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How dark is your fantasy setting? (The difference between dark fantasy and edgy fantasy)

So, how dark is your fantasy setting? Is it pure power fantasy, or does it feature a grittier angle, perhaps? I would like answers to this question as well as the ones below.

The above question is just something to spark a conversation: What is the difference between dark fantasy and edgy fantasy, if they are different at all? Here are some of my thoughts on it:
DARK FANTASY is fantasy that includes dark elements like demons, occult magics and perhaps a darker history of the setting, to my mind.

EDGY FANTASY is fantasy that simply includes dark story elements, such as Game of Thrones. This could be anything, ranging from the death of a main character (gosh) to graphic violence.

What are your definitions of "Edgy Fantasy" and "Dark Fantasy", and what are your opinions on these genres?
 

elemtilas

Inkling
For me a dark fantasy (whether a story, a setting, or a world-system) is one which both encompasses and also focuses on the more hideous aspects of every facet of being and existence. So yes, demons: in The World, we find a universe that has, in part, succumbed to the temptations of evil. Demons, being really nothing more than the fallen angels, are the architects of all that is dark and corrupt in the world. Since evil is not really a thing in and of itself, what we find them doing is reversing, corrupting, skewing, sweeping under the rug & working to lead others away from that with is good.

Magic is indeed a power in The World. Much like electricity and gravity. It's there for those to use as know how to use it. Magic is neither light nor dark, though there are certainly those who choose to abuse it and turn it to their own (or their master's) perverted occult aims.

A dark history, sure. One power that gets little study by academics and philosophers, yet is probably the second or third most powerful force in Nature is that Consequence. Throughout history, even the most noble, least fallen of peoples have made terrible errors. These errors always exact a cost, and the usually means the unleashing of terrible and dark events into future history.

Also, a dark fantasy (story more specifically) is one which focuses on the bad guys, be they monsters per se or evil races or simply maligned and misguided among the more usually "good" peoples. I have, for example, a strong tendency to write folk tales from the dark perspective. Especially when it comes to Ravens and Wolves. In part, this comes from a general disdain for all things Disney and that folk tales and fairy tales are not the sole province of cartoon watching five year olds. They are by right the ancient lore, dark and light by turns, of a culture and, as far as The World is concerned, these tales are simply extracted from the broad category of animal tales & fables and will naturally vary between light and dark perspective.
 

elemtilas

Inkling
If it's done well, it's "dark". If it's done poorly, it's "edgy".

The idea that "dark" refers to elements of the setting while "edgy" refers to elements of the story is interesting to me.
Heh. I think that's a good way of putting it! When I think of "edgy" anything, it's usually something frenetic or needlessly over the top in whatever the writer is trying to get across, I guess in this case, "darkness". Just for the sake of.

I saw this example on Reddit, and think it appropriate here: Edgy writing: He twirled the blade around six times and prepared to slay the villainous villain as he'd sworn to do on the day of his Blade Vows. Dark writing: In a knife fight, the winner is the one who dies in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. The second example says quite a bit without saying much. The first says a lot but doesn't really say anything. If you take my meaning.
 
Some parts of my books are significantly dark in tone, with the characters struggling with seemingly unfair life situations, but everything turns out alright in the end, even if everyone dies.
 
So, how dark is your fantasy setting? Is it pure power fantasy, or does it feature a grittier angle, perhaps? I would like answers to this question as well as the ones below.

The above question is just something to spark a conversation: What is the difference between dark fantasy and edgy fantasy, if they are different at all? Here are some of my thoughts on it:
DARK FANTASY is fantasy that includes dark elements like demons, occult magics and perhaps a darker history of the setting, to my mind.

EDGY FANTASY is fantasy that simply includes dark story elements, such as Game of Thrones. This could be anything, ranging from the death of a main character (gosh) to graphic violence.

What are your definitions of "Edgy Fantasy" and "Dark Fantasy", and what are your opinions on these genres?

Both of my major projects are dystopian fantasy so definitely dark. The dark story elements are there, too. I mean, my MC is an assassin in the one story. Everybody has some sort of horror in their past.

To me, edgy fantasy is when there are no real "heroes" or "villains" and all morality is shades of black and very very dark gray, lol. Also when everyone is dying constantly purely to be shocking. That's what "edgy" brings to mind.
 
I have to agree with dragon-aerie, I feel like 'edgy' is more about shock value and being more gritty and graphic while dark simply shows the more darker aspects of a story like per example vampires who need to feed of blood to survive. is i evil? To some certainly but to them it's a necessary evil, it's a way of life. Like a lion hunting a zebra. Bad stuff happens in life.
 
I have to agree with dragon-aerie, I feel like 'edgy' is more about shock value and being more gritty and graphic while dark simply shows the more darker aspects of a story like per example vampires who need to feed of blood to survive. is i evil? To some certainly but to them it's a necessary evil, it's a way of life. Like a lion hunting a zebra. Bad stuff happens in life.
Which do you prefer?

I feel that being "edgy" can just come off as ridiculous if its done wrong. I think that being dark almost always gives another level of realism to your world; zombies decay, right? Realistic? Dark? Yes, because the two are linked, right?
 
I tend to prefer 'dark' fantasy. However, I feel like you can add shock value here and there to emphasize on certain scenarios.

Like per example I used a graphic scene in one of my roleplays in the past. It was a story about a elven student who sought great magical powers and became an apprentice of a sorceress. She was powerful enough to have found a way to cheat death, ergo immortality. So anyway, there was a scene where she told the student that she needed to attend to some private business and at the same time a couple of cultist showed up and followed her. The apprentice got too curious and decided to take a peek at whatever secrecy was going on.

Well, that's when he discovered the secret to her powers. The sorceress feeds of people to rejuvenate herself and recharge her powers, the older she got the more she needed to feed. So in a way she pretty much became a monster. There was a graphic scene that showed how horrible the sacrifices were of these cultists who 'willingly' give their souls to her. But that graphic scene, in my opinion at least, amplified the horror that the student experienced. Now he knew the price he had to pay to get as powerful as hers. How willing was he to sell his own soul?

It gives readers a little horror moment.

But if the story is just graphic throughtout the tale then I close the book and move on cause it gets boring quickly if you keep spilling blood and limbs everywhere x-x
 
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