Fantasy · Similar reads

Books like Stardust

The best books like Stardust are The Alchemist, 1984, and Siddhartha. Stardust by Neil Gaiman is about fairy tale logic, identity and transformation, love and sacrifice. 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.

  1. The Alchemist
    The Alchemist

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    The Alchemist

    Paulo Coelho · Religion & Spirituality

    The Alchemist is a Brazilian novel first published in 1988 and translated into 80 languages, making it one of the most translated books in history.

    A kindred fantasy read.

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  2. 1984
    1984

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    1984

    George Orwell · Philosophy

    Nineteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's 1949 novel about a future England called Airstrip One, governed by the totalitarian Party under the figurehead Big Brother.

    A kindred fantasy read.

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  3. Siddhartha
    Siddhartha

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    Siddhartha

    Hermann Hesse · Religion & Spirituality

    Siddhartha is Hermann Hesse's 1922 novel of spiritual seeking, written at a time when Hesse was deeply studying Buddhist and Hindu texts.

    A kindred fantasy read.

    Read the summary →
  1. Lab Girl
    Lab Girl

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    Lab Girl

    Hope Jahren · Memoir

    Lab Girl is Hope Jahren's memoir of becoming a scientist, told alongside a parallel account of plant biology that is one of the most original structural decisions in recent nonfiction.

    A kindred fantasy read.

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  2. Uprooted
    Uprooted

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    Uprooted

    Naomi Novik · Fantasy

    Uprooted is a standalone fantasy novel inspired by Polish folklore.

    Shares identity and transformation and coming of age with Stardust.

    Read the summary →
  3. A Wizard of Earthsea
    A Wizard of Earthsea

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    A Wizard of Earthsea

    Ursula K. Le Guin · Fantasy

    A Wizard of Earthsea is Ursula K.

    Both dig into coming of age.

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  4. Neverwhere
    Neverwhere

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    Neverwhere

    Neil Gaiman · Fantasy

    Neverwhere began as a BBC TV series in 1996 and was novelized by Gaiman in the same year.

    Both dig into identity and transformation.

    Read the summary →
  5. The Eye of the World
    The Eye of the World

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    The Eye of the World

    Robert Jordan · Fantasy

    The Eye of the World is the opening volume of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, a fourteen-book series that spent more than two decades reshaping the commercial landscape of epic fantasy.

    Both dig into coming of age.

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  6. The Midnight Sun
    The Midnight Sun

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    The Midnight Sun

    Stephenie Meyer · Fantasy

    Midnight Sun is Stephenie Meyer's retelling of Twilight (2005) from the perspective of Edward Cullen, the vampire who falls in love with Bella Swan in a small Washington town.

    Both dig into identity and transformation.

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  7. The Night Circus
    The Night Circus

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    The Night Circus

    Erin Morgenstern · Fantasy

    Le Cirque des Rêves appears overnight, with no announcement — black and white striped tents that smell of caramel and bonfire smoke, open only after dark, filled with impossible things.

    Both dig into love and sacrifice.

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  8. Angela's Ashes
    Angela's Ashes

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    Angela's Ashes

    Frank McCourt · Memoir

    Angela's Ashes is Frank McCourt's memoir of a catastrophically impoverished Irish Catholic childhood, first in Brooklyn and then in Limerick, during the 1930s and 1940s.

    Both dig into coming of age.

    Read the summary →
  9. Barbarian Days
    Barbarian Days

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    Barbarian Days

    William Finnegan · Memoir

    Barbarian Days is William Finnegan's memoir of a life spent surfing — from his childhood in Los Angeles and Hawaii through decades of obsessive searching for waves across the Pacific, Asia, Africa, and eventually the cold waters of New York.

    Both dig into coming of age.

    Read the summary →

Books like Stardust: quick answers

What are the best books like Stardust?

The best books like Stardust by Neil Gaiman are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, 1984 by George Orwell, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with Stardust, such as fairy tale logic, identity and transformation, love and sacrifice.

What should I read after Stardust?

A natural next read after Stardust is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A kindred fantasy read. Other strong choices are 1984 by George Orwell, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.

What books are similar to Stardust by Neil Gaiman?

Stardust centers on fairy tale logic, identity and transformation, love and sacrifice. Books with a similar feel include The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, 1984 by George Orwell, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, Uprooted by Naomi Novik, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.

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