After
The Walking Dead Vol. 7: Calm before
Robert Kirkman
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Walking Dead, Vol. 9: Here We Remain
Robert Kirkman
A small group of survivors flees the ruins of their prison sanctuary. They travel through the woods, dealing with trauma and physical exhaustion.
tense → bleak, still zombies
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose+1bleak-1
Siege
Rhiannon Frater2012
Survivors in a Texas fort defend themselves against zombies and bandits while a political conspiracy threatens their safety.
Same tense register, still zombies
pace0·prose+1·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Red Hill
Jamie McGuire2013
Three groups of survivors attempt to reach a ranch during a sudden zombie outbreak. The story follows their separate paths to the same refuge.
Same tense register, still post-apocalyptic
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace0prose+1bleak-1
The Human Condition
David Moody
A collection of short stories set during a zombie apocalypse. Each entry focuses on how different survivors react to the collapse of society.
tense → bleak, still zombies
pace0·prose+1·bleak-1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Zombie Fallout
Mark Tufo2010
A sarcastic survivalist uses his prepper skills to lead his family through a zombie outbreak. The story is told through his first-person journal.
tense → sardonic, still zombies
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
Denser prose
tense → dreamlike
- pace-1prose+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-1·prose+3·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+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-1·prose+3·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+3bleak-1
Racconti [55 stories]
Edgar Allan Poe2011
A collection of 55 stories featuring unreliable narrators and gothic settings. Themes include obsession, premature burial, and the macabre.
pace-1·prose+3·bleak-1
- pace-1prose+3bleak0
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.
tense → dark
pace-1·prose+3·bleak0
- pace-1prose+3bleak0
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.
tense → cold
pace-1·prose+3·bleak0
To recover
tense → warm
- pace-1prose0bleak-3
The Comfort Book
Matt Haig2021
A collection of short reflections, lists, and anecdotes intended to provide mental support. It is a non-linear book of philosophy and memoir.
pace-1·prose0·bleak-3
- pace-1prose0bleak-3
Knit One, Kill Two
Maggie Sefton2005
An accountant returns to Colorado to investigate her aunt's suspicious death. She spends her time at a local knitting shop gathering clues.
pace-1·prose0·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose+2bleak-3
The Shipping News
Annie Proulx1993
A widower moves with his daughters to his ancestral home in Newfoundland. He works for a local paper and uncovers family secrets.
tense → wry
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-3
- pace-1prose+1bleak-3
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Mary Ann Shaffer2008
A London writer exchanges letters with residents of Guernsey after WWII. The story is told entirely through their correspondence.
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-3
- pace-1prose+1bleak-3
Record of a Spaceborn Few
Becky Chambers2018
Five people live aboard a fleet of aging spaceships housing the last of humanity. The story focuses on their daily labor and social customs.
tense → meditative
pace-1·prose+1·bleak-3
Faster
- pace+1prose0bleak-1
Dead City
Joe McKinney2006
A police officer attempts to navigate San Antonio and find his family during a sudden, violent zombie outbreak caused by a virus.
tense → propulsive, still zombies
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose0bleak-1
The remaining
D. J Molles2014
A soldier emerges from a bunker into a world where a bacterium has turned most people into predators. He attempts to find survivors.
Same tense register, still post-apocalyptic
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose0bleak-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.
tense → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose0bleak-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.
tense → bleak, still post-apocalyptic
pace+1·prose0·bleak-1
- pace+1prose0bleak-2
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.
tense → earnest, still post-apocalyptic
pace+1·prose0·bleak-2
Slower
- pace-2prose+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.
tense → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-1
- pace-2prose+3bleak-3
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.
tense → playful
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
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.
tense → playful
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2
- pace-2prose+3bleak0
Absalom, Absalom!
William Faulkner1936
The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.
tense → elegiac
pace-2·prose+3·bleak0
- pace-2prose+3bleak-2
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
tense → meditative
pace-2·prose+3·bleak-2
