Science fiction · Similar reads
Books like Red Rising
The best books like Red Rising are Homage to Catalonia, The Poppy War, and An Ember in the Ashes. Red Rising by Pierce Brown is about class and caste, revolution, identity and performance. If that's what drew you in, here are 12 books that share its DNA — each summarized on Superbook, and ready to chat with in the app.
- Homage to Catalonia
01
George Orwell · Memoir
Homage to Catalonia is George Orwell's firsthand account of fighting in the Spanish Civil War, which he joined in late 1936 as a volunteer with the POUM militia — a Trotskyist revolutionary organization that was later suppressed by the Soviet-backed Stalinist wing of the Republican forces.
Both dig into revolution.
Read the summary → - The Poppy War
02
R.F. Kuang · Fantasy
Rin is a war orphan from a poor southern province who claws her way into Sinegard, the empire's elite military academy, by acing an exam she was never supposed to pass.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - An Ember in the Ashes
03
Sabaa Tahir · Fantasy
An Ember in the Ashes is set in a Roman Empire-inspired world where the Martial empire has conquered and brutalized the Scholar people for centuries.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary → - Brave New Work
04
Aaron Dignan · Business
Brave New Work is Aaron Dignan's diagnosis of why most organizations are dysfunctional and a practical guide to building something better.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
05
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari · History
Sapiens traces the full arc of human history from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa roughly 70,000 years ago to the present.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - The Player of Games
06
Iain M. Banks · Science fiction
Jernau Gurgeh is the greatest game player in the Culture — an interstellar post-scarcity civilization governed by benevolent AIs called Minds.
Both dig into identity and performance.
Read the summary → - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
07
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ishmael Beah · Memoir
Ishmael Beah was twelve years old when the Sierra Leone civil war reached his village and he was separated from his family.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary → - Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
08
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal
Ben Macintyre · History
Eddie Chapman was a safecracker, con man, and professional criminal who became Britain's most remarkable double agent during World War II.
Both dig into loyalty.
Read the summary → - All Quiet on the Western Front
09
All Quiet on the Western Front
Erich Maria Remarque · History
All Quiet on the Western Front follows Paul Bäumer, a young German soldier who enlists with his classmates during the First World War after being swept up in patriotic speeches.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary → - All the Light We Cannot See
10
Anthony Doerr · Historical fiction
All the Light We Cannot See follows two children through the Second World War on a collision course neither can see coming.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary → - Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted
11
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted
Suleika Jaouad · Memoir
Suleika Jaouad was twenty-two and newly graduated, living in Paris with her first real job and a boyfriend, when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary → - Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
12
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Trevor Noah · Memoir
Born a Crime is Trevor Noah's memoir about growing up mixed-race in South Africa during the final years of apartheid and its chaotic aftermath.
Both dig into survival.
Read the summary →
Books like Red Rising: quick answers
What are the best books like Red Rising?
The best books like Red Rising by Pierce Brown are Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with Red Rising, such as class and caste, revolution, identity and performance.
What should I read after Red Rising?
A natural next read after Red Rising is Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell. Both dig into revolution. Other strong choices are The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan.
What books are similar to Red Rising by Pierce Brown?
Red Rising centers on class and caste, revolution, identity and performance. Books with a similar feel include Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
