Darker and Edgier/Literature: Difference between revisions

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* ''[[The Berenstain Bears]]'' books normally come in the form of small short books that deal with small family issues like being afraid of the dark at night and way too much junk food. But they also had mini-chapter books that dealt with slightly darker themes like shoplifting, friendships going sour, political controversy, and the destruction of natural habitats.
* ''[[The Berenstain Bears]]'' books normally come in the form of small short books that deal with small family issues like being afraid of the dark at night and way too much junk food. But they also had mini-chapter books that dealt with slightly darker themes like shoplifting, friendships going sour, political controversy, and the destruction of natural habitats.
* Diana Gabaldon's ''Lord John Grey'' series, historical mysteries concerning a secondary character from her main set of historicals, come across as an attempt to be both [[Darker and Edgier]] and [[Hotter and Sexier]], using the seedy aspects of the protagonist's forbidden love affairs, him being gay and the setting being the 18th century, for all the shock they're worth. They may or may not have managed it. (Her main books are themselves essentially Darker and Edgier versions of the 'roguish Scots in kilts' type of historical romance, though significantly better written- there's still smoldering glances, kilts, time travels and duels, but the male love interest's the one who suffers all the traumatic [[Rape As Drama|villain-initiated rape scenes]] and Gabaldon doesn't hold back on the gore or inequality much.)
* Diana Gabaldon's ''Lord John Grey'' series, historical mysteries concerning a secondary character from her main set of historicals, come across as an attempt to be both [[Darker and Edgier]] and [[Hotter and Sexier]], using the seedy aspects of the protagonist's forbidden love affairs, him being gay and the setting being the 18th century, for all the shock they're worth. They may or may not have managed it. (Her main books are themselves essentially Darker and Edgier versions of the 'roguish Scots in kilts' type of historical romance, though significantly better written- there's still smoldering glances, kilts, time travels and duels, but the male love interest's the one who suffers all the traumatic [[Rape as Drama|villain-initiated rape scenes]] and Gabaldon doesn't hold back on the gore or inequality much.)
* ''[[Wicked (Literature)|Wicked]]'' and ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Literature)|The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a fluffy, heartwarming story of a few friends in a magical country. ''Wicked'', the novel, doesn't go more than a few pages without some swear word or mention of sex, or just sex. Gregory Maguire had a pretty dirty mind... there is a lot of weird romance in it, like Elphaba's father and mother were both in love with the same man, Elphaba's roommate was in love with her (but married a older rich guy, who all Gelphie shippers insist is an abusive ass), Elphaba's guy friend and his friend may have had a hint of romance... it never ends.
* ''[[Wicked (novel)|Wicked]]'' and ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''. ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a fluffy, heartwarming story of a few friends in a magical country. ''Wicked'', the novel, doesn't go more than a few pages without some swear word or mention of sex, or just sex. Gregory Maguire had a pretty dirty mind... there is a lot of weird romance in it, like Elphaba's father and mother were both in love with the same man, Elphaba's roommate was in love with her (but married a older rich guy, who all Gelphie shippers insist is an abusive ass), Elphaba's guy friend and his friend may have had a hint of romance... it never ends.
