After
The Fall
Thomas A. Watson
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing faster
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak+1
The Walking Dead, Book Six
Robert Kirkman2010
Survivors of a zombie plague attempt to build a community in a fortified neighborhood. The focus is on group politics and interpersonal conflict.
earnest → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
- pace-1prose+1bleak0
All the Stars in the Sky
Sarah Lyons Fleming2015
A group of survivors travels across the country during a zombie outbreak, focusing on the emotional bonds formed during the collapse.
Same earnest register, still post-apocalyptic
pace-1·prose+1·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak+1
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.
earnest → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
- pace-1prose+1bleak+1
Rise Again
Ben Tripp2010
A sheriff and war veteran tries to protect her mountain town during a zombie outbreak. The story follows the collapse of society from the hills.
earnest → tense, still post-apocalyptic
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak+1
Infected
Bobby Adair
A slow-acting virus turns the population into aggressive predators. The story follows a survivor navigating the initial societal collapse.
earnest → propulsive, still zombie apocalypse
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
Denser prose
earnest → dreamlike
- pace-2prose+3bleak+1
House of Leaves
Mark Z. Danielewski1998
A man finds a door in his house that should not exist. The story is told through layers of academic footnotes and a decaying manuscript.
pace-2·prose+3·bleak+1
- pace-2prose+3bleak+1
Ambergris
Jeff VanderMeer2020
This collection follows the history of a city built atop a subterranean race. It uses fake histories, journals, and detective noir.
pace-2·prose+3·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+3bleak+2
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.
earnest → dark
pace-2·prose+3·bleak+2
- pace-2prose+3bleak+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.
earnest → cold
pace-2·prose+3·bleak+2
- pace-2prose+3bleak+1
Ghost Stories
Henry James2001
A collection of Victorian tales where the existence of ghosts is often left to the reader's interpretation.
earnest → meditative
pace-2·prose+3·bleak+1
To recover
earnest → playful
- pace-1prose0bleak-1
Assistant to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer2023
A woman takes a job as an administrative assistant to a local villain to support her family. She manages his office while ignoring his evil deeds.
pace-1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace-1prose0bleak-1
Smokin' Seventeen
Janet Evanovich2011
A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.
pace-1·prose0·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+1bleak-1
The Dragon Who Loved Me
G.A. Aiken2011
A human woman with a violent family meets a dragon shifter who can take human form. They navigate a fantasy world of warring clans and magic.
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+1bleak-1
Breaking Badger
Shelly Laurenston2021
A honey badger shifter and a hybrid wolf shifter are forced together. The story involves high-energy combat and animal-shifting politics.
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+1bleak-1
Rock Chick Revolution
Kristen Ashley
The final woman in a group of friends is targeted by a criminal element and must rely on a security expert for protection.
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1
Slower
- pace-3prose+3bleak+1
Dhalgren
Samuel R. Delany1975
An amnesiac wanderer enters Bellona, a city cut off from the world where time and geography shift. He joins a gang and writes poetry.
earnest → dreamlike
pace-3·prose+3·bleak+1
- pace-3prose+3bleak-1
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.
earnest → playful
pace-3·prose+3·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-3prose+3bleak0
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.
earnest → playful
pace-3·prose+3·bleak0
- pace-3prose+3bleak+2
Absalom, Absalom!
William Faulkner1936
The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.
earnest → elegiac
pace-3·prose+3·bleak+2
- pace-3prose+3bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
earnest → meditative
pace-3·prose+3·bleak0
Heavier
- pace-2prose+1bleak+2
Autumn
David Moody2011
A viral outbreak kills billions, and the corpses begin to move. Two groups of survivors with different philosophies are forced to work together.
earnest → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace-2·prose+1·bleak+2
- pace0prose+1bleak+2
City Of The Dead
Brian Keene2005
Survivors of a zombie plague retreat to a fortified skyscraper. The undead are possessed by demons and retain their human intelligence.
earnest → bleak, still zombie apocalypse
pace0·prose+1·bleak+2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose0bleak+2
The Walking Dead Vol. 7: Calm before
Robert Kirkman
Survivors attempt to maintain a stable community within a prison. Tensions rise as they prepare for an inevitable attack from a rival leader.
earnest → tense, still post-apocalyptic
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2
- pace-1prose+1bleak+2
The Night of the Living Dead
John A. Russo
A group of strangers barricades themselves in a farmhouse to survive a night against reanimated corpses.
earnest → tense, still zombie apocalypse
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2
- pace-2prose+2bleak+2
One
Conrad Williams2009
A man walks across a scorched, post-apocalyptic Britain to find his son. He encounters red rain, ruins, and cannibalism.
earnest → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2
