History LighterAndSofter / Literature

* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'': Of the three Great Tales of the First Age, ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'' is a Tragedy and ''Literature/TheFarllOFGondolin'' has a BittersweetEnding. ''Literature/BerenOfLuthien'' is a Romance/Adventure with a -relatively- happy ending.

* The ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' novellas are a series of ''relatively'' lighter and softer prequels to the [[BlackAndGrayMorality extremely dark]] ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', but still not exactly "kid-friendly". Still, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism considering the main series]], it's saying a lot. More importantly it plays as a straighter and more sincere exploration of chivalry rather than the {{Deconstruction}} of the main series. Nevertheless, Martin manages to deconstruct ''even the concept of applying LighterAndSofter'' to a setting as dark as [[CrapsackWorld Westeros]]. [[spoiler: ''Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire'' clarifies that while yes, Aegon V's experiences as "Egg" led him to a greater sense of empathy for the people, it also left him [[WideEyedIdealist an idealist]] in a DecadentCourt [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism far on the scale's cynical end]]. Lacking the necessary experience in {{Realpolitik}} and the willingness to ShootTheDog, his attempts to pass humane reforms for the smallfolk [[CurbStompBattle didn't fly with the High Lords]]. [[GoodIsImpotent Very little good came of his reign]] and [[DyingAlone he spent his last days]] trying to (unsuccessfully) [[SummonBiggerFish resurrect the dragons]].[[note]] For the uninitiated, dragons in Westeros are blatant {{Fantastic Nuke}}s.[[/note]]]]
* Most of the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novels focusing on the Imperial Guard portrays them as actual humans rather than statistics to ZergRush with. Perhaps taken to extreme with the ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novels, which are distinctly comedic against the ridiculously [[DarkerAndEdgier GRIMDARK]] setting.

** And now there's ''Literature/WarhammerAdventures'' which aims to introduce 8-12 year olds into the Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar backgrounds. The emphasis will be on adventure and lessons in courage, friendship and diversity (um..what world is this again?).

* The original fairy tales of Creator/TheBrothersGrimm were quite grim indeed. The versions published and told to children today are much lighter and less gory than the originals. This trope was played with, as the Grimm Brothers simply collected tales already in existence. Some were lightened (Little Red Riding Hood), some were darkened (Cinderella). The Charles Perrault version of Cinderella, which preceded the Grimm version by nearly 100 years, was adapted by Disney.
** Charles Perrault's ''Literature/SleepingBeauty'' (properly titled "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood") was based on the earlier tale ''Literature/SunMoonAndTalia''. ''Sun, Moon, and Talia'' is a dark story infamous for the princess being raped by a king who is cheating on his wife, who tries to eat the resulting children. Perrault's ''Sleeping Beauty'' is much cleaner, with the princess getting a proper PrinceCharming to rescue her from her enchanted slumber, the couple's children being born after they get married, and the evil wife is replaced by an ogre mother-in-law. It's still darker than most modern versions, though.
* ''Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch'' is a 1991 children's book which depicts the medieval artist Creator/HieronymusBosch as a CloudCuckoolander who has an array of surreal creatures as his companions, and not as a person who painted singularly bleak and moralistic visions of Hell.

* [[Literature/TheBible Chronicles]] is a rehashing of Literature/BooksOfKings to highlight Israel's achievements and give hope to the Jewish exiles in Babylon.

* Justified in the transition from Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy to Literature/WaxAndWayne. [[spoiler: The heroes now have [[PhysicalGod Harmony]] on their side, instead of [[GodOfEvil Ruin]] against them. Of ''course'' the world isn't about to end anymore!]]

* ''Literature/DaughterOfTheCyberDragons'': As compared to the ''Literature/AgentG'' series that it serves as a {{Sequel}} to. While the world is a {{Cyberpunk}} {{Dystopia}}, the humor is turned way up with everyone being a smartass prone to quipping in the worst circumstances. The BlackAndGrayMorality is also considerably toned down as the protagonists are criminals but not the VillainProtagonist that G was (even though G is now DemotedToSatelliteLoveInterest).

* ''Literature/DaughterOfTheCyberDragons': As compared to the ''Literature/AgentG'' series that it serves as a {{Sequel}} to. While the world is a {{Cyberpunk}} {{Dystopia}}, the humor is turned way up with everyone being a smartass prone to quipping in the worst circumstances. The BlackAndGrayMorality is also considerably toned down as the protagonists are criminals but not the VillainProtagonist that G was (even though G is now DemotedToSatelliteLoveInterest).