** And yet this isn't the [[Fractured Fairy Tale|actual thrust of the plot]]. {{spoiler|The Wizard is a tyrant, using a secret police and assassination to suppress dissension and many ethnic groups. Conscious, sapient Animals are sent to farms and stripped of their rights, resulting in many Animals going into hiding. Elphaba herself is willing to commit murder to help her cause, and works for what can only be called a terrorist group at one point. Her mentor, Doctor Dillamond, is brutally murdered for coming close to proving the minor point that Animals (the sapient kind) and animals (the normal kind) and humans are made from the same stuff. Religious tensions between Tick-tokism (straw-man science), Lurline (straw man paganism), and the Unionists worshiping the Unnamed God tears apart society. The Wizard's projects come at severe cost in life, such as the destruction of the Quadlings' country for ruby mines. Racism between humans - especially towards Winkies and Quadlings, is common (though Munchkinlanders of means always "marry into height)." The land is caught in a terrible drought. The Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City are both wasteful boondoggles. Witch sex is hardly the 'darker and edgier' in Wicked.}}
** And yet this isn't the [[Fractured Fairy Tale|actual thrust of the plot]]. {{spoiler|The Wizard is a tyrant, using a secret police and assassination to suppress dissension and many ethnic groups. Conscious, sapient Animals are sent to farms and stripped of their rights, resulting in many Animals going into hiding. Elphaba herself is willing to commit murder to help her cause, and works for what can only be called a terrorist group at one point. Her mentor, Doctor Dillamond, is brutally murdered for coming close to proving the minor point that Animals (the sapient kind) and animals (the normal kind) and humans are made from the same stuff. Religious tensions between Tick-tokism (straw-man science), Lurline (straw man paganism), and the Unionists worshiping the Unnamed God tears apart society. The Wizard's projects come at severe cost in life, such as the destruction of the Quadlings' country for ruby mines. Racism between humans - especially towards Winkies and Quadlings, is common (though Munchkinlanders of means always "marry into height)." The land is caught in a terrible drought. The Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City are both wasteful boondoggles. Witch sex is hardly the 'darker and edgier' in Wicked.}}
** And the original ''Wizard Of Oz'' book isn't as "fluffy and heartwarming" as many might think from seeing the 1939 musical film. In the book, for instance, the Tin Woodsman is made of tin because when he was a normal human, the witch enchanted his axe to repeatedly cut off various parts of his body which he kept replacing with tin. Also, the witch enslaves Dorothy and her friends at one point.
** And the original ''Wizard Of Oz'' book isn't as "fluffy and heartwarming" as many might think from seeing the 1939 musical film. In the book, for instance, the Tin Woodsman is made of tin because when he was a normal human, the witch enchanted his axe to repeatedly cut off various parts of his body which he kept replacing with tin. Also, the witch enslaves Dorothy and her friends at one point.
** Another Gregory Maguire novel, ''Mirror Mirror'', about [[Snow White (Literature)|Snow White]] has lots of kink. (Menstruation ''[[Did Not Do the Research|does not work that way!]]'')
** Another Gregory Maguire novel, ''Mirror Mirror'', about [[Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (novel)|Snow White]] has lots of kink. (Menstruation ''[[Did Not Do the Research|does not work that way!]]'')
** [[Neil Gaiman]] gave Snow White a similar treatment in his short story "Snow, Glass, Apples."
** [[Neil Gaiman]] gave Snow White a similar treatment in his short story "Snow, Glass, Apples."
* The ''[[Harry Potter (Literature)|Harry Potter]]'' books tended to get Darker And Edgier as they went along. Which was no accident. Rowling set out to write a series that would grow up with its audience, and it was published over a decade -- so the same 10-year-olds expected to read ''Philosopher's Stone'' were expected to be about 20 when they read ''Deathly Hallows'', and ready for more mature fare. Naturally, this was entirely lost on most Concerned Parents, leading to oodles of [[Fan Dumb]] and [[What Do You Mean It's for Kids?]]. This started with a noticeable difference between Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban
* The ''[[Harry Potter (novel)|Harry Potter]]'' books tended to get Darker And Edgier as they went along. Which was no accident. Rowling set out to write a series that would grow up with its audience, and it was published over a decade -- so the same 10-year-olds expected to read ''Philosopher's Stone'' were expected to be about 20 when they read ''Deathly Hallows'', and ready for more mature fare. Naturally, this was entirely lost on most Concerned Parents, leading to oodles of [[Fan Dumb]] and [[What Do You Mean It's for Kids?]]. This started with a noticeable difference between Goblet of Fire and Prisoner of Azkaban
** [[Your Mileage May Vary]] on when the series begins growing up.
** [[Your Mileage May Vary]] on when the series begins growing up.
* Many of the poems in ''[[Songs of Experience (Literature)|Songs of Experience]]'' are darker counterparts to poems in ''[[Songs of Innocence (Literature)|Songs of Innocence]]'', for example "THE Chimney Sweeper" to "The Chimney Sweeper", "Infant Sorrow" to "Infant Joy", and both "The Human Abstract" and the cut poem "A DIVINE IMAGE" to "The Divine Image".
