Why We Seem "Dark"

Recently, a few of my devoted readers and encouragers have called me "dark" when in discourse concerning my writing.

Dark?
As in atrocious?  Hopeless?  Brooding?  That sort of dark?

Yes, they said, that sort of dark.

Well...uhhh...how is my writing darker than anyone else's?
Honestly, my novels don't include more than the normal bloodshed, emotional turmoil, and cruelties.  In fact, if my story, or anyone's for that matter, didn't include those elements, where would the story be?
It wouldn't.

So, then presents the question: what categorizes a story as "dark"?  And following said question, here are My 3 Most Logical Conclusions as to Why a Story Seems Dark:

1.) The reader.
This manifests itself in a simple way - the reader is too immature and sensitive to take in the content of the story.  Apparently, our generation, us (collectively) teenagers and young adults, decided the Hunger Games was thrilling and obsession-worthy when many of our parents were shocked at the child v.s. child element in the series.  Thus, to our parents, the Hunger Games felt "dark".
Whether it really is or isn't...well, that's a wholly opinionated decision.

2.) The novel.
Ever read those books where you feel like you have to put it down and breathe for a few seconds before going back in?  Yeah, I'm talking about those books with little humor, lots of written anxiety, and general on-going confusion.  *glares at Lemony Snicket*
Yes, a book's "darkness" is really dependent on the reader, but when a boatload of enthusiastic critics  think and review a certain book as "dark", you can expect it to depress you a little.

3.) The seen difference between author and novel.
This is when person A reads a book written by perfectly cheery person B and can't take the novel for what it is without hopping into B's brains, trying to decide exactly how B got the idea of manslaughter and other such crises.
Example:
I have an adult-friend who goes by the online name Em.  She's a darling, honestly.  She's a good Christian, frequently laughs, and makes me laugh even more frequently.  Em's got a lot of time on her hands and writes urban fantasies.
On the other hand, her dad, who has read some of her work, laid out the question as to her inner heart's purity.  Some people just naturally assume that if she's writing about wizards torturing witches via magic in kisses (long story =^.^=), she's got a heart as dark as night and a mind as twisted as a kitchen rag.
Fortunately, that is NOT the case.  An author can come up with a killer story, something ridiculously depressing and sodden in misery, without being a killing person, ridiculously depressed and sodden in misery.

All of you authors already know what I'm talking about.
BUT.
If you have any skeptics, feel free to refer them to this blog post.  And if they *looks at skeptics with a cold, hard stare* have any other questions to ask, put them in a comment box, and I'll write a rebuttal post.  Sound good?  :)

Write on!
Clove