After
The Souls of Black Folk
W.E.B. Du Bois1903
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
4 of 6 directions open — nothing denser, nothing slower
More like it
- pace+1prose0bleak0
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.
elegiac → clinical, still history
pace+1·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak-2
Self-Reliance and Other Essays
Ralph Waldo Emerson1993
A collection of 19th-century lectures advocating for individualism and nonconformity. The prose is dense, formal, and philosophical.
elegiac → meditative, still essays
pace0·prose0·bleak-2
- pace0prose0bleak+1
Doktor Faustus
Thomas Mann1948
A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.
Same elegiac register
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
- pace+1prose0bleak-1
Orientalism
Edward W. Said1978
A scholarly critique of how Western academics and artists represent the Middle East to justify imperial power.
elegiac → clinical, still history
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
1 more ↓ ↑
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The Proud Tower: A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
Barbara W. Tuchman1966
A series of essays depicting the social and political atmosphere of Europe and the US in the decades leading up to 1914.
Same elegiac register, still history
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0
To recover
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
The Four Agreements
Don Miguel Ruiz1997
A guide to personal conduct based on four principles derived from Toltec traditions. It focuses on changing internal dialogue to reduce suffering.
elegiac → warm, still philosophy
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Vampires Are Forever
Lynsay Sands2008
A woman suspects her business partner is a vampire after he attempts to bite her. He tries to convince her they are fated mates.
elegiac → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
The Mane Event
Shelly Laurenston2007
A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.
elegiac → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Mile High
Liz Tomforde2023
A professional hockey player and a flight attendant clash on the team's private plane during a season-long road trip.
elegiac → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Behind the Net
Stephanie Archer2024
A former musician becomes the live-in assistant for a professional hockey goalie she knew in high school.
elegiac → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
Faster
- pace+3prose-3bleak-1
The Sun and Her Flowers
Rupi Kaur2017
A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.
elegiac → earnest
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-1
- pace+3prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → tender
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+3prose-3bleak-2
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
Neil deGrasse Tyson2017
A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.
elegiac → playful
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+3prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → playful
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+3prose-3bleak-2
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.
elegiac → earnest
pace+3·prose-3·bleak-2
Heavier
- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
The Drowned and the Saved
Primo Levi
A series of analytical essays examining the social hierarchy, psychological trauma, and ethics of survival within Nazi concentration camps.
elegiac → meditative, still essays
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1
- pace+1prose-2bleak+1
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Dee Alexander Brown
A chronological history of the displacement and systematic destruction of Native American tribes in the late 19th century.
Same elegiac register, still history
pace+1·prose-2·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-2bleak+1
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Dee Brown
A chronological account of the displacement and slaughter of Native Americans by the U.S. government in the late 19th century.
Same elegiac register, still history
pace+1·prose-2·bleak+1
- pace+1prose-2bleak+1
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.
elegiac → clinical, still history
pace+1·prose-2·bleak+1
- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
By Hands Now Known
Margaret A. Burnham2022
An investigation into racial violence and legal failures in the Jim Crow South using previously unexamined archives.
Same elegiac register, still history
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1
