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After

American Elsewhere

Robert Jackson Bennett2013

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same tense register, still urban fantasy

1 more ↓

  • Poltergeist

    Kat Richardson2006

    A PI who can see the paranormal investigates a university's attempt to create a poltergeist. The experiment succeeds and leads to a murder.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

tense → meditative

3 more ↓

  • Ink

    Hal Duncan2007

    Gods and mortals clash in a shifting city where reality is written on skin. The story follows a cycle of mythic archetypes across time.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Boneland

    Alan Garner2012

    An adult Colin searches for his lost sister while an ancient shaman performs rituals in the same landscape. The two timelines mirror one another.

    tense → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • In the Night Garden

    Catherynne M. Valente2006

    A girl with tattooed eyelids tells a prince interlocking stories of monsters and folklore. The narrative is a series of nested myths.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Dragons Wild

    Robert Asprin2008

    A con artist discovers he is a dragon and moves to New Orleans to use his skills in the criminal underworld.

    tense → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Manning Brides

    Debbie Macomber2008

    Two brothers navigate unconventional paths to marriage. One enters a marriage of convenience for a child, while the other finds love after loss.

    tense → warm

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Takeover

    T.L. Swan

    A billionaire attempts to acquire a widow's family company but ends up moving into her home. It follows their power struggle and her three sons.

    tense → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

tense → propulsive, still urban fantasy

3 more ↓

  • Dungeon Crawler Carl

    Matt Dinniman2020

    Earth is converted into an 18-level televised death game. A man and a cat must navigate traps and monsters to survive.

    tense → sardonic

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • The Stainless Steel Rat

    Harry Harrison1961

    A futuristic con man is caught by the Special Corps and forced to use his criminal skills to catch other lawbreakers.

    tense → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Mind's Eye

    Douglas E. Richards2014

    A man discovers he has the ability to access the internet and process data directly with his mind. He is hunted by a secret organization.

    tense → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Habitation of the Blessed

    Catherynne M. Valente2010

    A priest finds the lost kingdom of Prester John. The story is told through three nested layers of journals, myths, and historical accounts.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Among Others

    Jo Walton2011

    A teenage girl at a 1970s boarding school copes with her twin's death through books and subtle magic. It is written as a series of diary entries.

    tense → tender

    pace-2·prose0·bleak0

  • Tehanu

    Ursula K. Le Guin1990

    A widow cares for an aging mage who has lost his magic. The story focuses on domestic life and the aftermath of past adventures.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

tense → bleak, still cosmic horror

3 more ↓

  • A Dirty Job

    Christopher Moore2006

    A beta-male widower is forced to become a Soul Merchant. He collects glowing objects from the dying while avoiding ancient monsters.

    tense → dark, still urban fantasy

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • The Red Tree

    Caitlín R. Kiernan2009

    A writer moves to a rural house and finds a manuscript about a local tree. Her journal records her increasing obsession and mental decline.

    tense → dreamlike, still cosmic horror

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • The Doll Who Ate His Mother

    Ramsey Campbell1976

    After a car crash, a woman discovers her brother's arm has been stolen. She joins three strangers to track a person with a history of cannibalism.

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2