Books with the “Forbidden Knowledge” trope

A character pursues secret or forbidden knowledge despite danger and the rules of society.

Search with filters

32 books5% of the catalog

Plot twists · Forbidden Knowledge

Books with this trope

Cover of “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley

1818

Cover of “The Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss

The Name of the Wind

Patrick Rothfuss

2007

Cover of “The Way of Kings” by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings

Brandon Sanderson

2010

Cover of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” by George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four

George Orwell

1949

Cover of “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451

Ray Bradbury

1953

Cover of “The Darkness That Comes Before” by R. Scott Bakker

The Darkness That Comes Before

R. Scott Bakker

2003

Cover of “Storm Front” by Jim Butcher

Storm Front

Jim Butcher

2000

Cover of “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches

Deborah Harkness

2011

Cover of “The Atlas Six” by Olivie Blake

The Atlas Six

Olivie Blake

2020

Cover of “Speaker for the Dead” by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead

Orson Scott Card

1986

Cover of “A Fire Upon the Deep” by Vernor Vinge

A Fire Upon the Deep

Vernor Vinge

1992

Cover of “Kaikeyi” by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi

Vaishnavi Patel

2022

Cover of “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley

1932

Cover of “Anthem” by Ayn Rand

Anthem

Ayn Rand

1938

Cover of “The Giver” by Lois Lowry

The Giver

Lois Lowry

1993

Cover of “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad

1899

Cover of “Faust” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Faust

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

1808

Cover of “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco

The Name of the Rose

Umberto Eco

1980

Cover of “Darkfever” by Karen Marie Moning

Darkfever

Karen Marie Moning

2006

Cover of “The Library at Mount Char” by Scott Hawkins

The Library at Mount Char

Scott Hawkins

2015

Cover of “Ghost Stories of an Antiquary” by M. R. James

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

M. R. James

1904

Cover of “The King in Yellow” by Robert W. Chambers

The King in Yellow

Robert W. Chambers

1895

Cover of “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski

House of Leaves

Mark Z. Danielewski

2000

Cover of “A Memory Called Empire” by Arkady Martine

A Memory Called Empire

Arkady Martine

2019

Cover of “Six Crimson Cranes” by Elizabeth Lim

Six Crimson Cranes

Elizabeth Lim

2021

Cover of “The Island of Doctor Moreau” by H. G. Wells

The Island of Doctor Moreau

H. G. Wells

1896

Cover of “Foundryside” by Robert Jackson Bennett

Foundryside

Robert Jackson Bennett

2018

Cover of “The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories” by H. P. Lovecraft

The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories

H. P. Lovecraft

1999

Cover of “The Fisherman” by John Langan

The Fisherman

John Langan

2016

Cover of “The Ballad of Black Tom” by Victor LaValle

The Ballad of Black Tom

Victor LaValle

2016

Cover of “Annihilation” by Jeff VanderMeer

Annihilation

Jeff VanderMeer

2014

Cover of “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter M. Miller Jr.

A Canticle for Leibowitz

Walter M. Miller Jr.

1959

Often found together with

Combinations that already exist in the catalog. Click to search for both.

Creeping Dread10 Morally Grey Character8 Philosophical8 Unreliable Narrator5

Faustian Bargain

A character trades something precious, often their soul, in exchange for youth, talent, or power.

Revenge

A wronged character spends the story hunting down the people who hurt them.

Locked Room Mystery

A crime happens in a room that is apparently sealed from the inside, with no way in or out.

Dual Identity

A respectable person hides a second, darker self or lives two opposite lives.