I'm trying to figure out what genre this would be considered so I can find more books like it. Essentially, there's a supernatural or dark fairy tale element, but it's not full on fantasy. Usually I think these books are considered more literary fiction than genre.
Some examples I've read and enjoyed: The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova), The Bog Wife (Lay Chronister), Black Woods, Blue Sky (Eowyn Ivey), and The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater). I don't think this quite fits into magical realism, but I'm not sure! Either way, I'm looking for more books in this vein or better ways to hunt them down.
by CriticalCold
6 Comments
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
Maybe **Literary Gothic Fantasy** or **Literary Dark Folklore?**
**Books;**
# The Bear and the Nightingale – Katherine Arden
Russian folklore meets literary coming-of-age tale with deep wintry atmosphere.
# T. Kingfisher – Try The Twisted Ones or What Moves the Dead
Modern, unsettling folk horror with literary voice.
# The Essex Serpent – Sarah Perry
Victorian folklore and gothic mood with a grounded, slow-burn literary narrative.
# The Mermaid of Black Conch – Monique Roffey
A lyrical, myth-rooted Caribbean story with both realism and supernatural elements.
# The Drowning Girl – Caitlín R. Kiernan
Blends psychological horror with unreliable narration and mythic creatures.
# The Secret History of Witches – Louisa Morgan
Multi-generational literary saga with slow-burning magical realism.
# The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman
Short, emotionally charged, and rooted in myth and memory.
Fabulism maybe? Dark Fabulism?
If you haven’t read any of Eowyn Ivey’s other books, The Snow Child fits here
I don’t have a genre name but for a book recommendation maybe Rouge by Mona Awad?
Scorpio Races is not talked about enough. I just reread this book and the language and story are so evocative while not being overdone.