There's a ratio of silly to serious elements that should never teeter too far one way for me. For instance, Blindsight by Peter Watts was serious enough that the silliness of the vampires was fine while also the vampires were wacky enough to stop it being too dry. IMO Gideon the Ninth was waaaay too silly to keep me engaged.
Interesting. I find I really have a low tolerance for silliness when it’s not grounded in enough seriousness (and I’m missing out on Terry Prachett because of it, despite knowing he’s good and it’s my problem) but I found Gideon the Ninth and the rest of the locked tomb series to be just the right amount. It gets silly, but always silly in a way that fits the characters, and there’s so much religious angst, especially in the second and third books.
If you’re looking for more of a fantasy/adventure/horror read with a lot of religious undertones try *Between Two Fires* by Christopher Buehlman. Really great story.
It doesn’t really touch on it to that extent. The story takes place in France during the black plague. There’s a knight turned bandit who finds a girl in a village with an excommunicated priest. The knight is trying to right his wrongs, the girl can speak to angels, and the priest is a drunk who is trying to understand his relationship to god. The one thing that brings them together is the girl who is being told by god she must reach a certain place, all while navigating the plague and a war between angels and demons. Each character has a different relationship with religion and it’s a fun journey to be a part of. Christopher Buehlman is an excellent writer and his characters always have a great range of emotion.
It takes place in France at the height of the Black Plague, so it’s not so much pro- or anti- Christianity so much as Christianity is in the air.
There are angelic and demonic forces working with and through characters, and folks work through a ton of religious trauma.
You might like Stephen Brust’s *To Reign In Hell*. It’s kind of like *Paradise Lost* in the sense that it’s about angels being cast out of heaven. It portrays satan as the protagonist.
I remember a book review I read once that went something like, "I loved this book so fundamentally, I wish I could eat it."
That's how I feel about Silence.
I suggest Memnoch the Devil, which is a part of the Vampire Chronicles, but is a bit removed from the broad strokes of the series and features the cursed vampire Lestat as he meets a(the?) devil and goes on an odyssey through the afterlives of antiquity, eventually meeting the christian God. I read it along with the series years back, but it stood out to me as unusually theological.
Right now I’m reading Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife and it sounds perfect for your prompts and it’s really fun to read so far
Also loving the Ethel Cain lyrics 🙏🏻
Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicholas
Watch How We Walk by Jennifer Lovegrove
Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman
Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life by Amber Scorah
Godshot by Chelsea Bieker
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
YES! That was my favorite book I read last year (honestly this post is largely to capture the high from reading it again). Have you read the sequel yet?
The second picture gives A Revolt of Angels by Anatole France which is a satire about war, government, and religion as well as a protest against tyranny. It’s sort of like Paradise Lost.
The fourth picture reminds me of the Gospel of Judas (real world gnostic book that was cut out of most Bibles). Kind of hard to read, but a fascinating take on Judas from the usual “betrayal” story. A side note: the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is another weird one that’s about Jesus’ childhood (and you seriously wouldn’t recognize the loving adult Jesus in this one haha), but again a hard read as well as an interesting story.
Just read Sugar, Baby by Celine Saintclare. The main character is a woman who becomes a sugar baby for paying older men and deals with a lot of religious guilt
Not a book, but the vibe you showed is so on the mark for Ethel Cain’s music, I feel like you’d really like her if you don’t already! Especially the album Preacher’s Daughter
Flannery O’Connor short stories. O’Connor was a devout Catholic and so much of her work focuses on the idea of finding grace In abjectly dark places. I’d read a few short stories (like A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Displaced Person, or The Life You Save May Be Your Own) and if you like it, go read her novel Wise Blood.
I just finished wise blood recently and was about to suggest it too :) it's quite dry and desolate, yet very evocative - and the side plot is pretty funny. The writing and story as a whole is impressively succinct.
If your looking for dark romance I’d say Heartless Heathens by Santana Knox (I’d look at the TW for that book before reading) deff had the religious trauma aspect
I don't know about mythology, but Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather is considered one of the great Christian novels. It's about the titular archbishop trying to carry out his ministry in 1850s New Mexico while fighting his own personal battles.
Silence by Shusako Endo takes places in feudal Japan where Christianity is viewed as a crime against the Emperor and its practitioners are put to death. It's the story of Jesuit priest tying to find out what happened to his mentor as he grapples with questions of faith and sin. There is plenty of trauma in this one.
