After
Murder of Angels
Caitlín R. Kiernan2004
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
4 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier, nothing denser
More like it
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
The Drowning Girl
Caitlín R. Kiernan2012
A woman with schizophrenia writes a memoir to process her encounters with a mysterious girl. She questions if the events were real or delusions.
Same dreamlike register, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Blood of Roses
Tanith Lee1990
A forest spirit and a girl navigate a landscape of vampires and werewolves. The prose is dense and the logic follows dream-like patterns.
Same dreamlike register, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak-1
The Shadow of the Torturer
Gene Wolfe1980
An apprentice torturer is exiled for showing mercy to a prisoner. He travels across a far-future Earth where technology is mistaken for magic.
Same dreamlike register, still unreliable narrator
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Palimpsest
Catherynne M. Valente2009
Four strangers visit a secret city accessible only through sexual contact. They become obsessed with returning to the city and its inhabitants.
Same dreamlike register, still dark fantasy
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Tours of the Black Clock
Steve Erickson1989
A ghostwriter for Hitler's private pornography lives in a surreal version of the 20th century where history and memory blur.
Same dreamlike register, still unreliable narrator
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
To recover
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
This Girl
Colleen Hoover2013
A husband retells the story of his early relationship to his wife. It uses dual timelines to revisit events from the first book in the series.
dreamlike → earnest
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace+1prose-3bleak-3
The Score
Elle Kennedy2016
A college senior has a one-night stand with a hockey player to get over a breakup. They continue the arrangement as graduation approaches.
dreamlike → playful
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-3bleak-3
To Sir Phillip, With Love
Julia Quinn2003
Eloise Bridgerton travels to meet a widowed baronet she has only known through letters. They consider a marriage of convenience.
dreamlike → warm
pace+1·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
All Rhodes Lead Here
Mariana Zapata2021
A woman moves back to her Colorado hometown after a breakup and rents a garage apartment from a grumpy single father.
dreamlike → warm
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
- pace0prose-3bleak-3
Hannah's List
Debbie Macomber2010
A widower receives a letter from his late wife suggesting three women he should date. He begins to interact with each woman over the following year.
dreamlike → warm
pace0·prose-3·bleak-3
Faster
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman2020
Earth is converted into an 18-level televised death game. A man and a cat must navigate traps and monsters to survive.
dreamlike → sardonic
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-3
The Stainless Steel Rat
Harry Harrison1961
A futuristic con man is caught by the Special Corps and forced to use his criminal skills to catch other lawbreakers.
dreamlike → playful
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Mind's Eye
Douglas E. Richards2014
A man discovers he has the ability to access the internet and process data directly with his mind. He is hunted by a secret organization.
dreamlike → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
The Atlantis Gene
A.G. Riddle2013
A geneticist and a counter-terrorism agent uncover a global conspiracy involving human evolution and an ancient Antarctic discovery.
dreamlike → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
- pace+2prose-3bleak-2
Monster Hunter International
Larry Correia2007
An accountant kills his boss, who has become a werewolf, and is recruited by a private company that hunts monsters for government bounties.
dreamlike → propulsive
pace+2·prose-3·bleak-2
Slower
- pace-1prose0bleak-2
Love & Sleep
John Crowley1994
Pierce Moffett researches the history of magic while living in a small town. The narrative shifts between his life and the Renaissance.
dreamlike → meditative
pace-1·prose0·bleak-2
- pace-1prose0bleak-1
Boneland
Alan Garner2012
An adult Colin searches for his lost sister while an ancient shaman performs rituals in the same landscape. The two timelines mirror one another.
dreamlike → elegiac, still unreliable narrator
pace-1·prose0·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose0bleak-2
The Habitation of the Blessed
Catherynne M. Valente2010
A priest finds the lost kingdom of Prester John. The story is told through three nested layers of journals, myths, and historical accounts.
Same dreamlike register
pace-1·prose0·bleak-2
- pace-1prose-2bleak-2
Among Others
Jo Walton2011
A teenage girl at a 1970s boarding school copes with her twin's death through books and subtle magic. It is written as a series of diary entries.
dreamlike → tender
pace-1·prose-2·bleak-2
- pace-1prose-1bleak-2
Tehanu
Ursula K. Le Guin1990
A widow cares for an aging mage who has lost his magic. The story focuses on domestic life and the aftermath of past adventures.
dreamlike → meditative
pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2
