Outer Dark is told in a spare style, with much emphasis on dialogue to carry the action. The story is episodic but, as one critic has noted, many of the episodes center on acts of judgment as is appropriate for this tale of guilt and punishment. There are numerous biblical echoes beyond the title itself, the most significant of them coming from the gospels of Christ, and the book reads almost as an extended parable. Despite the bleakness of most of the story, Outer Dark is not without hope, but it refuses to offer easy salvation and suggests that grace can be a frightful gift.