LitQueuelitqueue

After

Spook Country

William Gibson2007

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The Jericho Iteration

    Allen Steele1994

    A journalist investigates a corporate conspiracy in a St. Louis devastated by an earthquake and patrolled by robotic peacekeepers.

    cold → tense, still cyberpunk

    pace0·prose-1·bleak0

Denser prose

cold → dreamlike

3 more ↓

  • City of Saints and Madmen

    Jeff Vandermeer2001

    A collection of stories, histories, and pamphlets about the city of Ambergris. It uses found documents to build a surreal urban history.

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Against the Day

    Thomas Pynchon2006

    A massive ensemble cast navigates the globe between the 1893 World's Fair and WWI. The plot spans airships, math, and secret societies.

    cold → playful

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

  • VAS

    Steve Tomasula2002

    A man considers a vasectomy while the book uses diagrams and varied typography to explore the history of eugenics and biotechnology.

    cold → clinical, still cyberpunk

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Sea of Greed

    Clive Cussler2018

    Kurt Austin investigates the destruction of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. The trail leads to a billionaire with a plan to end the oil age.

    cold → propulsive

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Modern Romance

    Aziz Ansari2015

    A comedian and a sociologist analyze how technology and culture have changed dating. It uses data and interviews to compare eras.

    cold → playful

    pace0·prose-2·bleak-1

  • 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.

    cold → playful

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

Faster

cold → propulsive, still cyberpunk

3 more ↓

  • Ready Player One

    Ernest Cline2008

    A teenager in a dystopian future hunts for a digital easter egg inside a massive simulation. The quest relies on 1980s pop culture trivia.

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Daemon

    Leinad Zeraus2006

    A deceased game designer leaves behind a computer program that begins killing people and restructuring society. It is a high-tech manhunt.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • Lost in Time

    A.G. Riddle2022

    A man is exiled to the Triassic period for a murder he didn't commit while his daughter tries to bring him back.

    cold → propulsive, still techno-thriller

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Beelzebub's tales to his grandson

    Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff1950

    An extraterrestrial being explains the history and strange behaviors of humanity to his grandson during a long space voyage.

    cold → meditative

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

  • 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.

    cold → playful

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    cold → playful

    pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Market Forces

    Richard K. Morgan2004

    In a future where executives duel in armored cars for promotions, Chris Faulkner joins a firm that profits from civil wars. It is a corporate satire.

    cold → sardonic, still cyberpunk

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

  • Random Acts of Senseless Violence

    Jack Womack1994

    A twelve-year-old girl records her life in a diary as New York City collapses into riots and hyperinflation. Her family falls into poverty.

    cold → bleak, still cyberpunk

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Hellspark

    Janet Kagan1988

    A linguist travels to a new planet to investigate a murder. She must determine if the local species is sentient while navigating a conspiracy.

    cold → tense, still cyberpunk

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2