Grimdark
Grimdark is an adjective derived from the tagline for Warhammer 40k, which states that "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war." It is generally used to describe a setting which it would really, REALLY suck to actually live in, exemplified by Warhammer 40k itself. It can also be used to describe artwork that has a grimdark feel, even if the setting itself would not normally be considered grim and dark.
Common grimdark themes include:
- Cybernetics and cyborgs
- Mutants, especially the persecution thereof
- Neverending warfare
- Short life expectancies
- Spanish Inquisition clones
- There are no good guys, and everyone's a jerk, especially you
- Horrifyingly large death tolls are the norm for everything
- Big Brother is watching you