Lately it feels like every time we click on a news outlet, another pillar of the future collapses like a badly kerned headline. The 21st century was supposed to be chrome, glass, and polite geometric sans serifs telling us that everything is fine. Instead, the vibe now is more like everything is definitely not fine, please pass the serif.
Which brings us to Dickens, a font family that feels less like it was designed and more like it clocked in for a shift. The current mood demands letterforms with a backbone and Dickens has that energy. Not futuristic optimism. Not tech-bro minimalism. More like rolled-up sleeves, ready to get to work energy.
Released by Finnish type foundry Fenotype, and designed by Emil Karl Bertell, Erik Jarl Bertell, and Teo Tuominen‘, Dickens is a serif typeface with quirks, unevenness, and a relatable personality. It works equally well for a natural cosmetics brand, an AI start-up, or a microbrewery in Portland that only serves beer with names like Fermented Anxiety, Late Stage Lager, and Austerity Amber.
The type family comes in two widths. The wider one for when the budget is healthy, the narrower one for when funding gets cut and everyone pretends it’s a strategic decision. Survival typography.
Weights run from thin to very thick, so you can choose your level of existential dread accordingly. Light if you’re feeling optimistic, bold if you’ve read the comments section, extra bold if you’ve gone down a social media rabbit hole. Everything has italics too, because even in hard times we deserve a little drama.
And there are no unnecessary features. No decorative excess, no indulgent alternates, no typographic luxury upgrades. Instead, it offers exactly what’s needed—clarity, range, and a quiet confidence. This may not be a golden age, but it’s a moment that calls for intention. Dickens meets it directly: a steady, capable typeface for the present, with enough character to suggest that better things are still possible.
Images courtesy of Emil Bertell @fenotypefonts