After
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Edwin A. Abbott2018
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
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Letters from the Earth
Mark Twain1962
Satan writes letters to fellow archangels describing the absurdities of human religious beliefs and the contradictions of their creator.
satirical → sardonic, still philosophical fiction
pace0·prose0·bleak0

- pace0prose0bleak0
The Corrections
Jonathan Franzen2001
The adult children of a Midwestern couple return home for a final Christmas. The narrative follows their individual failures and resentments.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
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- pace0prose0bleak0
When I'm Gone, Look for Me in the East
Quan Barry2022
Two twin monks travel across Mongolia to identify the reincarnation of a high lama. One brother can hear the other's thoughts.
satirical → meditative, still philosophical fiction
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- pace0prose0bleak0
Figures of Earth
James Branch Cabell1921
A swineherd in medieval France uses manipulation and the expectations of others to rise to the rank of Count.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
pace0·prose0·bleak0

1 more ↓ ↑
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The Murdstone trilogy
Mal Peet2014
A failing novelist makes a deal with a supernatural creature to write a bestselling fantasy epic he doesn't believe in.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
pace0·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
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Ficciones
Jorge Luis Borges1945
A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.
satirical → meditative, still philosophical fiction
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- pace0prose+1bleak-1
At Swim-Two-Birds
Flann O'Brien1939
A student writes a story about a man whose own characters rebel and plot against him. It incorporates Irish myth and multiple layers of fiction.
satirical → playful, still satire
pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
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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.
satirical → dreamlike
pace0·prose+1·bleak0

- pace0prose+1bleak+1
The Claw of the Conciliator
Gene Wolfe1981
An exiled torturer travels with a gem that can heal the dead. The narrative uses archaic vocabulary and an unreliable perspective.
satirical → dreamlike
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

- pace-1prose+1bleak0
Love & Sleep
John Crowley1994
Pierce Moffett researches the history of magic while living in a small town. The narrative shifts between his life and the Renaissance.
satirical → meditative
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

To recover
satirical → playful, still satire
- pace+1prose-2bleak-1
Rich People Problems
Kevin Kwan2017
An extended family gathers in Singapore as their matriarch lies dying. They scheme against one another to inherit a massive estate.
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

- pace+1prose-2bleak-1
Redshirts
John Scalzi2012
Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-2bleak-1
Year zero
Reid, Robert2012
Aliens discover that Earth's music is the best in the galaxy and they owe humanity trillions in copyright fines.
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1
- pace+2prose-2bleak-1
Artemis
Andy Weir2017
A porter and smuggler on a lunar colony takes a high-stakes sabotage job to pay off a debt. She uses technical knowledge to solve problems.
satirical → propulsive
pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

- pace+1prose-2bleak-1
An Offer From a Gentleman
Julia Quinn2001
The illegitimate daughter of an earl works as a servant for her stepmother. She sneaks into a masquerade ball and meets Benedict Bridgerton.
satirical → playful
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Faster
- pace+2prose-1bleak0
Candide
Voltaire
A naive young man travels the world while his tutor insists that everything is for the best. He encounters a series of global catastrophes.
satirical → sardonic, still philosophical fiction
pace+2·prose-1·bleak0

- pace+2prose-2bleak0
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.
satirical → sardonic
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-2bleak-1
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.
satirical → playful
pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

- pace+2prose-2bleak0
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.
satirical → propulsive
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

- pace+2prose-2bleak0
The Atlantis Gene
A.G. Riddle2013
A geneticist and a counter-terrorism agent uncover a global conspiracy involving human evolution and an ancient Antarctic discovery.
satirical → propulsive
pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

Slower
- pace-1prose0bleak+1
The Book of Merlyn
T. H. White1977
An aged King Arthur meets with Merlyn and a council of animals in a badger's sett to debate the nature of humanity and war.
satirical → elegiac, still philosophical fiction
pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

- pace-1prose+1bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
satirical → meditative, still philosophical fiction
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+1bleak0
Love & Sleep
John Crowley1994
Pierce Moffett researches the history of magic while living in a small town. The narrative shifts between his life and the Renaissance.
satirical → meditative
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

- pace-1prose+1bleak+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.
satirical → elegiac
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

- pace-1prose+1bleak0
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.
satirical → dreamlike
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier
- pace+1prose-1bleak+2
A Short Stay in Hell
Steven L. Peck2009
A man wakes up in a version of hell that is an infinite library. He must find the one book containing his life story among billions of volumes.
satirical → meditative, still philosophical fiction
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

- pace+1prose0bleak+2
Doctor Rat
William Kotzwinkle1976
A laboratory rat loyal to his human captors defends the practice of vivisection while animals worldwide begin a bloody revolt.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak+2
The Vengeance of Rome
Michael Moorcock2006
Pyat, an unreliable narrator and Nazi sympathizer, travels through the 1930s. He observes the rise of fascism while remaining self-deluded.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

- pace+1prose0bleak+2
The Sub: A Study in Witchcraft
Thomas M. Disch1999
A substitute teacher discovers she has the power of witchcraft. She uses her abilities to manipulate her small town as her sanity deteriorates.
satirical → sardonic, still satire
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2
- pace+1prose0bleak+2
The Fifth Season
N. K. Jemisin2015
A mother searches for her daughter across a continent undergoing a tectonic apocalypse. Some chapters address the reader in the second person.
satirical → bleak
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2