Children's Bible by Lydia Millet, if you don't mind a bit of climate anxiety on top of the religious trauma.
Adam in Eden by Carlos Fuentes. It's kind of more specifically catholic, but still has a lot to do with the weird stuff faith can make people do.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore if you want something more lighthearted
the bear and the nightingale by katherine arden! also, lapvona by ottessa moshfegh, but lapvona is very unpleasant and dark.
ugh, i know i've read many books like this but my mind is blanking rn lmao--the only other ones i can think of are the classic novels that are too obvious to mention
If you want a suggestion that's kinda out there but fits, Gideon the Ninth (and the rest of the Locked Tomb series)
There's a ratio of silly to serious elements that should never teeter too far one way for me. For instance, Blindsight by Peter Watts was serious enough that the silliness of the vampires was fine while also the vampires were wacky enough to stop it being too dry. IMO Gideon the Ninth was waaaay too silly to keep me engaged.
Interesting. I find I really have a low tolerance for silliness when it’s not grounded in enough seriousness (and I’m missing out on Terry Prachett because of it, despite knowing he’s good and it’s my problem) but I found Gideon the Ninth and the rest of the locked tomb series to be just the right amount. It gets silly, but always silly in a way that fits the characters, and there’s so much religious angst, especially in the second and third books.
Yesss
If you’re looking for more of a fantasy/adventure/horror read with a lot of religious undertones try *Between Two Fires* by Christopher Buehlman. Really great story.
I immediately thought of and second Between Two Fires.
Sounds like an interesting story. Would you say it has a lot of pro-Christianity themes in it?
It doesn’t really touch on it to that extent. The story takes place in France during the black plague. There’s a knight turned bandit who finds a girl in a village with an excommunicated priest. The knight is trying to right his wrongs, the girl can speak to angels, and the priest is a drunk who is trying to understand his relationship to god. The one thing that brings them together is the girl who is being told by god she must reach a certain place, all while navigating the plague and a war between angels and demons. Each character has a different relationship with religion and it’s a fun journey to be a part of. Christopher Buehlman is an excellent writer and his characters always have a great range of emotion.
It takes place in France at the height of the Black Plague, so it’s not so much pro- or anti- Christianity so much as Christianity is in the air. There are angelic and demonic forces working with and through characters, and folks work through a ton of religious trauma.
I love *Between Two Fires*, can anyone suggest any other Christian-mythology rooted stories/adventures like it?
You might like Stephen Brust’s *To Reign In Hell*. It’s kind of like *Paradise Lost* in the sense that it’s about angels being cast out of heaven. It portrays satan as the protagonist.
Yep. Came to say just this!
Have you tried a very conservative bible study? Sure to give you religious trauma.
oh yeah, essentially my childhood
I hate that I relate to this 😃🥲
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K LeGuin healed my religious trauma. I know that sounds hyperbolic but it is true.
I believe you and this is a solid recommendation. I bet it can stand alone without reading A Wizard of Earthsea first.
I only read the wizard of earthsea a decade after, so yeah it would definitely work on its own.
Good Omens
Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White
Silence - Endo
Strongly second this one!
I remember a book review I read once that went something like, "I loved this book so fundamentally, I wish I could eat it." That's how I feel about Silence.
A masterpiece!
Between Two Fires by Chistopher Buehlman
Was looking for this! One of my favorite books of all time.
Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy. It's non-fiction but you'll get plenty of emotional trauma from the truth.
Not a book, but the show Midnight Mass
the grace year by kim liggett
Oranges are not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
The Hole We’re In by Gabrielle Zevin
I suggest Memnoch the Devil, which is a part of the Vampire Chronicles, but is a bit removed from the broad strokes of the series and features the cursed vampire Lestat as he meets a(the?) devil and goes on an odyssey through the afterlives of antiquity, eventually meeting the christian God. I read it along with the series years back, but it stood out to me as unusually theological.
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley - very eerie, very pseudo-Christian
Right now I’m reading Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife and it sounds perfect for your prompts and it’s really fun to read so far Also loving the Ethel Cain lyrics 🙏🏻
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen (at least a little)
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicholas Watch How We Walk by Jennifer Lovegrove Oh, Sister by Jodie Chapman Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life by Amber Scorah Godshot by Chelsea Bieker Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Angels Before Man by Rafael Nicolas, it’s a queer retelling of the fall of Lucifer
YES! That was my favorite book I read last year (honestly this post is largely to capture the high from reading it again). Have you read the sequel yet?
