WHAT IS DARK ACADEMIA?
Dark academia is a widely popular aesthetic and subculture. It focuses on a few key themes: higher education (specifically liberal arts education), classics, and romantic or sorrowful themes. Much of the subculture delves deep into Shakespeare, Greek Literature, and mythology. In all, it romanticizes a liberal arts education. Dark academia is...dark, and occasionally murderous. The subculture uses aesthetics of gloomy storms, quiet libraries, and deep, coffee toned browns.
CRITICISMS OF DARK ACADEMIA
After dark academia’s sudden rise to popularity, many people have noticed that it is typically a very white dominated space and eurocentric, with all its emphasis on old Greek and English culture and literature. Today, there are many more efforts to diversify the subculture, down to the new media and even participants, creating their own spaces for Bipoc in this aesthetic. Others claim that dark academia romanticizes unhealthy habits such as smoking, alcoholism, mental illness, and a workaholic culture. Debates still happen in the community today on this topic, some arguing that the subculture is called “dark academia” for a reason, that it touches upon dark themes and topics such as these.
POPULAR DARK ACADEMIA LITERATURE
THE SECRET HISTORY, Donna Tartt
Synopsis: “Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last - inexorably - into evil.”
This book is a classic in the subculture. It features melodrama, murder, and an intriguing cast of characters. Donna Tartt’s writing is beautiful and flowery- she creates an atmosphere that sucks you in and connects you with the characters, especially our main- Richard. It does have its drawbacks- little to no diversity and a slower plot, spanning around 559 pages- but it is incredibly interesting and beautiful to read.
IF WE WERE VILLAINS, M. L. Rio
Synopsis: “Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he's released, he's greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.”
This book is a sister story to The Secret History, also following a group of tight knit friends, but takes place in Dellecher college. It’s a must read for people interested in theatre and Shakespeare. M. L. Rio has a beautifully eloquent but simple writing style that shines in this book, using just the right amount of description. Personally, I enjoyed this book more than the Secret History and found the characters and their dynamics intriguing.
LOCKWOOD AND CO., Jonathan Stroud [Series]
Synopsis for the first book: “For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions. Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.”
This series is probably one of my favorites of all time. Though Lockwood and Co. isn’t academia, it fits right in with the genre, heralding ghosts, a slow burn romance, atmospheric and intriguing writing, humor, tight-knight characters, and eerie London. It captures the dark academia aesthetic beautifully, especially with the old creaking houses and themes of death and mystery. Don’t be put off by its classification as “middle grade”: this book is easy to read, fun, and gripping.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
Bunny, Mona Awad
Catherine House, Elisabeth Thomas