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Recommend me a book that 'feels like Dark Souls'.

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(technically, maybe more Lost City/Dwellers of the Forbidden City - but you get the idea)

Yes, I know, it's an obsession. It's not as if Miyazaki didn't confess that he has been interested in D&D and gamebooks when he was younger...

unapersson said:
Clark Ashton Smith - Zothique & Hyperborean stories
Robert E. Howard - Solomon Kane, Conan & Cormac Mac Art stories
Michael Moorcock - Eternal Champion novels (Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon)
China Mieville - Perdido Street Station
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This, and Berserk.
There is a strong undercurrent of classic sword & sorcery tropes in Demon/Dark Souls - the moral ambiguity, powerful as well as mysterious and ancient entities (and magic), bits of quasi-Lovecraftian horror, the cycle of wars and decay... no black & white, crypto-catholic Tolkienian morality here.

Everyone should read Conan. Or at the very least, Red Nails.

Grimløck;151658552 said:
i'm going to go with this. ulysses is readable. finnegans wake is verbal diarrhea.
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They are modernist novels, the point is for them to be unreadable by most of us. It doesn't detract from the literary and linguistic tour-de-force they represent, of course.

The Boletarian Palace in DeS had a final that reminded me of the abbey in the Name of the Rose, but I'm probably reaching...

SilentTristero said:
Based purely on mood alone, I'd suggest Maldoror by Lautreamont. Grimy french surrealism about the beauty of decay.
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IIRC, there is a part where the narrator kick a corpse. Black comedy ensues. It's juvenile and kind of fun.
 
Zack Parson's That Insidious Beast evokes a similar sense of strangeness, body horror and pervasive dread, particularly the three-part short story that begins in Part 12: Fall Sweeps. Probably worth skimming through the previous parts to get the full effect.
 
Night Angel said:
Currently on book 9 for the second time through the series (it's even better than the first time).

It's certainly dark, and much like the Souls games it doesn't do much to explain itself and expects you to pick things up as you go.

The large focus on military actions and tactics does steer it away from being a good fit, though.

(Read it anyway, OP. Phenomenal series. And if you like it, read the Black Company as well.)
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I also love Malazan Book of the Fallen. Looking forward to re-reading the entire series a few years from now.

Also it's probably one of the largest works of its kind ever attempted, and Erikson actually finished it. Some people (not naming names) could learn from that.
 
Seanspeed said:
Man, if the writing in The Name of the Wind is considered mechanical and utilitarian, what does that make the majority of fantasy writing out there? :/

I personally though it was the strongest aspect of the books.
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For me, Roth's prose gets the job done. I can play a movie in my head with his descriptions, but I never got a moment where I went "wow, this place is beautiful" (McCarthy) or "wow, this metaphor is clever/bends my brain" (Milton).

Oddly enough, I was fine with Martin's prose in ASOIAF even though it was similarly utilitarian.

Edit: But don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for purple prose or anything like that.
 
Prince of Thorns is another extremely dark fantasy series. The main character is definitely an anti hero, and the books often make you feel hopeless.

The Acts of Caine (Stover) series also might be with looking into: tonally it's not completely on target with the Souls series, but it's about a dystopian future where people are sent to another world to provide entertainment (usually by killing). The MC of the series often faces insurmountable odds and is grievously injured, and it has some great dialog. It's also pretty bleak at times. The title of the first book might give that away, though : Heroes Die.


Abercrombie's The First Law series is full of characters with questionable motivations that always keeps you on your toes. It doesn't really mesh with Souls, but I wanted to mention it.
(I read a lot of fantasy...)

Durante said:
I also love Malazan Book of the Fallen. Looking forward to re-reading the entire series a few years from now.

Also it's probably one of the largest works of its kind ever attempted, and Erikson actually finished it. Some people (not naming names) could learn from that.
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Not naming names either, but I've heard good things about the work a certain author (who is concurrently writing his own epic fantasy series -Stormlight Archives-) is doing to finish that unnamed unfinished saga. Maybe Erikson can take over when Geor- uh, I mean, someone, fails to finish his series. He's proven he can work with a vast scope and cast of varied characters.

Also, Erikson is apparently writing a trilogy about Karsa which is surely going to be fantastic.
 
Ahasverus said:
This thread is weird.

"Recommend me a movie that feels like the parthenon"

Yeah
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It'd probably be akin to finding a film that evokes how it currently looks or something similarly abstract. There's a logic to the question, but it is somewhat esoteric.

With that in mind the first suggestion actually probably IS one of the better ones, and I wouldn't have thought of it that way. Still, what everyone's said really highlights just why it can be a great example.

