
After
Killing the SS
Bill O'Reilly2018
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
- pace0prose+1bleak0
Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin
Hampton Sides
This account follows James Earl Ray’s movements before the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the global manhunt that followed.
Same propulsive register, still true crime
pace0·prose+1·bleak0
- pace0prose+1bleak0
The Great Escape
Paul Brickhill1950
An account of Allied prisoners of war who dug three tunnels to stage a mass breakout from a German camp during World War II.
propulsive → tense, still military history
pace0·prose+1·bleak0

- pace0prose0bleak-1
Killing England
Bill O'Reilly2017
A chronological account of the American Revolution. It follows key figures like George Washington and King George III through major battles.
Same propulsive register, still military history
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose+1bleak0
Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War
Max Hastings
A chronological account of the first five months of World War I. It follows political leaders and soldiers from the assassination to the trenches.
Same propulsive register, still military history
pace0·prose+1·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+1bleak0
Escape From Davao: The Forgotten Story of the Most Daring Prison Break of the Pacific War
John D. Lukacs
Ten American POWs and two Filipino convicts plan and execute an escape from a high-security Japanese penal colony in 1943.
Same propulsive register, still military history
pace0·prose+1·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
propulsive → playful
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+3bleak-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-2·prose+3·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
Confessions
Augustine of Hippo
A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.
propulsive → meditative
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2

- pace-1prose+3bleak-1
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012
A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.
propulsive → reflective
pace-1·prose+3·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+3bleak-1
How to Read a Book
Mortimer J. Adler1940
This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.
propulsive → mysterious
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-1

To recover
- pace+1prose0bleak-2
Ghost Ship
Clive Cussler2014
Kurt Austin survives a yacht sinking but suffers from conflicting memories. He investigates a global cybercrime conspiracy to find the truth.
Same propulsive register
pace+1·prose0·bleak-2

- pace0prose+1bleak-2
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle1892
A collection of short stories featuring a private detective who uses deductive reasoning to solve unusual crimes in Victorian London.
propulsive → wry
pace0·prose+1·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+1bleak-2
A Master of Djinn
P. Djèlí Clark2021
In 1912 Cairo, Agent Fatma investigates the murder of a secret brotherhood. The case involves steampunk technology and ancient magic.
propulsive → playful
pace0·prose+1·bleak-2

- pace0prose+1bleak-2
Burglars can't be choosers
Lawrence Block1977
A professional burglar is framed for murder after being caught in an apartment he was hired to rob. He must find the killer to clear his name.
propulsive → wry
pace0·prose+1·bleak-2
- pace0prose0bleak-2
Killer Blonde
Laura Levine2004
A freelance writer investigates a murder in the Hamptons after a socialite is killed. She balances the case with her work for a demanding boss.
propulsive → playful
pace0·prose0·bleak-2

Faster
Same propulsive register, still true crime
- pace+1prose+1bleak-1
American Kingpin
Nick Bilton2017
This account follows Ross Ulbricht as he builds the Silk Road dark web market and the federal agents who spend years tracking him down.
pace+1·prose+1·bleak-1

- pace+1prose+1bleak-1
Bad Blood
John Carreyrou2018
A journalist tracks the rise of Elizabeth Holmes and the eventual exposure of her multibillion-dollar blood-testing startup as a fraud.
pace+1·prose+1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose0bleak-2
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake
Frank W. Abagnale
A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.
propulsive → playful, still true crime
pace+1·prose0·bleak-2
- pace+1prose0bleak-1
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly
A minute-by-minute narrative of John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for the conspirators.
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose+1bleak-1
Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor
Clinton Romesha
A Medal of Honor recipient provides a tactical account of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh at Combat Outpost Keating.
Same propulsive register, still military history
pace+1·prose+1·bleak-1
Slower
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Douglas R. Hofstadter1979
An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.
propulsive → playful
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+3bleak-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-2·prose+3·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
Confessions
Augustine of Hippo
A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.
propulsive → meditative
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2

- pace-2prose+3bleak-1
How to Read a Book
Mortimer J. Adler1940
This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.
propulsive → mysterious
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+3bleak-1
The Red Book: Liber Novus
C.G. Jung2009
A psychologist records his visions and internal dialogues in an illuminated manuscript created during a period of intense self-exploration.
propulsive → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-1
Heavier
propulsive → clinical, still true crime
- pace0prose+1bleak+1
The Lost Girls
John Glatt2015
This account details the decade-long kidnapping and abuse of three women in a Cleveland home. It includes interviews with the captor's family.
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

- pace0prose+1bleak+1
American Predator
Maureen Callahan2019
A true crime account of the hunt for Israel Keyes, a killer who hid 'kill kits' across the US. It follows the FBI's interrogation and discovery.
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+1bleak+1
Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer2003
This account links a 1984 double murder to the history and evolution of Mormon fundamentalism.
pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

- pace0prose+2bleak+1
Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege, 1942–1943
Antony Beevor
A chronological account of the battle for Stalingrad using primary sources. It details the military strategy and the starvation of soldiers.
propulsive → bleak, still military history
pace0·prose+2·bleak+1
- pace-1prose+2bleak+1
Als die Soldaten kamen: Die Vergewaltigung deutscher Frauen am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs
Miriam Gebhardt
A historical study of the mass sexual violence committed by Allied soldiers in Germany in 1945. It uses archival records and victim testimonies.
propulsive → clinical, still military history
pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1