LitQueuelitqueue

After

Infected

Scott Sigler2008

5 of 6 directions open — nothing faster

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The Rats

    James Herbert1974

    Giant, man-eating rats overrun London, attacking citizens in homes and subways. The story follows the escalating biological disaster.

    Same propulsive register

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

propulsive → dreamlike

3 more ↓

  • Ghost Stories

    Henry James2001

    A collection of Victorian tales where the existence of ghosts is often left to the reader's interpretation.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Wieland and Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist

    Charles Brockden Brown2009

    A religious man hears mysterious voices that drive him toward violence and madness. It is an early American gothic told through letters.

    propulsive → tense

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • The Fall of the House of Usher

    Edgar Allan Poe

    A narrator visits a childhood friend in a decaying mansion. The house and the family's health decline simultaneously toward a collapse.

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Smokin' Seventeen

    Janet Evanovich2011

    A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.

    propulsive → playful

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Comfort Book

    Matt Haig2021

    A collection of short reflections, lists, and anecdotes intended to provide mental support. It is a non-linear book of philosophy and memoir.

    propulsive → warm

    pace-2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Odessa Sea

    Clive Cussler2016

    Dirk Pitt investigates a ghost ship in the Black Sea and discovers a conspiracy involving a lost Romanov secret. It is a high-speed adventure.

    Same propulsive register

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    propulsive → playful

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

    The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

    propulsive → elegiac

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Geek Love

    Katherine Dunn1989

    Carnival owners breed their own children into 'human oddities' using chemicals. The story follows the siblings' rivalries and a cult of followers.

    propulsive → sardonic, still body horror

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Black Hole

    Charles Burns2005

    A graphic novel following Seattle teenagers in the 1970s as a sexually transmitted disease causes physical mutations. It focuses on social isolation.

    propulsive → bleak, still body horror

    pace-2·prose-1·bleak+1

  • Thinner

    Richard Bachman

    An overweight lawyer is cursed by a Romani man after a fatal car accident. He loses weight rapidly and uncontrollably as his body wastes away.

    propulsive → tense, still body horror

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1