Though given what Hidetaka Miyazaki said his influences were I kind of expect reading Lord of the Rings or something in a language you're learning would be the closest equivalent. Hell, Lord of the Rings IS about the winding down of a magical age (albeit necessary to stop an evil force) that will ultimately lead to a more mundane world, I can see him possibly getting THAT much but being lost on some of the finer details, especially since a lot of the background for the world is in Silmarillion and frankly a lot of that stuff sounds far more fantastic than what the Hobbit and even LotR itself had.
 
Grimløck;151658552 said:
i'm going to go with this. ulysses is readable. finnegans wake is verbal diarrhea.
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Dark Souls is also playable. Comparing Dark Souls to Finnegan's Wake would be misrepresenting the true difficulty of Dark Souls, I think. Tough, but fair. Not seemingly random.
 
Lots of great suggestions. I looked every single one up, and I'm currently the most interested in "Black Company", "The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbar", "The First Law trilogy" and "The Book of the New Sun".

House of Leaves sounds interesting, but I would have to actually 'read' it, instead of listening to it as an audiobook, which is the reason for this thread, since I'm looking for a new one. I might get it at some point when I have lots of free time. The concept sounds very intriguing.

I will probably use this thread for suggestions for years to come. E.g. Prince of Thorns seems also very appealing.

Kieli said:
I'm going to offer a second opinion on this book.

I unfortunately did not enjoy it. Perhaps my expectations were too high or not in alignment with what the book was trying to offer.

If you are looking for a grand journey like the Odyssey, you will not find that in this book. If you are looking for political intrigue or feuds between different factions like Game of Thrones, you will also not find it in this book. If you want a character study or character-driven novel, then you may find that here. However, the characters (imho) are not particularly complex or interesting. I think the closest parallel I can draw is that the first book is somewhat similar to Harry Potter in that the character spends most of his time inside a magical school. However, the book lacks the charm that made the HP series so beloved.

In fact, the events that transpire are not very "Souls-like". By "Souls-like", I mean oppressive, dark, brooding, somber, melancholy, etc... The atmosphere in this book is very light such that it's suitable even for youth (10 - 18 years old) to read. That's not the sort of experience I want when I want "Souls-like".

Finally, the language is mechanical and utilitarian, I feel. But this is a bit unfair as my standards for beautiful language are the likes of Milton or McCarthy (:lel).
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Thanks for the insight. While it doesn't sound like what I'm currently looking for, it does sound like stuff I would be looking for at a different time. I know that Rothfuss in general seems to be a bit controversial when it comes to writing quality (e.g. when he joined Torment as a writer), but I might want to dig into it nonetheless. Personally, I think language should be as complex as it needs to be and not as complex as possible, so I actually like an utilitarian approach. I consider my English vocabulary to be pretty advanced, even though it's not my native language, but there are always authors that use words that you'll probably only ever read once in your whole lifetime, just too feel 'smarter' than his readers - absolutely hate that. It's fine to describe your world and characters with sophisticated words, but they shouldn't be abstruse just for the sake of being it.

Ethelwulf said:
The Dark Tower saga by Stephen King.
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I actually just read the first book not too long a go and it didn't really click with me. While the world was interesting, I hated every character in the entire book and I missed a clear 'motivation'. It's fine to be left int he dark if it serves a purpose, but I didn't feel like that was the case.

TI82 said:
Unfortunately he seems opposed to it. His loss.
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I might someday. I just secretly hope for a proper anime version. :p
 
Zukuu said:
Lots of great suggestions. I looked every single one up, and I'm currently the most interested in "Black Company", "The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbar", "The First Law trilogy" and "The Book of the New Sun".

House of Leaves sounds interesting, but I would have to actually 'read' it, instead of listening to it as an audiobook, which is the reason for this thread, since I'm looking for a new one. I might get it at some point when I have lots of free time. The concept sounds very intriguing.

I will probably use this thread for suggestions for years to come. E.g. Prince of Thorns seems also very appealing.


Thanks for the insight. While it doesn't sound like what I'm currently looking for, it does sound like stuff I would be looking for at a different time. I know that Rothfuss in general seems to be a bit controversial when it comes to writing quality (e.g. when he joined Torment as a writer), but I might want to dig into it nonetheless. Personally, I think language should be as complex as it needs to be and not as complex as possible, so I actually like an utilitarian approach. I consider my English vocabulary to be pretty advanced, even though it's not my native language, but there are always authors that use words that you'll probably only ever read once in your whole lifetime, just too feel 'smarter' than his readers - absolutely hate that. It's fine to describe your world and characters with sophisticated words, but they shouldn't be abstruse just for the sake of being it.