* Many of the poems in ''[[Songs of Innocence and of Experience|Songs of Experience]]'' are darker counterparts to poems in ''[[Songs of Innocence and of Experience|Songs of Innocence]]'', for example "THE Chimney Sweeper" to "The Chimney Sweeper", "Infant Sorrow" to "Infant Joy", and both "The Human Abstract" and the cut poem "A DIVINE IMAGE" to "The Divine Image".
* After the success of her second novel ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', [[Jane Austen]] wrote to her sister Cassandra that she felt it was "too light, and bright, and sparkling" and planned to write something different next time. The result was her most realistic and controversial novel, ''[[Mansfield Park]]''.
* After the success of her second novel ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', [[Jane Austen]] wrote to her sister Cassandra that she felt it was "too light, and bright, and sparkling" and planned to write something different next time. The result was her most realistic and controversial novel, ''[[Mansfield Park]]''.
* ''[[Wicked Lovely]]'' was, on its own, dark, due to being an [[Urban Fantasy]] novel about [[The Fair Folk]]. Ink Exchange was [[Rape As Backstory|much]], [[Interplay of Sex and Violence|much]], ''[[Drugs Are Bad|much]]'' more so. Then came fragile eternity, the [[Lighter and Softer|Lightest and Softest]] of the series. Then came Radiant Shadows, which was similar in tone to Ink Exchange, with the additions of {{spoiler|Tish}} being [[Killed Off for Real]], and {{spoiler|Irial}} being wounded to the extent that he'll die within a fortnight. So, it's pretty much [[Darker and Edgier]] And Deader.
* ''[[Wicked Lovely]]'' was, on its own, dark, due to being an [[Urban Fantasy]] novel about [[The Fair Folk]]. Ink Exchange was [[Rape as Backstory|much]], [[Interplay of Sex and Violence|much]], ''[[Drugs Are Bad|much]]'' more so. Then came fragile eternity, the [[Lighter and Softer|Lightest and Softest]] of the series. Then came Radiant Shadows, which was similar in tone to Ink Exchange, with the additions of {{spoiler|Tish}} being [[Killed Off for Real]], and {{spoiler|Irial}} being wounded to the extent that he'll die within a fortnight. So, it's pretty much [[Darker and Edgier]] And Deader.
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|The Lord of the Rings]]''. It was a [[Darker and Edgier]] sequel to ''[[The Hobbit]]'' due to a mixture of [[Cerebus Syndrome]], [[The Moorcock Effect]] of retconning the Shire into ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' setting, and Tolkien's increasing dissatisfaction with fantasy being marketed to children.
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. It was a [[Darker and Edgier]] sequel to ''[[The Hobbit]]'' due to a mixture of [[Cerebus Syndrome]], [[The Moorcock Effect]] of retconning the Shire into ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' setting, and Tolkien's increasing dissatisfaction with fantasy being marketed to children.
* Many of the original [[The Brothers Grimm (Creator)|Brothers Grimm]] fairytales were this before [[Disneyfication]].
* Many of the original [[The Brothers Grimm (Creator)|Brothers Grimm]] fairytales were this before [[Disneyfication]].
** They were even Darker before the Grimm brothers got a hold of them too.
** They were even Darker before the Grimm brothers got a hold of them too.
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* The [[Star Shards Chronicles]] trilogy starts out with some fairly dark horror themes, but stays PG-13. The final book, however, turns up the sex-and-profanity dial quite a bit.
* The [[Star Shards Chronicles]] trilogy starts out with some fairly dark horror themes, but stays PG-13. The final book, however, turns up the sex-and-profanity dial quite a bit.
