What is the secret of secret societies? That is the question I pondered while writing The Society, a suspenseful, twisty tale of two women whose lives become intertwined with a notorious secret society in the heart of Boston, after one of them vanishes without a trace.
Why do secret societies exist? What are their rituals, their beliefs? How have some survived the test of time? I knew that if I wanted to create a secret society and lend it authenticity, I needed to world build. To do so, I read various books about secret societies and dark academia, both fiction and nonfiction.
I began to understand the power of historical elements and influence of long-held beliefs that shape secret societies. I also came across a fair share of occult practices embedded in such establishments.
For The Society, when I discovered a dark fact about Boston’s history—how many nineteenth-century wealthy families amassed their fortune through the opium trade—the creative pieces started to fall into place.
I envisioned that my fictional Knox secret society had historically served as a way for these Brahmin families to socialize and strategize about their international business dealings. And given the presence of the esoteric and occult that exists in many societies, I also decided to have my Knox members engage in the ancient divination practice of geomancy to guide their decision-making.
My novel takes place in the present-day, and like those real secret societies which continue to exist, historical and ritualistic elements are deeply woven into the fabric, informing current practices. Or so it’s rumored….
Here’s an inexhaustive list of fascinating books about secret societies you should check out.
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Karen Winn, The Society
Of course, I have to include my own novel! This twisty, suspenseful read follows two women whose lives become darkly intertwined with a secret society in the heart of Boston. One is a glamorous antiques dealer chasing a rumored family fortune who then vanishes without a trace; the other, a young nurse who follows a thin trail into the society itself.
Both women will soon discover that more so than money or status, secrets are the society’s true currency.
Kamilah Cole, An Arcane Inheritance
An engrossing dark academia fantasy set at the fictional Ivy League Warren University, where Jamaican-born scholarship student Ellory Morgan is plagued by an unsettling sense of déjà vu. She soon discovers that beneath Warren University’s stately façade lie secret societies and a sinister past.
As the school year progresses, she grows increasingly unsure of who or what she can trust—and must rely on academic rival and love interest Hudson Graces to help unravel the truth.
Michelle Maryk, The Found Object Society
This riveting speculative suspense centers on twenty-something Greta Davenport who, haunted by her parent’s untimely deaths, joins a mysterious secret society that lets her relive people’s final moments just by touching their personal objects. It turns out that death is kind of addictive, and Greta finds herself losing herself to these consuming “voyages”—and her relationship with a fellow member.
The more involved she becomes, the more her reality starts to slip—and her own past doesn’t seem to want to stay buried….
Leigh Bardugo, Ninth House
This page-turning dark fantasy follows Alex Stern, an unlikely Yale freshman with a troubled past who has been offered a chance to start anew, on the condition she joins the Lethe House: a secret society responsible for overseeing the Ivy’s other eight magical secret societies.
With an ability to see ghosts, Alex soon becomes entrenched in the shadowy fringes of campus, where occult magic and rituals are practiced, and people go missing—or die.
Donna Tartt, The Secret History
All secret society lists must include this dark academia classic. When Richard Papen arrives at a small liberal arts college in Vermont, he joins an exclusive student group whose devotion to ancient Greece extends beyond the classroom.
Their pursuit of transcendence culminates in murder, and as the group tries to cover it up, they begin to unravel with devastating consequences.
Lauren Ling Brown, Society of Lies
Maya Mason returns to Princeton for her ten-year class reunion and younger sister Naomi’s graduation, only to discover that Naomi has died under mysterious circumstances. As Maya grapples with her complicated past at the school, she revisits her involvement with Sterling, a prestigious eating club with an inner secret society. It turns out that the dark legacy Maya once escaped may be tied to her sister’s death.
Told from both sisters’ POV, this is a page-turning thriller.
Katy Hays, The Cloisters
This dark academia gothic novel follows Ann Stilwell, a recent graduate grieving her father’s death, as she begins a summer internship at The Cloisters. She is soon drawn into an obsessive academic pursuit by a small group of researchers that focus on tarot cards as tools of divination, raising questions of fate and free will. But Ann gets pulled into more than just the research, and the summer unfolds with tragedy.
This one I reread because I enjoyed it so much!
Jonathan Black, The Secret History of the World
A nonfiction book that presents an alternative account of human history based on the beliefs and writings of secret societies. What if altered states of consciousness allowed access to hidden truths? An utterly fascinating read.
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