By Oyindamola Adeoti
Dark Academia in Media
Dark Academia has been a subgenre making waves in media for some years now. It has also permeated social media as an aesthetic. Poets, writers, artists, and bigwigs in the arts and classics have also been known to lean towards it.
What is Dark Academia?
It is a subculture that draws inspiration from higher education. It also draws heavily from Greek and Gothic architecture and literature. As the name implies, it focuses on the more mysterious and thrilling side of academia.
The Aesthetic
A quick Pinterest or Google search of ‘dark academia aesthetic’ will bring up architecture, interior, and fashion pictures that embody the look. In terms of fashion, we can trace it back to the 30s and 40s – to clothes worn by prep school and Ivy League students. These clothes include plaid items, sweaters, dress shirts, blazers, and cardigans. Libraries and Greek-inspired school facades can also be associated with the general look (on the architecture front). Interiors include buildings with dark wooden furniture, candlelight, and autumnal fittings.
Dark Academia in Literature
There are so many books out there that embody dark academia, and you will love them if you’re trying to get into the subgenre. Drawing on things that have been stated earlier, dark academia books are set in a school at any level (high school/college/other kinds of school). Some sort of crime or other illicit things happen during the course of the book, and things get worse before they get better.
Thrillers set in a school generally fall under the genre. I will include a list of books that are absolutely worth the read. These books cover a range of ages and vary in levels of ‘dark’. Some of them are not as heavy as others, while some cover some very dark themes.
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (2021) – Age: Adult, TW: Murder – The author’s sophomore release has a lot to live up to in terms of the first book, and it is definitely worth the read. Set in a fictional college, a group psychiatrist goes back to her alma mater after a shocking murder. The victim was her niece’s friend, and her niece is a current student at the college. The book has strong ties to Greek mythology, and there’s a Greek-inspired secret society at the heart of the book.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide (2021) – Age: Young Adult, TW: Racism, microaggressions, bullying – Set in the prestigious Niveus Academy, Ace of Spades follows Devon and Chiamaka, the only two black kids at the school. It’s the start of their senior year in high school, and they have a lot to work towards to kickstart their future. Things don’t go as they plan, as the student body soon starts getting messages about Devon and Chiamaka’s secrets. They are being targeted, and they try hard to get to the root of the messages. This book examines blackness in a predominantly white institution, and how far white people in power will go to keep that power.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (2019) – Age: Young Adult, TW: Murder, grooming – A murder rocked a small town some years ago and the town’s golden girl was killed. Her boyfriend at the time confessed to the murder in his suicide note and the case was closed. Five years later, Pippa decides to investigate the murder for a class project, and gets more than she bargained for when lots of secrets start to come to light.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell (2020) – Age: Adult, TW: Grooming – A powerful book that rocked the literary world in the wake of the #MeToo movement. My Dark Vanessa follows the eponymous character Vanessa as she deals with a moral dilemma. When she was in high school, she was groomed by her teacher and things became really serious. Years later as an adult, old students are coming out with stories about the teacher, which shocks Vanessa because she thought she was the only one. This examines some serious hard-hitting questions about grooming and statutory rape, especially with the teacher-student dynamic,
Dark academia is a really interesting concept, and it’s great to experience it in media. It’s surreal to read books that open our eyes to some deeper and darker realities of things that might be going on within the educational systems. From the system itself to people in power misusing their power within the system. The general allure is also really cool and fun to get into. What are your thoughts on dark academia?