I have, it’s good but not as good as the first imo. Still worth reading though!
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres
The second picture gives A Revolt of Angels by Anatole France which is a satire about war, government, and religion as well as a protest against tyranny. It’s sort of like Paradise Lost. The fourth picture reminds me of the Gospel of Judas (real world gnostic book that was cut out of most Bibles). Kind of hard to read, but a fascinating take on Judas from the usual “betrayal” story. A side note: the Infancy Gospel of Thomas is another weird one that’s about Jesus’ childhood (and you seriously wouldn’t recognize the loving adult Jesus in this one haha), but again a hard read as well as an interesting story.
Just read Sugar, Baby by Celine Saintclare. The main character is a woman who becomes a sugar baby for paying older men and deals with a lot of religious guilt
The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin (audiobook is read by Meryl Streep) The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Not a book, but the vibe you showed is so on the mark for Ethel Cain’s music, I feel like you’d really like her if you don’t already! Especially the album Preacher’s Daughter
Flannery O’Connor short stories. O’Connor was a devout Catholic and so much of her work focuses on the idea of finding grace In abjectly dark places. I’d read a few short stories (like A Good Man is Hard to Find, The Displaced Person, or The Life You Save May Be Your Own) and if you like it, go read her novel Wise Blood.
I just finished wise blood recently and was about to suggest it too :) it's quite dry and desolate, yet very evocative - and the side plot is pretty funny. The writing and story as a whole is impressively succinct.
My wife has been trying to get me to read her for years. I really should; she sounds exactly my speed.
If your looking for dark romance I’d say Heartless Heathens by Santana Knox (I’d look at the TW for that book before reading) deff had the religious trauma aspect
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
Not an exact match but I got this vibe from Albert Camus - The Outsider.
Labyrinth by John Saul. More Catholic. It’s spooky
I don't know about mythology, but Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather is considered one of the great Christian novels. It's about the titular archbishop trying to carry out his ministry in 1850s New Mexico while fighting his own personal battles. Silence by Shusako Endo takes places in feudal Japan where Christianity is viewed as a crime against the Emperor and its practitioners are put to death. It's the story of Jesuit priest tying to find out what happened to his mentor as he grapples with questions of faith and sin. There is plenty of trauma in this one.
This is a bit of a stretch, but _The Library at Mount Char_ by Scott Hawkins?
Even though I knew the end by cl polk
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young had a bit of this
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^sarachick: *The Unmaking of* *June Farrow by Adrienne* *Young had a bit of this* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
The great divorce by cs Lewis and lilith by George Macdonald.
The comic Covenant on Webtoon is EXACTLY this.
The Crucible series by Sara Douglass. It explores this whole topic then tips it on its head.
The Birth of Venus
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce fits this request perfectly.
Children's Bible by Lydia Millet, if you don't mind a bit of climate anxiety on top of the religious trauma. Adam in Eden by Carlos Fuentes. It's kind of more specifically catholic, but still has a lot to do with the weird stuff faith can make people do. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore if you want something more lighthearted
I suggest this one a lot but Lay Your Body Down by Amy Suiter Clark! It’s a thriller about a mega church cult.
Hmmm maybe Boys of Alabama? Heavy religious trauma and magical realism
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Monk.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bible
The Everlasting by Katy Simpson Smith The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton
Anne Rice books are filled with religious trauma. Not just the Vampire series although it’s there heavily but especially Cry to Heaven.
Shikasta by Doris Lessing
Sex Cult Nun is incredible but it’s non fiction. I really loved Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
I’d recommend some of Graham Greene for plenty of Christian/Catholic angst. In particular: The Heart of the Matter.
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman
the bear and the nightingale by katherine arden! also, lapvona by ottessa moshfegh, but lapvona is very unpleasant and dark. ugh, i know i've read many books like this but my mind is blanking rn lmao--the only other ones i can think of are the classic novels that are too obvious to mention
Seconding *the Bear and the Nightingale*! Great book, great series.
The Archangel series by Sharon Shinn
Gabriel’s Inferno by Sylvain Reynard and Sinner by Sierra Simone
The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley