LitQueuelitqueue

After

Last Argument of Kings

Joe Abercrombie2008

5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier

More like it

Same bleak register, still grimdark

1 more ↓

  • The Mirror Empire

    Kameron Hurley2014

    Parallel worlds collide as a celestial event allows one reality to invade another. It follows multiple characters during a global genocide.

    bleak → cold, still grimdark

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

  • Ficciones

    Jorge Luis Borges1945

    A collection of short stories exploring philosophical paradoxes, infinite libraries, and imaginary encyclopedias.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Pawn of Prophecy

    David Eddings1982

    A farm boy travels with a storyteller and a sorceress to recover a stolen magical orb. It is a traditional quest through various kingdoms.

    bleak → earnest, still epic fantasy

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-3

  • Starter Villain

    John Scalzi2023

    A substitute teacher inherits his uncle's secret supervillain business, including a volcano lair and talking cats.

    bleak → wry

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-3

  • Playing with Fire

    Gena Showalter2006

    A barista gains elemental superpowers after being poisoned and must flee from a government agent. They eventually work together to escape.

    bleak → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-3

Faster

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.

    bleak → sardonic

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-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.

    bleak → playful

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3

  • 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.

    bleak → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-2

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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → tender

    pace-2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-2·prose0·bleak-2