First things first, let me tell you what “dark academia” is, in case you don’t know: it’s an academic aesthetic or a subculture that romanticizes literature, poetry, architecture, art, mysteries and philosophy. It has become a big trend in the past few years: dark academia can now be considered as a style in clothes and decor, genre of books and movies and generally a lifestyle.

For me dark academia is synonymous with autumn, because it feels like the perfect season for it. The gloomy weather, long cold nights with the howling wind, the spooky and mysterious atmosphere created by the upcoming Halloween all build the ideal mood for it. I’ve read some interesting books that fall into the dark academia genre, so I decided to share a list of my favorite literature. Here you can find both some old and famous classics as well as a few modern books.

1. Donna Tartt – The Secret History

If you love books about academic life with a mixture of philosophy and greek mythology along with some teenage drama – this book’s for you. It tells a story about a boy who goes to college and gets accepted into an elite group of students who study ancient greek. But there are many peculiar secrets and lies among the group of friends. The atmosphere of this novel is truly on point, as well as its intense and mysterious plot.

2. Gaston Leroux – The Phantom of the Opera

This is one of those stories that I had a love-hate relationship with. The beginning was really great, as there are lots of mysterious things going on and you don’t understand whether there’s a supernatural or a human cause to all those strange things. But the ending was a little dull and slow-paced. However due to its creepy atmosphere that makes you shiver I can’t not include it in my list.

3. M.L. Rio – If We Were Villains

To be honest, I just started reading this book so I don’t really have much to tell about my own experience or impressions, but even the very first chapter managed to capture my attention with its cool atmosphere, philosophical quotes, citations from Shakespeare and approaching drama. It’s kinda similar to the Secret History, as there’s a group of friends with their wicked secrets, but in this case it’s all about theater and Shakespeare, instead of mythology.

4. Oscar Wilde – The Picture of the Dorian Gray

I first read Dorian Gray 11 years ago, it was one of the first classic novels that I became acquainted with, and I remember liking it. This year I decided to reread it and to explore it from a new perspective, and I still loved it! The plot is interesting but the greatest part about this book is that it feels like an encyclopedia of philosophy about life and its meaning, human values, morals and so much more. Since it’s quite dark too, I think it deserves a place in this list.

5. Emily Bronte – The Wuthering Heights

Another great book with dark plot that I read 10 years ago. Now, I can’t remember much from the plot, but I remember being really impressed and even scared, especially in the beginning, when you didn’t know the story yet and everything felt mysterious and maybe even paranormal. I definitely need to reread it because it’s one of the most prominent works in English literature.

6. N. H. Kleinbaum – Dead Poets Society

Usually people make movie adaptations of books, but sometimes it’s the exact opposite. When a film becomes a huge success they write a book according to its scenario. I’ve never read such a work before, but since I really loved Dead Poets Society, its incredible atmosphere and philosophy, I decided to try it out. To be honest, I can absolutely say that the movie was much better, as the story felt too dull and tedious, it didn’t have the same inspiring mood as its original.

7. Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown is probably my favorite author, as I truly love pretty much all of his books. His works are full of amazing knowledge about different spheres of life, like art, religion, physics, literature etc., but it also has a fair amount of conspiracy theories that feel so true and realistic that for a moment you forget that it’s a fiction, not the reality. The Da Vinci Code is the first book I’ve read of Brown, and I really loved it. Believe me, it’s so much better than the movie, so I’ll definitely recommend reading it.

8. Alex Michaelides – The Maidens

A psychologist goes back to her alma mater in order to solve a case and find the murderer of young girls who named themselves the Maidens and used to study greek mythology. I have some mixed feelings about this book. On one hand it’s very interesting, it’s one of those books you want to keep reading more and more to find out the truth. Plus, it has some interesting parts about psychoanalysis and mythology, which made the reading more wholesome. On the other hand though, the ending really disappointed me. I won’t give any spoilers, but the murderer and their story and motive didn’t really make sense, so the good book was ruined by an amateur ending. At least for me.