Dark academia is more popular than ever before — a blend of literary fiction and genre fiction, gothic and grounded. Dark academia books come in many styles, but they all share the theme of, well, dark academia. Putting a firm definition of dark academia can be tricky but it generally involves places of higher education, …
Manga
Shoujo is a broad genre of manga that has existed for almost as long as there have been manga readers. The name shoujo literally means “young woman”, and the shoujo manga label is stamped on any manga suitable for (or that appeals to) readers who are young girls. This means that a lot of stereotyping …
The vampire has had an enormous legacy in literature, one that began with Carmilla and Dracula, and has gone through dozens of changes since. The popularity of vampire books peaks every few years, with the vampire itself being redefined and reimagined. We’re going to look here at generations of vampire books, which includes both vampire …
American author Stephen King is considered the undisputed master of horror, with as many published works as he has years on this Earth. But King is far from the only great horror author writing today, so here are some of the best horror books by writers far and wide. Essential Modern Horror Books Beyond the …
Manga is a medium that boasts a long and rich history of stellar sci-fi for readers of all ages. From Osamu Tezuka’s beloved Astro Boy to the pop culture-defining Akira, some of the best sci-fi ever written can be found in the world of manga. Essential Science Fiction Manga If you are a manga fan …
Historical fiction is a genre that provides readers with fun from all angles, and that is especially true for historical manga. The genre is like a partially-painted canvas that comes already detailed with lore and language and aesthetics (architecture, costumes, inventions, traditions, and more). But using that canvas, authors and creators can layer whatever they …
Fantasy is one of the most exciting genres of fiction, whether that be across manga, prose, film, or TV. That said, fantasy manga (like all fantasy fiction) can fall into a formula if we’re not careful; a formula where certain specific tropes are expected to be found. This attitude towards fantasy manga isn’t particularly exciting, …
Mixing horror and comedy is nothing new, but with the Mieruko-chan manga, writer-artist Tomoki Izumi is doing something truly fresh and exciting. In manga and anime, horror is a well-trodden genre. In fact, the king of that genre, Junji Ito, is arguably the best horror writer working today (sorry Stephen King fans). But fans of …
Calling something adult manga or mature manga is a pretty broad church that can cover a lot of different genres, themes, topics, and stories. For that reason, this list is going to be exactly that: a broad church. On this list of adult manga, you’re going to find stories of all different genres and styles. …
The Tokyo Revengers manga is written and drawn by Ken Wakui. It began its run in 2017 but caught the eyes of new readers when the anime adaptation dropped in 2021. For this particular manga recommendation, I’m going to get a little personal and informal (lots of Is and Mes) because it’s the only way …