* The ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' novellas are a series of ''relatively'' lighter and softer prequels to the [[BlackAndGrayMorality extremely dark]] ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', but still not exactly "kid-friendly". Still, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism considering the main series]], it's saying a lot. More importantly it plays as a straighter and more sincere exploration of chivalry rather than the {{Deconstruction}} of the main series. Nevertheless, Martin manages to deconstruct ''[[UpToEleven even the concept]] of applying LighterAndSofter'' to a setting as dark as [[CrapsackWorld Westeros]]. [[spoiler: ''Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire'' clarifies that while yes, Aegon V's experiences as "Egg" led him to a greater sense of empathy for the people, it also left him [[WideEyedIdealist an idealist]] in a DecadentCourt [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism far on the scale's cynical end]]. Lacking the necessary experience in {{Realpolitik}} and the willingness to ShootTheDog, his attempts to pass humane reforms for the smallfolk [[CurbStompBattle didn't fly with the High Lords]]. [[GoodIsImpotent Very little good came of his reign]] and [[DyingAlone he spent his last days]] trying to (unsuccessfully) [[SummonBiggerFish resurrect the dragons]].[[note]] For the uninitiated, dragons in Westeros are blatant {{Fantastic Nuke}}s.[[/note]]]]

** And now in 2018, there's going to be Warhammer Adventures which aims to introduce 8-12 year olds into the Warhammer 40K and Age of Sigmar backgrounds. The emphasis will be on adventure and lessons in courage, friendship and diversity (um..what world is this again?).

* The original Gail Carson Levine ''Literature/DisneyFairies'' novels were relatively dark (for children's literature) - involving potentially society-ending threats, the deaths of several unnamed background characters, and scenes like [[spoiler: a fairy cutting her own wings off]]. The spinoff books published by Random House were much more lighthearted and mainly featured stories like "Tinkerbell loses her favorite hammer" or "[[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Rosetta and Fawn]] spend the day together."

* ''Literature/FearStreet'' is a series of horror books intended for teenagers, and often contained violence and death. However, [[Creator/RLStine its author]] became more famous for his kid-friendly ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' books, so a SpinOff called ''Ghosts of Fear Street'' was created. It was also set in the town of Shadyside and centered around the [[EldritchLocation titular Fear Street]], but the protagonists were all pre-teens and their circumstances were generally much tamer than anything that happened in the main series.

* [[Literature/{{Dragons}} The Last Dragon Chronicles]] spin-off series ''The Dragons of Wayward Crescent'', focusing on the dragons themselves, is written for very young readers.

* The ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' novellas are a series of ''relatively'' lighter and softer prequels to the [[BlackAndGrayMorality extremely dark]] ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', but still not exactly "kid-friendly". Still, [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism considering the main series]], it's saying a lot. More importantly it plays as a straighter and more sincere exploration of chivalry rather than the {{Deconstruction}} of the main series. Nevertheless, Martin manages to deconstruct ''[[UpToEleven even the concept]] of applying LighterAndSofter'' to a setting as dark as [[CrapsackWorld Westeros]]. [[spoiler: ''Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire'' clarifies that while yes, Aegon V's experiences as "Egg" led him to a greater sense of empathy for the people, it also left him [[WideEyedIdealist an idealist]] in a DeadlyDecadentCourt [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism far on the scale's cynical end]]. Lacking the necessary experience in {{Realpolitik}} and the willingness to ShootTheDog, his attempts to pass humane reforms for the smallfolk [[CurbStompBattle didn't fly with the High Lords]]. [[GoodIsImpotent Very little good came of his reign]] and [[DyingAlone he spent his last days]] trying to (unsuccessfully) [[SummonBiggerFish resurrect the dragons]].[[note]] For the uninitiated, dragons in Westeros are blatant {{Fantastic Nuke}}s.[[/note]]]]

* ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'' fits this trope. Yes, there's Force psychosis, an EldritchAbomination, and attempts on the Solo family's lives in order to discredit not one but two heads of state, but when you consider ''Literature/LegacyOfTheForce'' had a teenage boy join the GFFA equivalent of the Hitler Youth, consider cannibalism, almost fall to TheDarkSide, lose his mother (which drives his father into a deep depression, contemplating suicide), and be tortured, molested, and forced to watch his mentor figure die, yeah.
** Literature/YoungJediKnights is another good example, being aimed at younger readers.