I write Grimdark. 100% by accident. How I figured this out was because I realized my characters usually hit rock bottom and keep doing down. You know, that 'dark night of the heroes soul' in the Heroes' Journey? They hit that to begin with and then snowball into the depths. Not to mention, I read book 1 of Game of Thrones and was like, 'oh. Fun times. But should I be concerned my own stories are darker?' Sure, there is hope in my stories, but it's not the same as in a dark fantasy. Because the main characters are not the ones who cling to that idea. Most of the time, it's a strange side character who is the sunshine in everyone's lives who ends up dying at some point. The thing that gets me confused and hesitant to really accept that I actually write Grimdark instead of Dark Fantasy is there is no general definition of Grimdark. Because yes, we have the lines from Warhammer 40K. But I also don't have supernatural evil to combat? The main characters ARE the supernatural evil/threat. Also, after reading a bunch of reddit threads on the difference, I don't think I use much if any gothic setting. But one person on reddit did say that Grimdark can be a tag to any genre 'like Grimdark western or Grimdark Sci-fi'. So, the questions I pose here are as follows: How would you define Grimdark vs. Dark Fantasy? How are they different? Is it possible for Grimdark to not just be works written by Edgy McEdgeface trying to get the most shock value from the reader? And do you agree with the idea that grimdark can be an addition to any other genre? Can Grimdark be meaningful and add thoughtful perspectives to the literary world?
I'll answer this here, not in the other place. Grimdark usually takes place in a crapsack world. The world itself is dark, its environment grim, and with little hope available either now or regardless of the outcome. No matter how well you do, your lives are always going to be full of despair. Beat the Demon King? Well, he was the only one holding back the even more evil Great Demon Emperor. Beat him, and you become the next demon king. Berserk veers strongly towards grimdark after the Eclipse. The Godhand and its agents are always there, always watching you, always ready to offer you a bargain that you won't be able to resist. Dark Fantasy doesn't always, it's just that things are shitty for the characters *at the moment*. The world might have potential for hope, and it isn't inherently dark. Sure, the vampires might have taken over *now* but if they're all defeated, the world might be a better place. Not everyone's everyday lives takes place in a hellhole. Things might even be normal... until the main character shows up, bringing his emotional baggage and the unspeakable things that pursue him and his loved ones with him. There *is* hope, even though it might be dim right now. Demon Slayer is dark fantasy, not grimdark.
Thanks for your reply! (I was hesitant to cross post, but wanted to see what I could fish.) Yeah, I think Grimdark also has more morally gray characters, which is something I tend to write. I wish I could get into Berserk, but haven't been able to feel the same way about it as other manga I read. Anyway, I think I kind of write both of these genres, but I think I am sliding toward Grimdark. My stories end up circular- hero defeats evil king, takes over, slowly becomes corrupted- so, it's really confusing. On the other site, I have told people it's important to me to know genre of my stories so I can make sure the reader wants to read it. Also, is aware it's not going to be rainbows and unicorns when I say 'Fantasy'. Aside from setting, because I don't write Gothic or Post-Nuclear explosions, I felt like it didn't fit. But I have a story where the main characters are cursed and by the end of it, they don't break it. They just go on living cursed, because the cost to fix it is too high. The thing is, Dark Fantasy does have hope and my stories do have some hope, but a lot I am realizing end bittersweet or circular. So, thanks so much for the details on the genres. Because having that information is useful. And yes! I would agree Demon Slayer is Dark Fantasy. As for things returning to 'normal', it's always a changed normal at the end of my stories. But I suppose it's that way for most stories.
