After
A Brief History of Seven Killings
Marlon James2014
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
4 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier, nothing denser
More like it
- pace-1prose-1bleak-2
Shrines of Gaiety
Kate Atkinson2022
In 1920s London, a nightclub queen is released from prison while a detective investigates a string of missing girls in Soho.
propulsive → wry, still historical fiction
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
English Passengers
Matthew Kneale2000
Smugglers, scientists, and a religious fanatic sail to Tasmania in 1857. Over twenty narrators describe the voyage and the colonial aftermath.
propulsive → elegiac, still historical fiction
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace-1prose-1bleak0
Andersonville
MacKinlay Kantor1955
An ensemble cast experiences the conditions of a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp. It follows prisoners, guards, and local civilians.
propulsive → bleak, still historical fiction
pace-1·prose-1·bleak0
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
True History of the Kelly Gang
Peter Carey2000
Ned Kelly writes his life story for his daughter while on the run. The text is written in a vernacular style without standard punctuation.
Same propulsive register, still historical fiction
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose-1bleak-1
Flood of Fire
Amitav Ghosh2015
An ensemble of characters converges on a ship heading for the First Opium War. The story details the British military push into China.
propulsive → elegiac, still historical fiction
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1
To recover
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
Fast & loose
Stuart Woods2017
Wealthy investigator Stone Barrington deals with a hostile family after a boating accident. He manages legal and financial assets in Maine.
propulsive → playful, still crime
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
Fifty Shades of Grey
E.L. James2000
A college student enters a sexual contract with a wealthy businessman. The story focuses on their power dynamics and BDSM encounters.
propulsive → earnest
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
Neon Gods
Katee Robert2021
In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.
propulsive → tense
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
Starter Villain
John Scalzi2023
A substitute teacher inherits his uncle's secret supervillain business, including a volcano lair and talking cats.
propulsive → wry
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
The Sentinel
Lee Child2020
A drifter helps an IT manager targeted by criminals after a cyberattack. He uses physical force to protect the man and uncover a conspiracy.
Same propulsive register
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
Faster
- pace+1prose-3bleak-3
Dial A for Aunties
Jesse Q. Sutanto2021
A photographer accidentally kills her blind date. Her mother and aunties help hide the body during a massive luxury wedding.
propulsive → playful
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
Gone
James Patterson2013
A drug lord escapes prison and hunts Detective Michael Bennett, who is hiding in the California woods with his ten children.
Same propulsive register, still crime
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
Extreme Prey
John Sandford2016
While working on a presidential campaign, Lucas Davenport tracks an armed man planning to assassinate the governor.
Same propulsive register, still crime
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-3bleak-2
Run Away
Harlan Coben2019
A father searches for his estranged, drug-addicted daughter in New York. The search uncovers a conspiracy involving a cult and multiple murders.
Same propulsive register, still crime
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+1prose-2bleak-1
Child 44
Tom Rob Smith2008
A Soviet security officer investigates a serial killer in a state that officially claims murder does not exist.
propulsive → tense
pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1
Slower
propulsive → elegiac, still historical fiction
- pace-2prose-2bleak-2
A Month in the Country
J. L. Carr1980
A WWI veteran spends a summer in a quiet village restoring a medieval mural in a church. He reflects on his trauma while observing local life.
pace-2·prose-2·bleak-2
- pace-2prose-1bleak-1
The English Patient
Michael Ondaatje1992
Four people shelter in a ruined Italian villa at the end of WWII. They care for a burned, anonymous man who recounts his past in the desert.
pace-2·prose-1·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose-1bleak-2
Lila
Marilynne Robinson2014
A woman with a traumatic, nomadic past settles in a small Iowa town and marries a minister. She struggles to reconcile her history with his faith.
propulsive → tender, still historical fiction
pace-2·prose-1·bleak-2
- pace-2prose0bleak-1
A Fable
William Faulkner1954
During WWI, a French corporal leads a mutiny that halts the fighting. The narrative mirrors the events of the Passion of Christ.
propulsive → meditative, still historical fiction
pace-2·prose0·bleak-1
- pace-2prose-1bleak-1
Rhine Journey
Ann Schlee1981
A middle-aged woman travels by steamer down the Rhine in 1851. She observes her family and internalizes a chance encounter with a man from her past.
propulsive → meditative, still historical fiction
pace-2·prose-1·bleak-1
