This fall and winter, I'm committing to a personal syllabus focused on exploring the world of dark academia. It's long been one of my favorite genres, but I haven't dove into the roots of the genre or considered how authors in the genre build charact...
Considered the “foundational text” of the dark academia genre, this one is a must.
The Secret History
Often considered a precursor to the dark academia genre.
Frankenstein
One of the best dark academia books of the 21st century. Interrogates colonialism, power structures, and the academy.
Babel
Laced with mystery, rivalry, and Shakespeare.
If We Were Villains
Considered one of the best novels of the 20th century, set among the English aristocracy.
Brideshead Revisited
A classic about the life of a quiet English professor.
Stoner
One of my personal favorite dark academia books that explores secret societies and dark magic at Yale.
Ninth House
Weird girl lit meets dark academia at its finest. Follows a girl at a MFA program in New England and what happens when she joins the “Bunnies.”
Bunny
Set at the Met in NYC, this book follows a group of researchers that uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards in the Met Cloisters.
The Cloisters
Six magicians are recruited to join the highly secretive Alexandrian Society. But who will survive to actually secure their place in the society?
