and heir presumptive) are killed in an ambush. Swearing vengeance, Yarvi’s life takes a dramatic turn to intrigue and adventure and where he grows from a boy to a man.

I had purchased this as an ebook a couple years ago after seeing the print books on the shelves at a bookstore; but really went into this blind. I hadn’t realized that this was listed as YA and that it really wasn’t that long—so I was disappointed in the lack of richness in writing style and epic scope. The plot is solid with twists that surprise and; complete in arc so that you can treat the novel as a standalone. At 385 low word-density pages, it’s short for a fantasy title; but there are two more books in the series.

OP 19 FEB 2023
ETA 04 MAR 2023 - This is tagged as #grimdark. On a scale of 1-5 with "1" being light and "5" bing darkest, I would place this at "3". (I rate Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire Trilogy a "5").

I'm reading The Dark Between the Stars which is not quite grimdark but has its moments.

I read Villainous, a graphic novel by Stonie Williams, in which hero vs villain is not always as it outwardly appears. It didn't quite live up to its potential -- things moved a little too fast and decisions were a bit too cut-and-dried for my taste -- but if more of these come out I'd give them a try.

Ah, just took a look and saw that Solace Lost (by Michael Sliter) is on AMZN Kindle for $2.99! I dnloaded it and will probably start it this weekend :-)

>12 Tanya-dogearedcopy:, I'm so glad to hear it--I hope you enjoy it! That book made me simply fall in love with his writing and characters.

Just finished the limits of enchantment. Picked as the only book I already owned with the grimdark tag. Nice book about British hedge witches in the 60’s. Reminded me a bit of fay weldon puffball, except with more heart and less acerbic wit. Not as dark as I would have expected from the tag. But infinitely more my speed. An easy read, pleasant and somehow soothing despite touching on some pretty heavy topics.

>13 whitewavedarling: Before this prompt came up, I had no idea that "grimdark" was a thing! I love the Broken Empire trilogy but I didn't know the way to ask for "more like that". I'm so glad to have been formally introduced because it's exactly the kind of thing I like and now I know what to look for! :-)

>14 amberwitch:, oh, that sounds fun! I'm going to have to look that up...

>15 Tanya-dogearedcopy:, I'm so glad to hear it!!!

Finished The Dark Between the Stars and almost finished with The Court of Broken Knives

ETA. Finished The Court of Broken Knives. Wow. Talk about grimdark. More like grimblack.

I just finished The Last Dreamwalker, which is seriously creepy and IMHO somewhere on the border between fantasy and horror.

I'm reading Ashes of the Sun. Not sure it fits. We'll see.

Gardens Of the Moon by Steven Erikson
I'm so glad I had a study guild for this one!

Hello, April thread is up : https://www.librarything.com/topic/349416

I have completed Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie and it was a real treat to be able to return to his fantasy world from the First Law World series.

>20 dreamweaver529: Great series, but yeah, you do need help with all the plots and characters.

>21 h-mb: thank you!

Star Gate is coming along, about halfway done. It's interesting enough to finish but not a page-turner at this point.

***
3/23/23 - Finished!


Star Gate by Andre Norton

Fairly standard yet somewhat interesting story about a halfbreed forced to leave his legacy and join ranks with superior powers. It was a little uneven but I enjoyed it.

For this challenge: without spoiling it, there was a darker aspect of several of the main characters, and the protagonist had to make choices for good or evil.

And I appreciated that the cover art MATCHED THE CHARACTER!

P.S. It was good enough to read a sequel if there were one.

>24 fuzzi: I think the touchstone isn't correct.

COMPLETED TJ Klune's YA series, The Extraordinaries. A recurring theme is Nick's temptation to use his powers for personal revenge rather than to help people.

I think Maggie Stiefvater's Greywaren works for this...the tone is somber, some very bad stuff goes down (including death, terrorism, very bad dreams, and apocalyptic events), and there's a monster from another world. Also, main character Ronan eventually has to decide whether he's going to be human or something else.

>25 SilverWolf28: thanks. I keep having to fix it. I hate it when Touchstones keep reverting back to a different title than the one you've selected.

It might be a bit of a stretch, but I am counting The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman for this. Lyra frequently finds herself doing deeds that help the dark side, without her knowing about it and later feeling remorse and horror. It is a twist on >1 whitewavedarling: "the other option is jumping into a read about a character who has to choose whether or not to 'go to the dark side'" but I think it fits.

I read Someone Like Me by M.R. Carey. Paranormal/psychological thriller, and even horror so I think it qualifies as dark. (subject matter includes domestic violence).

>29 MissBrangwen:, I'm all about people finding whatever works for them when it comes to this challenge! We all have different thresholds for what we want when it comes to levels of darkness anyway!

>20 dreamweaver529: >23 majkia: I love this series and have finished the first 6 books. I too needed to refer to guides and wikis, and I also decided to reread the first 3 books before starting the 4th. However, it's relatively smooth sailing now (as much as that's possible with Erikson's complex plots).

I finished Where the Drowned Girls Go, the 7th novella in the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. Unlike the earlier books, this one takes place at another school, one that's stricter, darker and less friendly.

>31 whitewavedarling: Thank you for your kind comment, I totally agree with you!