Books like The City & The City
29 fantasy books to read after The City & The City, by Miéville, China, the closest match first.
-
New Crobuzon book 1 Start here
1. Perdido Street Station
by Miéville, China
- Same author
- On the same lists
The cycle blends multiple genres, including Steampunk, Sci Fi, and Horror. Magic is commonplace and practiced by skilled professionals.
The famous (or infamous, depending how you view the New Weird movement) novel is generally considered one of the founding pillars of the New Weird genre. This novel meets many...
-
2. Lord Of The Rings
by Tolkien, J.r.r.
- On the same lists
In this classic fantasy example, Frodo and his buddies embark on a grand quest with the fate of Middle Earth at stake. During the course of the very long and physical journey, Frodo also embarks on an internal journey.
I read this when I was 9 - four times that is. Maybe I was just a kid, but I had never seen or imagined anything like this series. You...
-
Hyperion Cantos book 1 Start here
3. Hyperion
by Simmons, Dan
- On the same lists
So most of this series is in fact, not Dying Earth but it is a pinnacle of science fiction. The Poet's Tale: Hyperion Cantos in the first novel of Hyperion is a part of the Dying Earth sub-genre and it is the connection the readers have from Earth to the strange new universe of Hyperion.
A grand intelligent space opera tale that also tells a series of very personal tales. This juxtaposition between epic and the personal gives real life to the story. The whole...
-
4. Armor
by Steakley, John
- On the same lists
Some of best battlefield action scenes I’ve ever read. You literally feel the rush of adrenaline, the shock, confusion, and horror of the battlefield. There is literally never, ever a...
-
5. 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...
-
6. New Crobuzon
by Miéville, China
- Same author
This is a different sort of fantasy and helped solidify the New Weird / Slipstream movement. The New Crobuzon novels are loosely connected (set in the same world), with the...
-
7. The Fifth Sorceress
by Newcomb, Robert
- On the same lists
This one falls under the "Terribly Written Books" categoryOh man, what can I say about this except that it's probably one of the worst written novels in the history of...
-
8. Un Lun Dun
by Miéville, China
- Same author
This was Mieville’s first foray into YA fantasy and boy was it a good one; he manages to subvert the standard fantasy formula, giving the reader a story that’s both...
-
Takeshi Kovacs book 1 Start here
9. Altered Carbon
by Morgan, Richard K.
- On the same lists
Humans can transfer their conciousness into new bodies. This sets up a detective style story about a murder.
After dying in a particularly gruesome death, ex UN-envoy Takeshi Kovacs wakes up to find himself "re-sleeved" into a fresh body with a job offer: find who killed Laurens Bancroft...
-
10. Gor
by Norman, John
- On the same lists
These belong to the "Controversial Books" category. A few people love them, but most hate the books -- mainly due to the author's strident views towards women.There's supposed to be...
-
The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
11. Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
This epic fantasy series is quite a bit different from your standard fantasy fare. If you want an epic military fantasy series where good and bad are not so clearly...
-
New Crobuzon book 2
12. The Scar
by Miéville, China
- Same author
When his mother dies, a little boy is angry at his loss but does everything he can to hold onto the memory of her scent, her voice, and the special...
-
New Crobuzon book 3
13. Iron Council
by Miéville, China
- Same author
Following Perdido Street Station and The Scar, acclaimed author China Miéville returns with his hugely anticipated Del Rey hardcover debut. With a fresh and fantastical band of characters, he carries...
-
14. 2010: The City & The City
by Miéville, China
- Same author
Imagine two cities that share the exact same geographic space, but do not interact with one another under any circumstances. Unless the government authorities grant permission, that is. If citizens...
-
15. The Long Price Quartet
by Abraham, Daniel
- On the same lists
This is NOT your standard epic fantasy. But oh man, there's a lot to love about this one. If you want to take a much needed break from the standard...
-
16. Starship Troopers
by Heinlein, Robert A.
- On the same lists
The world government in this future Earth is run by veterans and citizens must earn the right to vote and hold public office with federal service.
Book Flap Description A recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against humankind's most frightening enemy. ...
-
The Ender Quintet book 1 Start here
17. Ender's Game (1986)
by Card, Orson Scott
- On the same lists
The first in a famous series that seems to become more literary as its characters age. Follows a child prodigy and in the process makes the reader think about war, the means to war, and even loneliness.
