LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Ancestor's Tale

Richard Dawkins2004

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

1 more ↓

  • 1493

    Charles C. Mann2011

    This history tracks the 'Columbian Exchange,' the global transfer of plants, animals, and diseases following 1492. It focuses on ecological change.

    Same earnest register, still history

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Origin of Species

    Charles Darwin2002

    Darwin outlines his theory of natural selection, using observations of domestic breeding and wild populations to explain biological change.

    earnest → meditative

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

  • Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

    Michel Foucault

    A philosophical history examines the shift from public torture to modern prison surveillance. It analyzes how power controls the body.

    earnest → clinical, still history

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

    earnest → bleak, still history

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+3

Faster

3 more ↓

  • Pillow Thoughts

    Courtney Peppernell2016

    A collection of short poems and prose pieces organized by emotional state. It focuses on themes of heartbreak, healing, and loneliness.

    earnest → tender

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    earnest → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    Same earnest register

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Frontier in American History

    Frederick Jackson Turner1920

    A series of essays arguing that the American character and democracy were shaped by the continuous expansion into the western wilderness.

    earnest → clinical, still history

    pace-1·prose0·bleak0

  • 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.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • 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.

    earnest → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

Heavier

earnest → elegiac, still history

3 more ↓

  • Auschwitz

    Laurence Rees2005

    A chronological history of the camp's evolution from a Polish barracks to a site of mass industrial murder, based on archival research.

    earnest → clinical, still history

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+3

  • By Hands Now Known

    Margaret A. Burnham2022

    An investigation into racial violence and legal failures in the Jim Crow South using previously unexamined archives.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3

  • The Great Hunger: Ireland 1845 - 1849

    Cecil Woodham-Smith

    A detailed record of the Irish Potato Famine, focusing on the failure of British government policy and the resulting mass starvation.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3