Line #2 LighterAndSofter/Literature


1	* The ''Little Sister'' series, compared to ''Literature/TheBabySittersClub''. ''The Kids In Ms. Colman's Class'' was even lighter and softer than that.
2	* ''Literature/TheCyberDragonsTrilogy'': 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).
3	* The ''Literature/TalesOfDunkAndEgg'' novellas are a series of relatively lighter and softer prequels to the extremely dark ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', but still not exactly "kid-friendly". Still, 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.
4	* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'': Of the three Great Tales of the First Age, ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'' is a Tragedy and ''Literature/TheFallOfGondolin'' has a BittersweetEnding. ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'' is a Romance/Adventure with a -relatively- happy ending.
5	* Most of the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' novels focusing on the Imperial Guard portrays them as actual humans rather than statistics to overwhelm the enemy with. Perhaps taken to extreme with the ''Literature/CiaphasCain'' novels, which are distinctly comedic against the ridiculously DarkerAndEdgier setting.
6	** Likewise, the ''Literature/GauntsGhosts'' novels, while still fairly dark, portrays the Imperium in general working order with a healthy dose of ''optimism'' (a concept often [[CrapsackWorld completely unheard of]] in the 40K universe).
7	** The Earlier versions of codex was essentially one huge Satire, and then the American teenagers bought it into the GRIMDARK and well...it got darker.
8	** There's a notable change in tone between the ''Literature/{{Eisenhorn}}'' books (essentially one huge [[DwindlingParty downward]] [[HeroicRedRingOfDeath spiral]]) and the ''Literature/{{Ravenor}}'' books (which leave open the possibility of what might possibly even be called a BittersweetEnding, [[CrapsackWorld given]] [[WorldHalfEmpty the]] [[CosmicHorrorStory setting]]...).
9	** ''Literature/WarhammerAdventures'' 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.
10	* The spinoff trilogy of the ''Literature/{{Petaybee}}'' books, featuring ActionGirl Yanaba Maddock's children, are far less dark than the originals.
11	* ''Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch'' is a 1991 children's book which depicts the medieval artist Creator/HieronymusBosch as a loony who has an array of surreal creatures as his companions, and not as a person who painted singularly bleak and moralistic visions of Hell.
12	* 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 "Tinker Bell loses her favorite hammer" or "[[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Rosetta and Fawn]] spend the day together."
13	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
14	** ''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.
15	** Literature/YoungJediKnights is another example, being aimed at younger readers.
16	* ''The Deptford Mouselets'' series contains considerably less violence than the books in Creator/RobinJarvis's ''Literature/DeptfordMice'' trilogy from which they spun off. There are still some frightening moments, but little to no gore, and their tone is more lighthearted.
17	* ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles'' spin-off series ''The Dragons of Wayward Crescent'', focusing on the dragons themselves, is written for very young readers.
18	* While not without their grim moments, ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead'' and its sequels are virtually rainbows and puppies compared to ''Literature/EndersGame''.
19	* Oceanology [Part of the "Oology" series that began with Dragonology] is this to ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea''-- Land and Aronnax board the Nautilus willingly as part of an organized and publicly-advertised scientific expedition, Nemo doesn't sink any ships or kill sperm whales, and there's no mention of his family being dead. (Nemo still does turn out to be crazy and does try to stop them from leaving, though.)
20	* ''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 ''Literature/GhostsOfFearStreet'' 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.
21	* The ''Literature/RainbowMagic'' First Reader books are slice of life tales that don't include villains.
22	* Creator/HenrikDrescher's children's book ''Literature/LoveTheBeastie'' is much lighter and softer in tone than its predecessor ''Literature/PattheBeastie'' due to Paul and Judy treating their pet Beastie in a more friendly manner rather than torturing the Beastie like they did in the first book.
