Can you recommend the best dark somnium stories for a horror story lover?

For horror fans, 'It' by Stephen King is a must - read. The shape - shifting entity that preys on children in the town of Derry every few decades is terrifying. There are so many disturbing scenes like the sewer scenes. Also, 'The Exorcist' is a well - known dark somnium story. The possession of a young girl and the attempts to exorcise the demon are extremely frightening.

One great 'dark somnium story' could be 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. It's a disturbing tale about a woman's descent into madness while confined in a room. The dark and oppressive atmosphere, along with the psychological breakdown of the protagonist, makes it a classic in the realm of dark stories. Another could be Poe's 'The Tell - Tale Heart', with its exploration of guilt and madness, and the narrator's dark obsession.

Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado' is among the best. It's a tale of revenge where the narrator lures his so - called friend into the catacombs under the pretext of tasting a rare wine. He then walls his friend up alive, which is a very dark and disturbing plot. 'The Masque of the Red Death' is also a great one. It shows how death is inescapable even for the wealthy and privileged as they try to hide from the plague in their abbey, but death still finds them in the form of a mysterious figure.

One theme could be fear. The stories might explore different kinds of fears that people have, like the fear of the unknown or the fear of losing one's sanity.

One of the interesting stories might be about a character's journey through a mysterious and dark realm. They face various challenges and encounter strange creatures.

In the movie 'The Matrix', the deja vu that Neo experiences could be considered a form of glitch. It has a bit of a 'dark somnium' feel as it's an unexpected and slightly unsettling break in the normal flow of his perceived reality, and it ultimately leads him down the path of uncovering the truth about the matrix.

As I don't have a list of 'somnium novel' on hand, you can start by exploring works of authors who are known for their exploration of the mind and dreams. Some of Haruki Murakami's novels, like 'Kafka on the Shore', often have elements that seem dream - like. The strange and sometimes illogical events in his stories might be similar to what a 'somnium novel' could be. Another way is to search in bookstores or libraries under categories like 'dream - themed novels' or 'psychological fiction' and see if you can find something that fits the concept of a 'somnium novel'.

Sure. 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is a great one. It tells the story of a woman who is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper for her 'nervous condition'. As she spends more time there, she starts to see strange things in the wallpaper, and her mental state deteriorates. It's a very psychological and dark story.

The 'dark somnium glitch' could also be seen as a metaphor for the psychological disruptions that occur when one starts to question the fabric of the perceived reality, much like in the matrix stories. In the matrix, when characters become aware of the glitches, it shatters their sense of what is real, and the 'dark somnium' aspect might add an element of fear or unease to this realization. For example, Neo's initial experiences of the glitches in the matrix were disorienting and led him into a world full of danger and mystery.

One of the well - known 'dark lover novel story' type is 'Twilight' series. It involves a complex relationship between a human girl and a vampire, with elements of danger and the allure of the unknown in their love. There are also other novels like 'The Vampire Diaries' which has a similar dark and romantic theme.