Science fiction · Similar reads
Books like The Lathe of Heaven
The best books like The Lathe of Heaven are Homage to Catalonia, The Trial, and The Castle. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin is about power and unintended consequences, hubris, consent and autonomy. 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.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - The Trial
02
Franz Kafka · Literary fiction
On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, Josef K.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - The Castle
- Into Thin Air
04
Jon Krakauer · Memoir
Into Thin Air is Jon Krakauer's firsthand account of the May 1996 Everest expedition that killed eight climbers in a single afternoon.
Both dig into hubris.
Read the summary → - Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
05
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
Erik Larson · History
Isaac's Storm reconstructs the deadliest natural disaster in American history: the hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, killing somewhere between six and twelve thousand people in a single day.
Both dig into hubris.
Read the summary → - Startup
06
Jerry Kaplan · Business
Startup is Jerry Kaplan's account of GO Corporation, the pen-computing company he co-founded in 1987 and ran until it collapsed in 1994.
Both dig into hubris.
Read the summary → - The Best and the Brightest
07
David Halberstam · History
David Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest, published in 1972, is both a history of American intervention in Vietnam and a study of institutional failure.
Both dig into hubris.
Read the summary → - When Genius Failed
08
Roger Lowenstein · Economics
When Genius Failed is Roger Lowenstein's account of Long-Term Capital Management, the hedge fund that almost took down the global financial system in 1998.
Both dig into hubris.
Read the summary → - 2001: A Space Odyssey
09
Arthur C. Clarke · Science fiction
2001: A Space Odyssey begins with prehistoric man-apes encountering a featureless black monolith that somehow catalyzes their cognitive leap from prey to hunter.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - A Fire Upon the Deep
10
Vernor Vinge · Science fiction
The galaxy in A Fire Upon the Deep is zoned by the speed of thought: near the galactic core, the Slowness, where intelligence itself is limited; farther out, the Unthinking Depths; and further still, the Transcend, where entities of incomprehensible intelligence emerge and occasionally intervene in the affairs of the merely civilized.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
11
A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Becky Chambers · Science fiction
Rosemary Harper boards the Wayfarer under a false identity, hoping to escape a family history she cannot speak about.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary → - A Memory Called Empire
12
Arkady Martine · Science fiction
Mahit Dzmare, ambassador from a small, semi-independent mining station to the vast Teixcalaanli Empire, arrives at the capital to find her predecessor has died under suspicious circumstances and the neural implant that was supposed to give her access to his memories and knowledge is three years out of date.
A kindred science fiction read.
Read the summary →
Books like The Lathe of Heaven: quick answers
What are the best books like The Lathe of Heaven?
The best books like The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin are Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, The Trial by Franz Kafka, The Castle by Franz Kafka, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson, plus 7 more below. Each was chosen for themes it shares with The Lathe of Heaven, such as power and unintended consequences, hubris, consent and autonomy.
What should I read after The Lathe of Heaven?
A natural next read after The Lathe of Heaven is Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell. A kindred science fiction read. Other strong choices are The Trial by Franz Kafka, The Castle by Franz Kafka, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.
What books are similar to The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin?
The Lathe of Heaven centers on power and unintended consequences, hubris, consent and autonomy. Books with a similar feel include Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, The Trial by Franz Kafka, The Castle by Franz Kafka, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson, Startup by Jerry Kaplan — all free to read and chat with on Superbook.
