Our Lady of Darkness
#6293.59 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 1977 Reading commitment Low Fritz Leiber Last reviewed 2026-08-18
Overview
A recently widowed writer in San Francisco, recovering from grief and drink, discovers an occult system tying the city's own skyline and history to a malevolent presence that has already claimed one life close to him. A standalone urban horror-fantasy novel. Fritz Leiber's 2nd, unrelated universe in this canon, alongside Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
Dark fantasy, Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Our Lady of Darkness Fritz Leiber
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Our Lady of Darkness | 1977 | 1 | core | 3.59 (2,472 ratings) |
Standalone novel; an urban horror-fantasy in which a widowed writer in San Francisco uncovers a occult system of 'megapolisomancy' tied to the city's own geography and history. Fritz Leiber's 2nd, unrelated universe in this canon, alongside Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Our Lady of Darkness? Our Lady of Darkness's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Our Lady of Darkness finished? Complete (1977).
- How much reading does Our Lady of Darkness take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~183 pages).
- How is Our Lady of Darkness ranked? #629 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 2,472 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #629?
Ranked #629 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.59 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (2,472 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #628, All the Birds in the Sky (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 2k ratings · Ranks #629 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- World Fantasy Award (Best Novel), 1978: won: Our Lady of Darkness
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- Wizard of the Pigeons Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.72
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- The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World Urban fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.66
- The Saint of Bright Doors Dark fantasy / New Weird · Complete · Low commitment · 3.64
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.59 across 2,472 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Our Lady of Darkness admitted accepted 2026-08-18
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-18
Rule: Core = the single standalone novel; unrelated to the author's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series.