LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Book of Riley 2

Mark Tufo

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The Twisted Ones

    T. Kingfisher2019

    A woman cleaning out her late grandmother's house finds a journal describing monsters in the woods that turn out to be real.

    Same wry register

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Denser prose

wry → dreamlike

3 more ↓

  • Gormenghast

    Mervyn Peake1950

    A young heir and a social climber navigate the rigid rituals of a decaying, labyrinthine castle. The prose is dense and descriptive.

    wry → dark

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+2

  • The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

    James Hogg1824

    A religious fanatic becomes convinced he is predestined for salvation and commits crimes at the behest of a mysterious stranger.

    wry → cold

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+2

  • Ghost Stories

    Henry James2001

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

    wry → meditative

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Hawk

    Steven Brust2014

    An assassin returns to his home city to negotiate a truce with the criminal syndicate hunting him. He executes a complex multi-stage heist.

    Same wry register

    pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Star Nomad

    Lindsay Buroker2016

    A fighter pilot and a small crew of strangers attempt to escape a system-wide war in a freighter. It is a character-driven space adventure.

    wry → playful

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

  • Hot mahogany

    Stuart Woods2008

    A lawyer guards a former spy with amnesia who restores antique furniture. They uncover a conspiracy linked to the man's service in Vietnam.

    Same wry register

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Faster

wry → bleak, still zombie apocalypse

3 more ↓

  • 28 Days Later

    Alex Garland2002

    A man wakes from a coma to find London deserted and overrun by humans infected with a rage virus. He joins a small group of survivors.

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • The Fall

    Thomas A. Watson

    A survivalist uses his preparation and skills to protect his family during a sudden global collapse. The focus is on tactical defense.

    wry → earnest, still zombie apocalypse

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • Soldier On

    Shawn Chesser

    A former Delta Force operator navigates a zombie outbreak to find his family. He uses military tactics to survive encounters with the undead.

    wry → propulsive, still zombie apocalypse

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

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.

    wry → playful

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

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

    wry → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak+2

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

    wry → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Frankenstein

    Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley1818

    Victor Frankenstein assembles a living being from scavenged parts. The narrative follows the creature's rejection and its violent revenge.

    wry → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

  • Flowers in the Attic

    V.C. Andrews1979

    Four children are hidden in an attic for years by their mother and grandmother to secure an inheritance. They face gradual poisoning and abuse.

    wry → elegiac

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

  • Hamlet

    William Shakespeare

    A prince of Denmark is told by a ghost that his uncle killed his father. He feigns madness while deciding whether to take revenge.

    wry → meditative

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+2