Well, 'Giovanni's Room' by James Baldwin can also be considered in the realm of dark academia short stories. It deals with complex relationships, self - discovery, and the darker side of human nature in a somewhat academic and intellectual backdrop of Paris. It's a story that makes you think about identity and the choices we make in life.
Sure. 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt is a great one. It's about a group of students studying classics and the dark secrets they hold. Another is 'If We Were Villains' by M. L. Rio, which also delves into the lives of theater students and the drama and mystery within their clique.
There's 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. Although not strictly a short story in the modern sense, it has elements of dark academia. It explores themes like beauty, corruption, and the pursuit of knowledge in a rather dark and decadent setting. And 'Carmilla' by Sheridan Le Fanu has a gothic, academic atmosphere as it involves a young woman's encounter with a mysterious figure in an old castle with a touch of vampiric lore.
Another great dark academia novel is 'If We Were Villains' by M. L. Rio. It involves a group of Shakespearean actors at a conservatory, and there are secrets, rivalries, and a murder mystery.
A great book for 'dark dark short stories' is 'Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber'. It reimagines classic fairy tales in a much darker and more adult way. For instance, 'The Company of Wolves' takes the Little Red Riding Hood story and turns it into a tale full of sexual tension and danger. Another book is 'Selected Stories' by H. P. Lovecraft. His stories often deal with cosmic horror, like in 'The Call of Cthulhu' where the existence of ancient and powerful beings that are beyond human comprehension is explored. And 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' in its original short story form is also a very dark and gory tale.
Isolation and elitism are also common. The characters in these stories usually form a small, exclusive group within an academic setting. They think they are superior in some way, which leads to their downfall in many cases. In 'If We Were Villains', the theater students' clique has this sense of being above others. Also, there's often a sense of the past haunting the present, like in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' where the past actions of the characters keep coming back to haunt them in the form of the unaging portrait.
One of the well - known dark short stories is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a narrator who is driven mad by an old man's vulture - like eye and eventually kills him. Another is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. In this story, a small town has an annual lottery where the 'winner' is stoned to death in a disturbing display of blind tradition.
One famous dark short story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a narrator who tries to convince the reader of his sanity while he's actually insane and has murdered an old man because of his 'vulture - like' eye.
Sure. 'Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass' has elements of dark academia. It's a story that combines adventure with a bit of mystery and a touch of the occult. The characters are well - developed and the art is colorful yet has a certain darkness to it, especially when it comes to the parts related to the Infernal Compass.
One popular dark academia romance novel is 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt. It combines elements of mystery, academia, and complex relationships among the characters.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper' can also be considered in this category. It shows a woman's descent into madness in a rather dark and disturbing way. The relationship between the woman and her husband is complex, and the overall atmosphere of the story is one of oppression and a kind of perverse love within the context of her situation.
Roald Dahl's 'Lamb to the Slaughter' is also a great example. A wife kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb and then cooks it and serves it to the police who come to investigate. The contrast between the grisly act and the domestic, almost comical situation that follows is full of dark humor.
One is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's about a woman's descent into madness as she is confined to a room with the eponymous wallpaper. The story is dark as it shows the oppression of women's mental health in a patriarchal society.