23	* ''Literature/TheHungerGames'': The arena for the 50th Hunger Games (the Second Quarter Quell): The Cornucipia sitting in the midst of a sweet-smelling green meadow, and the sky was azure blue, with fluffy, billowing white clouds. There was a snowy mountain and a forest, squirrels and butterflies and flowers and pinky birds. And even food growing. However, it was actually a DeathWorld: carnivorous squirrels, butterflies with stings, killer birds, poisonous flowers, the mountain was a volcano.
24	* 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.]]
25	* ''Literature/TheKharkanasTrilogy'': Structurally. Compared to the RotatingArcs and TwoLinesNoWaiting structure of the ten books long main series, ''Literature/TheMalazanBookOfTheFallen'', the ''Kharkanas Trilogy'' has, as per WordOfGod, a more typical, straighforward trilogy structure.
26	* ''Literature/DarkestPowers'' is the young adult spinoff to ''Literature/TheOtherworld'' series and shares its universe. It is ''slightly'' toned down for a teenage audience. The sexual elements have been removed, as have profanity, but it's still rather violent.
27	* The ''Literature/DoctorWhoNovelisations'' by Creator/TerranceDicks often softened more mean-spirited elements of the plots to fit what Dicks considered to be the show's moral code. An obvious example is in his version of "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E4TheSunmakers The Sunmakers]]", where, after murdering the oppressive government official who is driving them to suicide, the rebels feel like they have done something awful and express shame that it was necessary. In the original story, after they kill him, a huge cheer goes up and the people immediately start partying.
28	* ''Literature/SeekerBears'' is pretty tame by Creator/ErinHunter standards. Sure, characters have {{Family Unfriendly Death}}s, however they're few and far between. This is in strong contrast to ''Literature/WarriorCats'', which features at least three major deaths per book (and often in graphic detail). The violence is also toned down compared to its sister-series'. Characters don't bleed that much despite all their clawing and biting.
29	* In the ''Literature/BlackJewels'' series, the two "Cassidy books" (''The Shadow Queen'' and ''Shalador's Lady'') are like this compared to the original trilogy. The world has already been saved, so there's more narrative focus on healing, rebuilding, and dealing with smaller problems. There is much less on-screen violence and abuse, and main characters' traumatic backstories are less overwhelming than those of the original protagonists: Gray in the Cassidy books was held prisoner and tortured by an evil Queen for a few years as a teenager, whereas Daemon in the original trilogy had been a SexSlave for ''centuries.'' And the cute little talking Shelties get more page time.
30	* ''Literature/ScaryStoriesToTellInTheDark'' has [[{{Bowdlerise}} new illustrations]] by Brett Helquist, which are pretty tame compared to Stephen Gammell's [[NightmareFuel original artwork]] for the trilogy.
31	* ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' is a lighter book set in the same world as ''Literature/AmericanGods''
32	* Though the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' video games are already very light and whimsical, the ''Literature/ItsKirbyTime'' books go further with all the characters, even those who are enemies in the games, being on friendly terms.
33	* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'': The books when compared to the webcomic. And the movies to the books, which gives some hints that Greg's cynical worldview taints his journals and distorts reality, even though Greg himself is obviously a nicer person in the first three movies, as are everyone around him.
34	* ''Literature/TrollMountain'' is MatthewReilly's first book explicitly written for families to read together.
35	* The ''Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy'' is very heavy on the angst. Between homophobia, war, the high expectations put on him as a Herald, and the scheming of Leareth, terrible things just keep happening to Vanyel Ashkevron! He works himself to the bone and feels incredibly isolated in each book. After the trilogy was finished, Vanyel sometimes appeared in ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' short story anthologies. Two followed the same general tone, but Creator/MercedesLackey also wrote a pair of stories in which he and a Healer friend stop by in a small village. They aren't without tension, but they also don't hinge entirely on Vanyel's efforts saving the day - he has a friend, and the villagers like and trust him. Both end unambigiously happily. Given the tragedy of the trilogy, it's nice to think that his life included periods of warmth.

Context LighterAndSofter / Literature