how do you handle the darker aspects of a grim-dark setting without being too edgy?

Grin. Some books you can check out for free, it might be one of those? Not sure. (Kindle Unlimited and that).

I'd say Tad William's Osten Ard series borders on grimdark but doesn't wallow in it.

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Just about. IMHO, Tad Williams < Grimlite < GRRM. Rather enjoying the new serious, if hella ponderous.

Kjbartolotta said:

I'm curious if anyone out there has any 'grimlite' suggestions they care to mention. Gritty and realistic but not mired in excessive violence and pessimism. I'd cite Sebastian de Castell's Greatcoats series as an example, maybe the Locke Lamora series, and anything on the sunnier side of the street from Joe Abercromibie. But, since it's a slippery definition, use you own judgement.

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The Scott Lynch novels, maybe? The Lies of Locke Lamora, et al. Adventurous hi-jinks of a gang of thieves who operate in a world with some decidedly dark and cruel elements.

Kjbartolotta said:

I'm curious if anyone out there has any 'grimlite' suggestions they care to mention. Gritty and realistic but not mired in excessive violence and pessimism. I'd cite Sebastian de Castell's Greatcoats series as an example, maybe the Locke Lamora series, and anything on the sunnier side of the street from Joe Abercromibie. But, since it's a slippery definition, use you own judgement.

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Hmm, there's Brent Weeks. Also Robin Hobb. She doesn't get mired in gore, but there's plenty of darker moments in her novels. Maybe Django Wexler's fantasy books?

There's some darkness in Jacqueline Carey's novels too, though overall I'd say they're more optimistic about human nature than Grimdark books are.

Kjbartolotta said:

I'm curious if anyone out there has any 'grimlite' suggestions they care to mention. Gritty and realistic but not mired in excessive violence and pessimism. I'd cite Sebastian de Castell's Greatcoats series as an example, maybe the Locke Lamora series, and anything on the sunnier side of the street from Joe Abercromibie. But, since it's a slippery definition, use you own judgement.

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I'd recommend my own novel, if only I could get the frakkin' thing published!

I would tentatively (three books in) say that David Farland's Runelords series hits the mark on the Grimlight concept. The social structure built around how to create a Runelord is pretty messed up without resorting to unnecessary gore.

I use humor. As one of my characters says "It's better to laugh then to cry."

I would go about this by sharing the perspective of select individual's in the "billions of people" bundle. For instance, show the day to day life, or a lovely moment, or a joke, lifestyle, something meaningful of a family or character within a city. Give them a few pages, let us get attached to them.

Switch perspectives, go it again with another group, and another, and another.

Then at the end of it all, that city gets destroyed.

Now we aren't just dealing with X amount of people are killed in the hellfire of a destroyed city. We are now dealing with Sid the bartender trying to escape the smoke and flames, Lucy losing her daughter as she is trampled in the streets , her cries for help echoing, Michael getting locked in his house by a spiteful wife while she escapes.

We feel the emotion at the loss of a few now that they have a face.