I just read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel , and it’s living rent free in my brain.
It was such a powerful book in so many ways. I loved the way the different storylines and characters were tied together, some intricately and some just loosely, as well as the multiple perspectives, timelines, and storylines.
I believe it was originally suggested to me as a book similar to the TV show LOST(2004-2010) and it did satisfy that quite well.
Other books that I have read and enjoyed in a similar vein include:
- The Silo trilogy by High Howey ( Wool, Shift, and Dust)
- Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch (Pines, Wayward, and The Last Town)
- Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
- MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood (Oryx & Crake, the Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam)
Does anyone have any book suggestions for something similar I should look for?
Thanks!
I also read Station Eleven recently! The only thing I can think of that is similar is maybe Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It’s also a movie, if you’re into that :)
Ooh, I did also read Cloud Atlas and enjoyed that one too!
Is Station Eleven living rent free in your brain too?
To be completely honest, no. I did really like the ending, but my brain mostly dumps everything once I get into a new book series!
Oh! I actually just thought of one more that has multiple characters with multiple perspectives with intertwining stories from different eras - The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton. I read it a long time ago but I still think about it on occasion :)
Ooh, I’ll add that to my list too, thank you!
Usually my brain dumps the books right away too, but this one stuck with me.
Let me know if you like it!
I will try to remember, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to get to it…
Does Lemmy have. “Remind me” feature?? Haha
- One Day by David Nicholls because it uses overlapping narratives and different perspectives to tell one story
- The Dog Stars by Peter Heller because it uses a post apocalyptic backdrop to take you on an emotional journey with the characters
- This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud because its overlapping narratives over decades continually recolor events and motivations and outcomes
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin because its three protagonists have their own stories to tell, but they are intertwined and dependent. -Same Bed, Different Dreams by Ed Park because the complex story structure lends itself to a powerful emotional journey for the protagonist and the reader
Amazing list, thank you! I have not read any of these yet.
Oh you’re in for a treat! I love all these books
If I had to pick, I’d go with Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow first. It’s very accessible and very good
Same Bed, Different Dreams is a treat, but it can be a little confusing. Especially if you don’t have much context with the history of the Korean Peninsula
Noted, thank you!
I don’t think I have any historical context of the Korean Peninsula, but I’m always willing to expand my knowledge. 💜
Try other books by Emily St. John Mandel! Sea of Tranqulity and The Glass Hotel have a similar structure :)
I will gladly read some more by her… Already put a couple on my TBR list! Thank you for the suggestions!
I loooovveeeed Station Eleven it’s one of my favourite post apocalyptic books. You have excellent taste!
I’m reading the Willow Falls trilogy atm. It’s post apocalyptic and has some weeved narratives. It’s on kindle unlimited and I’m absolutely gripped by them, best books I’ve read in years.
Other post apocalyptic book that’s excellent is Lockdown the first couple are great. Sadly they go off the rails.
Oh and if you haven’t already read it then Day of the Triffids is a classic and excellent.
These look like great recommendations, thank you!
Np I love post apocalyptic so if you want anymore hit me up and I’ll dig some out for you
It looks like I have a long list of books to get through, but i’m always open to recommendations! ☺️
If you haven’t read it, Emily St John Mandel’s last novel, Sea of Tranquility, is excellent and tackles some of the themes if Station Eleven. It’s a time-travelling SF novel mixed with autofiction and ties in with some of her earlier writing. Super-recommended.
I have not read it yet but definitely plan to! Thanks for the recommendation!
“How Few Remain” by Harry Turtledove. Alternate history where the South won the Civil war and now the North is coming for payback. Numerous characters interacting. warning - this book is a standalone, but it leads into a multi-book series where the two nations go through WW1, the Depression, and WW2.
I am intrigued! Thank you for the suggestion.
Be warned. Turtledove write A LOT of books. I have read many of his books, but it’s like watching the first episode of Dragonball or Star Trek. Be warned!!
As far as pandemic themed books, “The Stand” by Stephen King wears the crown.
“The Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton isn’t bad, either.
I haven’t read either, but I’ve heard good things. I will check them out, thanks!
I’m a huge fan of King’s early stuff and had read the 800p “The Stand” half a dozen times before the 1200p version was released. I didn’t notice anything in the long form that added to the story. I say his editors were right to cut it the first time.
This is an unpopular opinion, but I really think you can skip 400 pages without losing anything.
Returning to this thread to let you know I just finished The Stand! I quite enjoyed it and found quite a few similarities in theme between it and Station Eleven.
The version I got was the unabridged version, so it was a very long read, but I never felt like it was a slog, which is probably a testament to King’s writing abilities.
Anyway, thanks for the recommendation!
Good to know thanks! I’ve only read a couple of Stephen Kings books, but what I’ve read I’ve really enjoyed so I’m eager to read more.
Hopefully without traumatizing myself, as I’m not one for Horror, in general.
Ohhhh, if you like pandemic themed books too, my all-time favorite book is Blindness by Jose Saramago (skip the sequel, I haven’t read it but I heard it’s trash in comparison).
If your interest in pandemics extends into zombies, I also just read the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant which I also thought was really cool.
Awesome, thanks! Honestly I haven’t really read a lot of pandemic flavoured books, but I’m willing to try a few and see how I like them.
Blindness was on my “to read” list so I’ll move it up! And I’ll take a look at Newshflesh too.
Thanks again!
