# Different Kinds of Darkness

By David Langford

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/different-kinds-of-darkness-36753752/

Scientific mishaps, fantasy and occult danger share this collection with the linked BLIT stories, in which certain images can kill anyone who sees them. The title story follows schoolchildren who turn one dangerous picture into a secret test of endurance.

## What makes it funny?

When the children discuss implanted computers, Jonathan pictures an exam rule requiring pupils to leave their heads outside. A practical objection to cheating becomes an impossible school routine.

### The comedy at work

Langford finds jokes in technical ideas and the habits of speculative fiction. The wit persists through serious stories, where a precise observation or a logical extension can be funny and unsettling at once.

### Try this if…

Short-fiction readers who enjoy scientific puzzles have a clear way into the collection. The stories move between genres, with frightening ideas accompanied by an interest in how people reason about them.

### Good to know

These are Langford's non-parody stories. The original collection has 36; the expanded 2015 ebook has 42, so the contents vary by edition.

## What to expect

- Genre: Fantasy · Horror · Science fiction
- On the shelf: Cosmic horror
- Kind of humor: Dry wit
- Format: Short story collection
- Length: 288 pages
- Published: 2004

## A few distinguishing details

- Dangerous images become a schoolyard endurance test
- Technical conceits provide jokes as well as threats

## Sources & further reading

- Author commentary: [David Langford's official book page lists Different Kinds of Darkness in B-format paperback, ISBN 9781592241224, 288 pages, and hardback ISBN 9781592241217, 288 pages.](https://ansible.uk/books/dkod.html)
- Review: [Publishers Weekly review](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781592241224)
- Publisher: [Publisher ebook page](https://ae.ansible.uk/?t=dkod)
- Author commentary: [Author contents and edition history](https://ansible.uk/books/dkod.html)
- Reading sample: [Title story at Lightspeed](https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/different-kinds-of-darkness)