These dark academia short stories are set in the world of higher education and things associated with it, and usually incorporate gothic elements.
Dark Academia Short Stories
“The Influencer” by Robin Kirk
Nicola and Justin are relaxing on college grounds. She takes the opportunity to get a picture and post it. She’s making good money as an influencer. Justin’s from a rich family. They bonded over a loathing of their instructor in their Writing 101 class on Great Books. He disappeared mid-semester.
This story can be read in the preview of AESTHETIC: A Dark Academia Anthology. (16% into preview)
“Requiem for a Homecoming” by David Morrell
Ben, a screenwriter, returns to his alma matter as a guest-of-honor and for some fundraising. He meets up with his old friend Howard, now a professor at the school. Ben brings up the murder that happened in the library during their final year. The main suspect was Wayne McDonald, an assistant professor who died a week later in a car accident. Ben questions Howard about some of the details.
“Requiem for a Homecoming” is the first story in the Amazon preview of The Darkling Halls of Ivy. (25% into preview)
“Dread Medicine” by Andrew Davie
Dr. Kaye has been working for thirty hours straight, but he keeps going. He reviews the notes of his predecessor, Dr. Jacobs, who committed suicide. His notes started out normal, but deteriorated into nonsense. Kaye decides to interview the Specimen again. He leaves his office, walks past the heavily armed guards, and enters the reinforced interrogation room.
This story can be read in the preview of AESTHETIC: A Dark Academia Anthology. (31% into preview)
“The Sisters” by Sabina Murray
A professor remembers a former student, Carson Bakely, a good student and good-looking, but with a mediocre intellect. He wanted to change his line of study from Herman Melville to Emily Dickinson. As a Dickinson scholar himself, the professor had been contacted by a society called The Sisters, who claimed to have some uncatalogued Dickinson papers. The Sisters were looking for an intern to sort through everything, so it seemed a good opportunity for them both.
This story can be read in the preview of xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths. (37% in)
“No Trace” by David Madden
Ernest Foster is inspecting his son’s dorm room before the police and other authorities get a look. It’s dirty, has revolutionary-type items and has a hippie-vibe. He finds his son’s relationship with his roommate puzzling. The odor that assaults him from the closet makes him picture his son at graduation with a grenade in his hand.
“Strawberry Spring” by Stephen King
The narrator sees the name Springheel Jack in the newspaper. It reminds him of his time eight years ago at New Sharon Teachers’ College when a female student was found murdered in a campus parking lot.
I’ll keep adding dark academia short stories as I find more.