Ok, so…
A couple of months back, I was told by a person whose opinion on literature I highly respect that I should read The Second Apocalypse series by R. Scott Bakker.
I haven’t really kept up with this whole “grimdark” thing. I looked at it as kind of a fad—cashing in on the success of darker epic fantasy masterpieces like A Song of Ice and Fire.
I know that somewhere in that line of thinking, I’m likely wrong.
I have no doubt that there are great and high-quality grimdark stories.
My favorite type of fantasy lives somewhere between classical fantasy, faerie stories, and modern epic fantasy.
My favorite authors in the fantasy genre are:
• Tolkien, because of course.
• Patricia A. McKillip, who wrote the most immersive, cozy, emotional, and generous faerie story standalones.
• Tad Williams, the man who brought the genre into the modern world.
• Guy Gavriel Kay, who writes these incredible standalone romantic epics set in his “World of Two Moons.” My all-time favorite.
None of these are considered overly dark. Darkness plays a role—but it’s not so suffocating that the story can’t breathe.
R. Scott Bakker… has forever changed my perspective on what darkness truly is. What evil really looks like in art. And whether or not epic fantasy can serve as an incredibly potent and important philosophical thought experiment.
I’m on Book 3 of his series now.
I have never encountered a more vicious and cold exploration of evil in my life.
I have never encountered such a thoughtful and grotesque depiction of the human soul.
I will call nothing “dark” unless it is The Second Apocalypse series by R. Scott Bakker.
…
A review on Goodreads said it perfectly:
”That final sequence in The Warrior-Prophet—especially THAT scene… is one of the most viscerally horrifying and morally annihilating passages in all of modern fantasy. It marks a point of no return for the reader. Bakker shows us, unflinchingly, that this is not just a tale of power or philosophy, but one of absolute spiritual and existential horror.”
Morally annihilating. Yes. I do feel rather beheaded…
It didn’t begin this way, though.
Through most of the first book, I was wondering when all this darkness and evil I’d been hearing about was going to arrive.
It’s a slow, monstrous build.
And Bakker takes you—very thoughtfully, very purposefully—into the face of things that, as he himself says, are “so universally troubling.”
I have never heard a more horrifying warning in my life.
One has to remind themselves that a depiction of something is not an endorsement or approval of it. And R. Scott Bakker seems like a very sweet, kind-hearted, extremely chill guy.
He’s a trained philosopher, historian, and professor. And once you learn about his academic background, the explorations in his story make much more sense.
He’s tangling with profound questions, digging into his own vulnerabilities, and seeking truth.
A philosopher’s job is to wrestle with difficult ideas.
…
This book has cut a deep wound into my mind, and I’ve promised myself a break after I finish the third one.
A break to watch some SpongeBob and some happy, funny stuff to cleanse my soul.
Well done, Bakker. I truly respect and admire what you’ve created here.
It’s the most genius warning against evil I have ever found.
by Sunbather-
1 Comment
Sigh…seems like I’ve found my next read :,)