Young women are celebrating their love of books together in online communities. Romantic popular fiction is especially in demand. Among the most popular—and at the same time most controversial—genres is Dark Romance, which features intense depictions of sex and violence. Critics accuse these books of glorifying toxic relationships and non-consensual sex, and some are calling for an age restriction of 18 and over.
Prof. Dr. Nicola Döring from the Media Psychology and Media Design Group at TU Ilmenau has analyzed this simultaneously controversial and popular genre. Her analysis reveals that alarmist discourses surrounding these dark love stories are based on implausible assumptions about the texts and their readers, and are rooted in a long-standing tradition of devaluing and morally condemning women’s reading interests. Two publications and one interview on the topic are available.
Interview
Bielang, A.-K. (2025). Interview mit Prof. Dr. Nicola Döring – Dark Romance: Schulen müssen Medien- und Sexualkompetenz fördern [Interview with Prof. Dr. Nicola Döring – Dark Romance: Schools Must Promote Media and Sexual Literacy]. Campus Schulmanagement, 4.7.2025, Universität Tübingen. https://www.campus-schulmanagement.de/magazin/dark-romance-schulen-muessen-medien-und-sexualkompetenz-foerdern-nicola-doering
Commentary
Döring, N. (2025). Groschenromane mit Porno-Inhalten? Warum Dark Romance fasziniert und polarisiert [Pulp Novels with Pornographic Content? Why Dark Romance Fascinates and Polarizes]. mediendiskurs 29(1), 64-72. https://mediendiskurs.online/beitrag/groschenromane-mit-porno-inhalten-beitrag-1193/
Scholarly article with comprehensive reference list
Döring, N. (2025). Dark-Romance-Bücher zwischen Leselust und Moralpanik: Eine Orientierungshilfe für die pädagogische Praxis [Dark Romance Books Between Reading Pleasure and Moral Panic: A Guide for Educational Practice].merz | medien + erziehung, 69(3), I-XXII. https://doi.org/10.21240/merz/2025.03.29