Terms like “Chick Lit” and “Romance” suggest light reading, though these genres include serious stories as well. Other book categories automatically call up visions of brooding characters, bleak settings, and tragic events: Crime Drama and Horror come to mind.
Many a Science Fiction and Urban Fantasy is dark, indeed, with heart-pounding suspense, dystopian environments, and no positive outcome to give the reader a boost of optimism.
Without naming names, I have found that some cultures promote depressing tales that do not end well. On the other hand, other nations are associated with light-hearted stories and happy endings.
Readers fall into slots as well: those who gravitate to dark tales, those who avoid dystopian stories, and those who read some of each. Personally, I prefer a sense of optimism, but I have been known to enjoy gloomy tales as well.
What is your preference: dark or light?
[Thanks to FreeImages.com/hammad bhatti for the featured image.]
I prefer stories with a hopeful ending, but I sometimes read stories that have a sad ending also. I like stories that have the ability to bring out emotional responses.