18 books like The Machine Stops

What to read after The Machine Stops — books similar to it, matched on shared themes.

The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin · 1969 · ★ 4.4 · 329p · ≈ 10h · Moderate [Comment by Kim Stanley Robinson, on The Guardian's website][1]: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (1969) One of my favorite novels is The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K Le Guin. For more than 40 years I've been recommending this book to people who want to try science fiction for the first time, and it still serves very well for that. One of the things I like about it is how… Shares: Science Fiction

Double Star Robert A. Heinlein · 1956 · ★ 3.9 · 159p · ≈ 5h · Moderate One minute, down and out actor Lorenzo Smythe was — as usual — in a bar, drinking away his troubles as he watched his career go down the tubes. Then a space pilot bought him a drink, and the next thing Smythe knew, he was shanghaied to Mars. Suddenly he found himself agreeing to the most difficult role of his career: impersonating an important politician who had been kidnapped. Peace with the… Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

ttyl Lauren Myracle · 2004 · ★ 3.5 · 209p · ≈ 6h · Moderate Three girls, One Chatroom, a lot of drama. Shares: Internet, Children's fiction

A Prisoner in Fairyland Algernon Blackwood · 1913 · 506p · ≈ 16h · Challenging In the train, even before St. John's was passed, a touch of inevitable reaction had set in, and Rogers asked himself why he was going. For a sentimental journey was hardly in his line, it seemed. But no satisfactory answer was forthcoming — none, at least, that a Board or a Shareholders' Meeting would have considered satisfactory. The old vicar spoke to him strangely. "We've not forgotten you as… Shares: English literature, Children's fiction

Reckless Cornelia Funke · 2010 · ★ 3.8 · 317p · ≈ 10h · Moderate Jacob Reckless is a treasure hunter in a world behind a mirror, a place of dangerous magic. There, accompanied by Fox, a shape-shifting girl, he's lived up to his name. But disaster strikes when his younger brother follows him through the glass. Unless Jacob can save him, his brother will turn to stone. Shares: Technology, Children's fiction

Star wars Toshiki Kudo · 1999 · ★ 4.2 Masterfully drawn by artist Toshiki Kudo, this volume follows Luke Skywalker as he travels to meet Jedi Master Yoda while Han and Leia struggle to outrace the grip of Darth Vader. You wont want to miss out on this exquisite telling of the classic tale of betrayal and high-adventure. Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Eager Helen Fox · 2003 · ★ 3.7 · 288p · ≈ 9h · Moderate It's the end of the 21st century where technocrats rule and robots take care of humans' every need. Your house watches you, knows your secrets, and talks to you. And your closest friend can be--a machine? Gavin Bell and his teenage sister Fleur come from a middle-class family. Their much-loved, old-fashioned robot, Grumps, is running down and can't be repaired, so a scientist friend loans them… Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Norby, the Mixed-up Robot Janet Asimov · 1983 · 96p · ≈ 3h · Moderate Jeff Wells, a Space Academy student, and Norby, a second-hand robot with unusual abilities, find themselves involved in the sinister plans of Ing the Ingrate, who intends to take over the universe. Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Eager's nephew Helen Fox · 2004 · 299p · ≈ 9h · Moderate In a world which has banned self-aware robots, Eager and his brilliant but headstrong nephew, Jonquil, come out of hiding to visit the Bell family, and soon become involved in the mysterious and dangerous events surrounding them and their friends. Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Crispin--The Cross of Lead Avi · 2002 · ★ 3.9 · 272p · ≈ 9h · Moderate (From Goodreads): 'Asta's Son' is all he's ever been called. The lack of a name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in 14th century medieval England. But this thirteen year old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less---no home, no family, or possessions. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he… Shares: Social aspects, Children's fiction

Clay David Almond · 2005 · ★ 3.6 · 284p · ≈ 9h · Moderate Fourteen-year-old Davie and his best friend, Geordie, are altar boys at their local Catholic Church. They're full of mischief, but that all changes when Stephen Rose comes to town. Father O'Mahoney thinks it would be a good idea for Davie and Geordie to befriend him--maybe some of their good nature will rub off on this unhappy soul. But it's Stephen who sees something special in Davie.Stephen's a… Shares: English literature, Children's fiction

A House of Pomegranates Oscar Wilde · 1891 · ★ 3.8 · 115p · ≈ 3h · Challenging A House of Pomegranates is a collection of fairy tales, written by Oscar Wilde, that was published in 1891 as a second collection for The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888). Wilde once said that this collection was "intended neither for the British child nor the British public." Original collection contains: The Young King The Birthday of the Infanta The Fisherman and his Soul The… Shares: English literature, Children's fiction

A long way from Verona Jane Gardam · 1971 · ★ 3.8 · 191p · ≈ 6h · Moderate A young girl aspiring to be a writer recounts her experiences growing up in England during the Second World War. Shares: Social aspects, Children's fiction

The Edge of the Knife H. Beam Piper · 2006 · 47p · ≈ 1h · Moderate Ed Chalmers, history professor, had a real problem in his classes: he kept blurting out events that hadn't happened yet. Of course that made him the butt of jokes and ridicule, and the Dean wanted him out despite his tenure. But Ed had other ideas ... especially when his predictions started coming true! Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Mortal Engines (Mortal Engines Quartet) Philip Reeve · 2018 · ★ 3.7 Collects together the four books that make up the Mortal Engines Quartet. Namely: 1. Mortal Engines 2. Predator's Gold 3. Infernal Devices 4. A Darkling Plain Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Rabbit and Robot Andrew Smith · 2018 · 448p · ≈ 14h · Moderate “This provocative jaunt…dissects society, technology, othering, and what makes humanity human.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “An unpredictable, gross, and prescient rumination on modernity, media consumption, and machine-aided communication.” —Booklist (starred review)Told with Andrew Smith’s signature dark humor, Rabbit & Robot tells the story of Cager Messer, a boy who’s stranded on the… Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

Choose Your Own Adventure - Beyond Escape! R. A. Montgomery · 1986 · ★ 4.0 · 118p · ≈ 3h · Moderate In the year 2041 you, the reader, are Chief of Operations for a peaceful country. Your two best agents are missing and an enemy spy has stolen your topsecret files. You decide what to do next. Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

I Was a Second Grade Werewolf Daniel Manus Pinkwater · 1983 · ★ 3.7 · 32p · ≈ 1h · Moderate Though he has turned into a werewolf, his parents, teacher, and classmates still see him as Lawrence Talbot, second-grader. Shares: Science Fiction, Children's fiction

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