Grimdark is a subgenre of speculative fiction with a tone, style or setting that is particularly dystopian, amoral and violent. The term is inspired by the tagline of the tabletop strategy game Warhammer 40,000: in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
Facts
Place of OriginThe term derives from the tagline of the British tabletop wargame Warhammer 40,000, 'In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war,' later adopted as a genre label in fantasy criticism. 1 Notable ExampleGeorge R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is a widely cited example, read by critic Adam Roberts as a reaction against the idealism of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy even while owing much to it. 1 Defining TraitA subgenre of speculative fiction marked by a tone, style or setting that is particularly dystopian, amoral and violent. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Grimdark (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia)lead paragraph, first sentence
Grimdark is a subgenre of speculative fiction with a tone, style, or setting that is particularly dystopian, amoral, and violent.
lead paragraph, second sentence, on the Warhammer 40,000 tagline
The term is inspired by the tagline of the tabletop strategy game Warhammer 40,000: 'In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.'
body text, on critic Adam Roberts' reading of A Song of Ice and Fire
George R. R. Martin's popular grimdark fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire is characterized, in Roberts' view, by its reaction to Tolkien's idealism, even though it owes much to Tolkien.
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