Hopedark is a literary movement in the tradition of hopepunk, specific to the horror genre. Hopedark seeks to embrace the dark, the bleak, and the bloody, while determinedly resisting despair.

I write dark fiction as a means of truth-telling, exploring the shadow side of human experience. This penchant emerged during my graduate studies in psychology, where I discovered that the horror genre lends itself well to therapeutic exploration of the dark and gritty depths of the psyche.

My favorite RPG, Dread, describes the necessity of hope to the horror genre. Without hope, the creators argue, fear calcifies into despair, and there is no tension to drive a narrative. Hope is the electric impulse that keeps the bloody heart of a horror story beating.

Most lovers of horror literature have lived their own personal horror stories; that’s why this genre is such a comfort. in the 21st century, We are, as a society, living many collective horror stories. Hopedark is commitment to that gnarly place where we acknowledge the horrors, but refuse to end in despair.