LitQueuelitqueue

After

Gemini Cell

Myke Cole2015

5 of 6 directions open — nothing faster

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Infected

    Scott Sigler2008

    Alien parasites burrow into human skin, causing paranoia and violent outbursts while a CDC doctor and CIA agent track the spread.

    Same propulsive register

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

propulsive → 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.

    propulsive → dark

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • 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.

    propulsive → cold

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Ghost Stories

    Henry James2001

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

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • California Demon

    Julie Kenner2006

    A suburban mother balances raising her children with her secret life as a retired demon hunter. She must return to work when monsters reappear.

    propulsive → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Dark Lover

    J. R. Ward2005

    A vampire king seeks revenge against the slayers who killed his parents while protecting a woman discovering her own supernatural heritage.

    Same propulsive register, still urban fantasy

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Night Pleasures

    Sherrilyn Kenyon2002

    An immortal warrior and a skeptical accountant are handcuffed together while being hunted by supernatural predators.

    propulsive → playful, still urban fantasy

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    propulsive → playful

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

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

    propulsive → elegiac

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

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

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-3·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    propulsive → elegiac

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+1

  • 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.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • The Terror

    Dan Simmons2007

    Two British ships searching for the Northwest Passage in 1845 become trapped in ice and are hunted by a creature.

    propulsive → bleak

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak+1