Fantasy

[close] This group is dedicated to an appreciation of important works of literature, both classic and contemporary... that happen to fall into the category of Dark Fiction. We tend to avoid the big, banal blockbusters (and the more lurid fare) in favor of beautifully written explorations of the unknown, many of them obscure, all of them extraordinary. [Note from the Moderator: A couple of years ago, we changed our group name from "Literary Horror" in order to expand our sphere of interests (and dislodge a few embedded trolls). Our enthusiasms embrace Gothic, Weird Fiction, and Noir, as well as much that might be classified as Horror, but we also appreciate literary fiction that cannot be easily fitted into a marketing niche. In fact, this latter group of titles has evolved into our primary focus. Most serious fiction deals (to some extent) with darker themes, and many works of distinction have employed supernatural, surreal or existentialist elements. These books have power. They endure, because they appeal to serious readers and provide thoughtful entertainment. Come. Explore them with us.]

[close] This group is for anyone who loves books from different genres. Every month we have group Books of the Month which you can join, reading challenges, and promo threads for authors, giveaways and blogs. Why not stop by and say hello :)

[close] Click HERE for the latest group announcements. "It reminded me of ____ but in space." "I read ____ in high school, and actually liked it." "It's like a cross between ____ and ____ with a little Harry Potter thrown in." "YOU'VE NEVER READ ____?!?" You know the drill. Your friends reference it, your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/"sort of thing?" raves about it, even your favorite movies quote it, or it IS your favorite movie but you've never read the book. This group is for those of us for whom one of the following may apply... - we have finally developed a taste for reading and are severely behind on classics; - we kindaaa, sortaaa, but actually slept through English class in high school and used Sparknotes/Hollywood remakes to write our book reports; - we buy a book that everyone is talking about and it sits on our shelf, and sits there... and sits there; - we've heard the hype and are finally getting around to reading the actual book; - we want to expand our horizons beyond the single genre we usually read and want to do so with some time-tested material; - we just plain old want to get everyone off our backs for not having read _____. Every month we'll choose three books to read: 1) a classic (that everyone has probably read but us), 2) a "modern" classic or popular book that everyone is talking about, and 3) a bookshelf catch-up in which we choose a book the group has already read to catch-up with other members.