After
Iron Council
China Miéville2004
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing denser
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Silmarillion
J. R. R. Tolkien1977
A history of the First Age of Middle-earth, from the creation of the world to the fall of the Elven kingdoms. It is written as a mythic chronicle.
Same elegiac register
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose-1bleak0
The Obelisk Gate
N. K. Jemisin2016
A mother with earth-moving powers searches for her daughter during a geological apocalypse. She learns to use a global network of stone obelisks.
Same elegiac register, still fantasy
pace0·prose-1·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
Shadowmarch
Tad Williams2004
A royal family defends their kingdom against an encroaching supernatural mist and an ancient race of displaced gods.
Same elegiac register
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Winged Histories
Sofia Samatar2016
Four women—a soldier, a scholar, a socialite, and a singer—navigate a civil war. The story is told through their distinct, lyrical perspectives.
Same elegiac register
pace0·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
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The Secret Commonwealth
Philip Pullman2019
A twenty-year-old Lyra travels across Europe and Asia while estranged from her daemon. The story explores the philosophical nature of Dust.
Same elegiac register, still fantasy
pace0·prose-1·bleak0
To recover
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → playful
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
King of Pride
Ana Huang2023
A buttoned-up billionaire heir falls for an impulsive bartender while trying to secure a CEO position. They navigate a forbidden workplace romance.
elegiac → playful
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace0prose-3bleak-2
The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries
Emily Brightwell1993
A Victorian housekeeper and her staff secretly solve crimes for their employer, a clueless Scotland Yard inspector.
elegiac → playful
pace0·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
Royally Screwed
Emma Chase2016
A crown prince visiting Manhattan pursues a bakery worker who threw a pie at him. The story follows their class-clash courtship.
elegiac → playful
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
Faster
- pace+2prose-3bleak-1
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.
elegiac → sardonic
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-1
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-3bleak-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.
elegiac → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-1
- pace+2prose-3bleak-1
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.
elegiac → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-1
- pace+2prose-3bleak-1
Monster Hunter International
Larry Correia2007
An accountant kills his boss, who has become a werewolf, and is recruited by a private company that hunts monsters for government bounties.
elegiac → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-1
Slower
- pace-1prose0bleak-1
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.
elegiac → meditative
pace-1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace-1prose-1bleak-1
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.
elegiac → meditative, still fantasy
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose0bleak0
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.
Same elegiac register
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace-1prose0bleak-1
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.
elegiac → dreamlike
pace-1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace-1prose-1bleak-2
A Slow Regard of Silent Things
Patrick Rothfuss2013
A young woman lives alone in the tunnels beneath a university, finding meaning in discarded objects and daily rituals.
elegiac → tender, still fantasy
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2
Heavier
- pace0prose-1bleak+1
The Alchemy of Stone
Ekaterina Sedia2008
An alchemist automaton is caught in a political struggle between gargoyles and her creators. She must find a way to wind her own heart key.
Same elegiac register, still steampunk
pace0·prose-1·bleak+1
- pace0prose0bleak+1
Mordew
Alex Pheby2020
A boy living in a slum discovers he has the power to create life from magical mud. He is taken in by a Master who rules a dark, decaying city.
elegiac → bleak, still new weird
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
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.
elegiac → bleak
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1
- pace+1prose-2bleak+1
Pet Sematary
Stephen King1983
A family moves to Maine and discovers a burial ground that can return the dead to life. They use it, and the consequences are absolute.
elegiac → tense
pace+1·prose-2·bleak+1
