Books like Atlas Shrugged
30 science fiction books to read after Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, the closest match first.
-
1. 11/22/63
by King, Stephen
- On the same lists
The best Stephen King in a decade, and even a coin toss for his best work yet. King takes a well-known historical event, the Assassination of JFK, and does something...
-
Thursday Next book 1 Start here
2. The Eyre Affair
by Fforde, Jasper
- On the same lists
Imagine an alternate world where the world of books and people collide. It does in this delightful series by Jasper Fforde. I could spend the next 10,000 words trying to...
-
3. The Difference Engine
by Sterling, William Gibson, Bruce
- On the same lists
and William Gibson. An example of Retro Futurism with a Steampunk feel.
A classic - perhaps THE classic steampunk novel, penned by two of the genre’s founders: William Gibson and Bruce Sterling. The premise of this novel is a simple “What If”...
-
4. The Running Man
by Richard Bachman/stephen King
- On the same lists
Believe it or not, Stephen King didn't only write hokey horror novels that weren't particularly scary, with completely convoluted "why the fuck did the clown turn into an alien-spider" plots....
-
5. The Chrysalids
by John Wyndham
- On the same lists
A Post-Apocalyptic tale where the apocalyptic event is now seen as God's punishment. The society practices a form of fundamentalist Christianity and genetic variance and mutations are considered impure and caused by the Devil.
Another childhood favorite; I felt slightly ripped off that I didn't have any telepathic abilities, despite how hard I tried to communicate to my sister solely using our minds. The...
-
6. Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut
- On the same lists
Cat's Cradle is written in a style that makes me feel like Vonnegut's sitting back with a joint, having a laugh, in on the joke that is life. It reminds...
-
Across The Universe book 1 Start here
7. Across The Universe
by Beth Revis
- On the same lists
Stand up; hold one hand to your chest and the other raised. Repeat after me: "I acknowledge it is not a crime to categorize young adult fiction as dystopian science-fiction,...
-
8. The Years Of Rice And Salt
by Robinson, Kim Stanley
- On the same lists
Ever wondered what the world would have been like if the Black Death killed 99% of Europe's population instead of a third? No? Really? Okay. I must admit I hadn't...
-
9. Gate Of Time
by Silverberg, Robert
- On the same lists
When I imagine Two Hawks, I visualize him as a Cherokee Indiana Jones (the Raiders/Temple/Last Crusade Indy, not that Crystal Skull tripe, thank you very much.) At other times, I...
-
10. Lest Darkness Fall
by Camp, L. Sprague De
- On the same lists
Throw away your hallucinogens (or don't, but I'm not going to suggest you do anything illegal here), because Lest Darkness Fall is one of those science fiction novels that begins...
-
11. The Coming Of The Quantum Cats
by Pohl, Frederik
- On the same lists
A fun take on the multiverse theme—a great scientist invents a machine to travel between universes, only to have it stolen by another version of herself who wishes to use it to become a multiversal conqueror.
Imagine Stargate if it was set in the 80s sans MacGyver Richard Dean Anderson, and you've got The Coming of the Quantum Cats. Originally an Analog Sccience Fiction magazine series,...
-
12. Transition
by Iain M. Banks
- On the same lists
I wonder if inserting an M in between my first name and surname will magically turn me into a top science-fiction writer like Iain Banks. (Really, he writes non science...
-
Small Change book 1 Start here
13. Farthing
by Walton, Jo
- On the same lists
What happens when the great United States fails to provide assistance? Disputes are negotiated peacefully, and everyone kisses and makes up, with a nice cup 'o tea, as is the...
-
14. The Alteration
by Kingsley Amis
- On the same lists
Holy Shit. That was my first thought, and rather apt thought, when I read this novel and realized what "the alteration" referred to. I sure as hell wasn't expecting that....
-
15. Ada Or Ardor
by Vladimir Nabokov
- On the same lists
A Family Chronicle. History is altered as well as science--similar technology to ours, but water based rather than electricity based.
Do you ever wonder, sometimes, if Vladimir Nabokov had problems with women? I mean, not that Lolita or this piece about sibling incest necessarily reflects on his own relationships... but...