* A series of original novels based upon the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' games was published in the mid-2000s. While the games themselves had become darker and edgier over time, the novels fully recast Lara as a killer more than an explorer and archeologist. One novel, ''The Man of Bronze'', is particularly violent, with Lara describing in first person how she mercilessly kills a group of thugs (in the process recalling how she once killed a man [[Kiss of Death|while kissing him]]). Later, she attempts to kill a man in cold blood for apparently no other reason than he was painting a sexy portrait of her (she is unsuccessful).
* A series of original novels based upon the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' games was published in the mid-2000s. While the games themselves had become darker and edgier over time, the novels fully recast Lara as a killer more than an explorer and archeologist. One novel, ''The Man of Bronze'', is particularly violent, with Lara describing in first person how she mercilessly kills a group of thugs (in the process recalling how she once killed a man [[Kiss of Death|while kissing him]]). Later, she attempts to kill a man in cold blood for apparently no other reason than he was painting a sexy portrait of her (she is unsuccessful).
* [[Stuck (Literature)|Stuck]] starts off fair enough, though in its final episode the themes get darker and there's a bit more violence and black humor. Not surprising, considering that {{spoiler|the main characters become fugitives.}}
* [[Stuck]] starts off fair enough, though in its final episode the themes get darker and there's a bit more violence and black humor. Not surprising, considering that {{spoiler|the main characters become fugitives.}}
* The Cinderella adaptation ''Sunny Ella'' casts Cinderella as a deluded murderer and Rapunzel as a soulless half-vampire.
* The Cinderella adaptation ''Sunny Ella'' casts Cinderella as a deluded murderer and Rapunzel as a soulless half-vampire.
* The [[Nancy Drew]] Files and [[Hardy Boys]] Casefiles spin-offs weren't really an attempt to go Darker and Edgier, but a switch to a new publisher removed most of their previous roadblocks, namely [[Never Say Die]], [[No Hugging, No Kissing]], and the like. In doing so, they also got better written as a side effect, and fans of both series consider them some of the better books in their respective franchises.
* The [[Nancy Drew]] Files and [[Hardy Boys]] Casefiles spin-offs weren't really an attempt to go Darker and Edgier, but a switch to a new publisher removed most of their previous roadblocks, namely [[Never Say "Die"]], [[No Hugging, No Kissing]], and the like. In doing so, they also got better written as a side effect, and fans of both series consider them some of the better books in their respective franchises.
* ''Darke'' of the ''[[Septimus Heap (Literature)|Septimus Heap]]'' series is noticeably darker than the preceding books, what with the existence of the Castle being on play and lots of people dying in the end.
* ''Darke'' of the ''[[Septimus Heap]]'' series is noticeably darker than the preceding books, what with the existence of the Castle being on play and lots of people dying in the end.
* Being a Warhammer40k series, [[Gaunts Ghosts]] was never sunshine and rainbows, but starting with ''The Guns of Tanith'' things got noticeably more brutal and grim, with beloved characters dying off, the battles getting even more desperate. Compare series starter ''First & Only'' with book 8, ''Traitor General'', and you could almost be forgiven for thinking you were reading two entirely different series.
* Being a Warhammer40k series, [[Gaunt's Ghosts]] was never sunshine and rainbows, but starting with ''The Guns of Tanith'' things got noticeably more brutal and grim, with beloved characters dying off, the battles getting even more desperate. Compare series starter ''First & Only'' with book 8, ''Traitor General'', and you could almost be forgiven for thinking you were reading two entirely different series.
* ''[[The Lorax (Literature)|The Lorax]]'' is this compared to the other Dr. Seuss books. It teaches about the consequences of not acknowledging natural resources until they are gone.
* ''[[The Lorax]]'' is this compared to the other Dr. Seuss books. It teaches about the consequences of not acknowledging natural resources until they are gone.
* ''Cahills vs. Vespers'', the second series of ''[[The 39 Clues]]'', takes some noticeable liberties with language, violence, and romantic relationships as compared to its preceding series.
* ''Cahills vs. Vespers'', the second series of ''[[The 39 Clues]]'', takes some noticeable liberties with language, violence, and romantic relationships as compared to its preceding series.


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