‘dark academia’ has lost all meaning

I would say Babel by R.F. Kuang being the biggest new dark academia book and also one of my favorite newest additions that also very specifically criticizes academia and its roots in colonialism instead of just being a book set in a boarding school where a murder takes place and thus being called dark academia.

The Secret History is a thriller with a satirical note. It critiques classism, elitism, and the pretentiousness of these young classic students that are kind of obsessed with their own superiority.