Earth has survived two invasions by an insect-like alien race, and the International Fleet is training the most gifted children to lead the next defence. Six-year-old Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is...
-
A Song Of Ice And Fire book 1 Start here
18. A Game Of Thrones
by Martin, George R. R.
- On the same lists
Noble houses scheme for a throne while an ancient winter gathers in the north, the epic that made grimdark mainstream.
Because, duh, it was going to be on here somewhere. I almost feel as if it isn't worth writing an entry on this one, because everyone knows it so well,...
-
Dune Chronicles book 1 Start here
19. Dune
by Herbert, Frank
- On the same lists
The whole series over time shows the colonization and taming of the wild planet Dune over thousands of years.
A blend of sci-fi and fantasy, Frank Herbert's Dune created a foundation for many of the themes in modern genre fiction. Its exploration of ecology, pacifism, and mysticism pairs with...
-
The Book Of The New Sun book 1 Start here
20. 1981: The Shadow Of The Torturer
by Wolfe, Gene
- On the same lists
The sun has dimmed, the Earth is cooler and has been transformed in wondrous ways.
'The Shadow of the Torturer' is the first book in Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. Narrated by Severian, a member of the Guild of Torturers, the...
-
Ghormenghast book 2
21. Gormenghast
by Peake, Mervyn
- On the same lists
The first real Fantasy of Manners series and is set in a Byzantium kingdom rife with intrigue, treachery, manipulation and murder.
A startling work of imagination that will evoke feeling when you read it. Reading Gormenghast is like feasting your eyes on a masterfully drawn painting -- you might not always...
-
The Acts Of Caine book 1 Start here
22. Heroes Die
by Stover, Matthew Woodring
- On the same lists
A novel about two worlds that blends Science Fiction and Fantasy. An action packed adventure filled with real danger, sorcery, and a complex social system.
The Acts of Caine series takes adventure fantasy and drags it sixteen miles through the mud, and then tortures what's left. In a dystopian future, humanity has discovered a way...
-
Mistborn book 1 Start here
23. Mistborn
by Sanderson, Brandon
- On the same lists
Though Sanderson's main criticism is a lack of character depth, it's hard to deny the satisfying coming of age stories in Mistborn. The novel describes a classic rags-to-riches story, Vin...
-
24. The First Law
by Abercrombie, Joe
- On the same lists
This series takes place in an epic fantasy world at war and contains gritty violence and realistic characters.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny,...
-
25. Malazan Book Of The Fallen
by Erikson, Steven
- On the same lists
A grand and epic series with a huge cast of characters with epic battles, sieges, mages, and carnage.
Steven Eriksen has been both lauded and criticized for his extreme detail, and that extends to his magic system. In Malazan, magic comes from warrens, a realm from which mages...
-
26. The Kingkiller Chronicles
by Rothfuss, Patrick
- On the same lists
A world that is vast, fantastical, and strongly rooted in logical world-building—it is a trilogy and biography of a famous musician and adventurer.
If you haven't heard of The Kingkiller Chronicles by now, you'll want to pick it up as soon as possible. Rothfuss' award-winning series took the genre by storm in 2007...
-
The Magicians book 1 Start here
27. The Magicians
by Grossman, Lev
- On the same lists
A prequel novel about a high school senior who is admitted to a school for gifted children, for a magical education in upstate New York. A typical quest story that turns dark. Things are not black and white in this world and the characters are psychologically rich.
School fantasy is often aimed at children, and it's very successful at hitting that market. It's much harder to appeal exclusively to adults, and that's where The Magicians shines. Rather...
-
The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever book 1 Start here
28. Lord Foul's Bane
by Donaldson, Stephen R.
- On the same lists
Epic Fantasy that's also very High Fantasy. Features an antihero hero.
Lord Foul's Bane begins the epic Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, a series in which a leprosy-stricken man in the real world is transported to a stereotypical fantasy world....
-
The Chronicles Of The Black Company book 1 Start here
29. The Black Company
by Cook, Glen
- On the same lists
An elite mercenary unit is the focus of this series. It is a mix of fantasy, gritty realism, and military fiction. It is often cited as an inspiration for the Grimdark sub-genre.
In an era when fantasy was about honorable farm boys with magic swords and a noble destiny, Glen Cook said 'fuck that mess; let's have some amoral pricks doing bad...
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 The City & The City.
The shortlist
Liked The City & The City? New releases and the lists readers are opening most, by email.