-
16. The Iron Dream
by Norman Spinrad
- On the same lists
In an alternate history, Hitler becomes a Sci Fi writer in the US.
I thought I was all out of Hitler jokes, until The Iron Dream came along, and offered up an alternate history Hitler who, instead of being the Fuhrer as we...
-
Wild Cards book 1 Start here
17. Wild Cards
by Martin, George R. R.
- On the same lists
If you're a fantasy, Game of Thrones, or superhero fan, this George R Martin series science fiction/super hero anthology should be on your reading list. Actually, I would go so...
-
18. The Redemption Of Christopher Columbus
by Card, Orson Scott
- On the same lists
Why is it that fundamentalists Christians who don't believe in things like caffeine and alcohol always have the most fantastic imaginations? Orson Scott Card, everyone's favorite Mormon (and trust me,...
-
The Axis Of Time book 1 Start here
19. Weapons Of Choice
by John Birmingham
- On the same lists
Crikey mate, Stephen Irwin got killed by a sting ray, Crocodile Dundee, alternate history science-fiction. Ever heard of a top science fiction Australian author? *Crickets chirping* No, me either. Australians...
-
20. Pasquale's Angel
by Paul Mcauley
- On the same lists
The cool thing about McAuley's hard science fiction, spanning biotechnology, alternate history and time travel, is that he's actually a posh botanist with a lovely accent, not a Sheldon Cooper...
-
21. Making History
by Stephen Fry
- On the same lists
We all know Stephen Fry is the amusing, articulate comedian. But inside that tart wit is a spectacular speculative fiction. In 1998's Sidewise Award Winner, this story of Michael "Puppy"...
-
22. The Separation
by Priest, Christopher
- On the same lists
As if alternate histories weren't confusing enough, The Separation wants to further test its readers' intelligence by giving the readers a story about twin brothers during World War 2 who...
-
23. Anthem
by Ayn Rand
- Same author
When people hear 'Ayn Rand', they tend to think of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Anthem is a David to her other Goliaths. It may originally have been conceived as...
-
24. The Children Of Men
by P.d. James
- On the same lists
The ultimate nightmare of the world's males came true in 1994. (In the novel anyway, though there are some suggestions that things are trending that way.) The sperm count of...
-
Maddaddam book 1 Start here
25. Oryx And Crake
by Margaret Atwood
- On the same lists
It's difficult to summarize what this tale is all 'about.' That's maybe the hardest and most challenging aspect of this novel. It starts after the collapse of civilization and focuses...
-
Assiti Shards book 1 Start here
26. 1632
by Eric Flint
- On the same lists
So, this is what happened in another universe. 2000 A.D. A town called Grantville, West Virginia, isn't there anymore. Some whimsical aliens drew a circle around it, about six miles...
-
27. Fatherland: A Novel
by Robert Harris
- On the same lists
As we've seen with Philip Roth, alternate history is a popular form with authors who would not normally be interested in writing science fiction, think, for instance, of MacKinlay Kantor's...
-
28. The Plot Against America
by Philip Roth
- On the same lists
Philip Roth is one of the two or three leading American novelists from the second half of the twentieth century, whose work consistently explored the Jewish experience in modern America....
-
29. The Road
by Mccarthy, Cormac
- On the same lists
A father and son walk a burned-out America toward the sea, in McCarthy's bleak and beautiful end-of-the-world novel.
robably one of the most depressing books I’ve read in my life. Oh yes, it’s well written, brilliant maybe, and all that. However, this book stripped all hope away and...
-
30. I Am Legend
by Matheson, Richard
- On the same lists
One of the first to make vampirism or zombies have a scientific origin with plenty of medical inquiry and rational causation provided.
This is the story that influenced the zombie genre and popularized the concept of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. Robert Neville is the last human on the earth. He is immune...
Matches come from series and authors, from the lists the books share, and from the books readers open together. They are rebuilt every night. Back to Atlas Shrugged.
The shortlist
Liked Atlas Shrugged? New releases and the lists readers are opening most, by email.