Should have definitely included Company by Max Barry, in which the protagonist discovers every department only serves to help another, and nothing is actually being produced.
I’m so happy to have found your newsletter through this awesome post! Reading through I was like “yes…yes…yes!” I actually picked up Ling Ma’s Severance last year totally assuming it was the source material for the show, and while clearly it’s not, I’m so happy you included it for all the reasons you described. Looking forward to more recommendation roundups…although my TBR pile may get unwieldy.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the guide!! And welcome! I feel like the book Severance has had such a moment between both pandemic and now the tv show given the name.
Great post! It gives me lots of options while waiting for Season 3 as I haven't read most of these! I completely agree with your comp of Severance to Lost - while different very different stories/setup, it gives me the same eerie watching experience, SO MANY QUESTIONS haha
I bought the Dream Hotel this month and expect to pick that up soon, interesting that the cover is so similar to the School for Good Mothers. Our Wives Under the Sea also sounds like a perfect fit for me. Thanks for this great list!!
I thought that about those two covers, too! They feel like they will be very much in conversation with each other. Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! For the record I’ve been rewatching Lost lately now too 😂
Start with White Noise, it's his easiest to get into. Zero K isn't an easy read and it's not funny at all, unlike a lot of his other stuff, but I liked the starkness of his prose in that one.
Should have definitely included Company by Max Barry, in which the protagonist discovers every department only serves to help another, and nothing is actually being produced.
Oh I haven’t heard of that one, will check it out!
I’m so happy to have found your newsletter through this awesome post! Reading through I was like “yes…yes…yes!” I actually picked up Ling Ma’s Severance last year totally assuming it was the source material for the show, and while clearly it’s not, I’m so happy you included it for all the reasons you described. Looking forward to more recommendation roundups…although my TBR pile may get unwieldy.
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the guide!! And welcome! I feel like the book Severance has had such a moment between both pandemic and now the tv show given the name.
Great list! I would also like to suggest a wonderful small press book, The Enhancers by Anne K. Yoder https://meeklingpress.com/enhancers/
Great post! It gives me lots of options while waiting for Season 3 as I haven't read most of these! I completely agree with your comp of Severance to Lost - while different very different stories/setup, it gives me the same eerie watching experience, SO MANY QUESTIONS haha
I bought the Dream Hotel this month and expect to pick that up soon, interesting that the cover is so similar to the School for Good Mothers. Our Wives Under the Sea also sounds like a perfect fit for me. Thanks for this great list!!
I thought that about those two covers, too! They feel like they will be very much in conversation with each other. Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! For the record I’ve been rewatching Lost lately now too 😂
I just finished Ling Ma’s Severance last week so coming across this list had me in a frenzy to add every title to my ThriftBooks wish list!
Please report back if you end up loving any!
Great list! Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee could fit here as well, it touches on a lot of severance*-type themes
*show
I’ll have to check that one out!! New to me
you get the shadowy corporation, weird job (“dream auditor”), a little mysticism, the neutering of social connection by work
Fantastic roundup!!!!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! It was honestly very fun to pull together
Just found your newsletter and can’t wait to see more recs! I think our tastes line up well
Several people are typing book would belong here too!
Someone else mentioned that title too! I will have to check it out
This list is AMAZING
Thank you so much Lauren!! This made my day 😊
The cold, corporate silence of the world of Don DeLillo's Zero K reminded me a lot of Lumon.
Ooo I’m not familiar with that one! I haven’t read any DeLillo
Start with White Noise, it's his easiest to get into. Zero K isn't an easy read and it's not funny at all, unlike a lot of his other stuff, but I liked the starkness of his prose in that one.
Loved these recs! If I wasn’t held hostage by grad school at the moment I’d be all over them. One day …
Don’t worry the books will wait for you!!
I feel like Several People Are Typing could be a good recommendation as well!
I will have to check that one out! It rings a bell, may have heard of it from somewhere
This is awesome!! Thank you!!📚
Thanks for sharing these! I’ve read a few on your list and am excited to add some others!
Thank you for reading the piece Chanae!! I’m so glad you got some good recs 😊
Just finished The Dream Hotel. Might become non-fiction sooner than we think😳
Oh man 😬😬😬 I’m excited to read it ASAP
I am obsessed with Severance! Thank you for this list. Some I've read but there are a bunch that I'm super interested in
I’m so, so glad Sherrie!! This was an extra fun one to make and many I’m dying to pick up too
Can't wait for the season finale 😊