by Jo Walton
First published 2017
Strange darkness falls over a quiet suburban neighborhood, sealing residents inside their houses. The blackness defies explanation and blocks all escape routes. What started as an ordinary day becomes a fight for survival as the unnatural gloom refuses to lift. Neighbors who barely spoke before must now decide whether to face this crisis alone or work together. Old grudges and hidden resentments bubble to the surface under the pressure. Some residents retreat deeper into their homes, choosing the safety of solitude. Others venture out to connect with their trapped neighbors, risking whatever lurks in the impenetrable darkness. The community fractures along these lines as the mysterious threat persists. Each choice carries consequences that will determine who survives and who doesn't. The darkness tests more than their ability to endure. It reveals what people become when stripped of normal life and forced to confront both an inexplicable menace and each other.
Genres: suspense, mystery, horror, contemporary, dark-fantasy, apocalyptic
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, survival
19 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor Books
Content warnings: anxiety, death, depression, graphic-violence, mental-illness