Fantasy Novella Submissions: A Guide to the Best Dark Fantasy Novellas
Dark fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy literature that typically features darker, grittier themes and settings. Here are a few examples of acclaimed dark fantasy novellas:
"The Girl with the Red Balloon" by Katherine Locke: This novella is set in an alternate Berlin and follows the story of Ellie Baum, a young girl who is pulled into a magical world of balloons, where she must confront her own past and the dark forces that threaten her.
"The Ballad of Black Tom" by Victor LaValle: This novella is set in 1920s Harlem and follows the story of Charles Thomas Tester, a young man who becomes embroiled in the occult. It is a dark, atmospheric tale that explores themes of power, race, and identity.
"The Hunger of the Wolf" by Amelia Gorman: This novella is set in a medieval-inspired fantasy world and follows the story of a young woman who is forced to marry a powerful lord and must navigate a world of politics, magic, and monsters. It is a dark, atmospheric tale that explores themes of power, gender, and oppression.
"Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire: This novella is set in Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children, a school for children who have returned from the dead and find themselves unable to return to their own worlds. It's a dark, eerie story that explores themes of death, grief, and longing.
"The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere" by John Chu: This novella is set in a world where people start to cry when they tell a lie. It's a dark, emotional story that explores themes of identity, family, and love.