I actually just read the first book not too long a go and it didn't really click with me. While the world was interesting, I hated every character in the entire book and I missed a clear 'motivation'. It's fine to be left int he dark if it serves a purpose, but I didn't feel like that was the case.


I might someday. I just secretly hope for a proper anime version. :p
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If you like what you read, send me a PM with the series and I'll recommend something else in the same vein that you would likely enjoy. I've read 10 series in the last 2 years, and read that entire list, so I can probably help you out. :D
 
There are three movies that mostly adapt it and that's probably the best you'll get. Though it really helps if you have read the manga since the flashbacks are really confusing the way they are done. It covers the entire golden egg saga. But again ends right when it gets good. The animators have said they want to make more but its not likely.
 
A lot of stuff by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman strikes me as similar in ways. The Deathgate Cycle has already been brought up, but I think that the Dark Sword trilogy and The War of Souls trilogy feel more like it.

Elric is a great choice, as are the Abhorsen books by Garth Nix.

For a choice that may strike some as odd: The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker. Due to its age the language is hard to follow sometimes, but like Lovecraft there is a lot that the book just doesn't explain and forces you to assume for yourself. My big complaint is there is no real closure, especially with the original ending. Despite that it's well worth the read.

Parts of the Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen strike me as very similar in feel, but others aren't anywhere close.
 
Zukuu said:
What makes Dark Souls, Dark Souls? To me, the atmosphere mainly. It's dark, gritty, colorless. People are pessimistic or even borderline crazy and at the edge of becoming hollow. Add in a simple, but great story that is mainly told by the things that surrounds it and you have an incredible experience.

Is there any book that is similar to it?
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Perdido Train Station.
 
About 100 pages into The Way of Kings, I decided to google Brandon Sanderson's bibliography.

"...The Way of Kings, the first in a projected ten-volume series called The Stormlight Archive. The second book in the series, Words of Radiance, was released on March 4th, 2014. Other projects continue to be in the works." - http://brandonsanderson.com/about-brandon/

What have I gotten myself into....
 
Not sure if it's been said yet, but the MISTBORN TRILOGY by Brandon Sanderson hits the Demons'/ Dark Souls vibe yer looking for. Fog and ash shrouded apocolyptic fantasy, excellent.
 
Read whatever book you want but don't use a bookmark. Every time you pick up the book to read it, start on the first page. It will be the most "souls" experience ever.
 
Thread necroed kindled

plasmawave said:
Blame!-v10--Cover.jpg


BLAME! is Dark Souls in a manga form.

Other obvious answer is Berserk.
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Wearing my heart and my avatar on my sleeve here, but I think my dream project is From teaming up with Tsutomu Nihei for the most bleak-ass sci fi game imaginable. Blame! definitely fits the tone in its own way.
 
Zweig, C., & Abrams, J. (Eds.). (1991). Meeting the shadow: The hidden power of the dark side of human nature. Tarcher.
51O-sPhfXZL.jpg
 
UltraGunner said:
Dante Must Die mode: Ulysses without a reference guide
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I did this a few years ago. I don't recommend it. Took me about 6 months to get through it, and while the book is hugely impressive, it's fucking hard work at times (somewhat like the souls games). Some of the other books mentioned sound really interesting.
 
idk if it counts but I've been running the new D&D5e Ravenloft remake module for my group and with the way it's been going it's basically been Dark Souls in tabletop format. We still haven't even gotten past the Death House.
 
Co-sign on Book of the New Sun and Berserk manga. Actually, Dark Souls feels like the marriage between those two. From reading about Blame, it sounds like something I should check out myself, and I can definitely sense the Souls quality.

Someone mentioned Gormenghast...I understand why they did, but I don't think it quite fits what you're looking for. *Still*, though, you should read that anyway. I recently read the second book, and I've really loved the series.
 
Do NOT....do not do not read "Berserk" unless you felt Souls needed a healthy does of explicit and frequent sexual violence.
 
Zukuu said:
What makes Dark Souls, Dark Souls? To me, the atmosphere mainly. It's dark, gritty, colorless. People are pessimistic or even borderline crazy and at the edge of becoming hollow. Add in a simple, but great story that is mainly told by the things that surrounds it and you have an incredible experience.

Is there any book that is similar to it?
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Have you tried reading off topic?
 
They've already been mentioned a few times, but the Elric novels by Michael Moorcock really fit the bill in terms of being permeated by sorrow and despair.
 
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