Recs if you like The Raw Shark Texts...
Metafiction & playing with form
Books that play with the "book" as a medium or are otherwise self-reflexive/meta.
My current criteria for this list are (1) does the book highlight its own textuality consistently or (2) do the metafictional elements add significantly to the themes explored or (3) does the book's use of discourse and form (e.g., narrative situation, layout) significantly differ from the norm?
Make sure to comment your suggestions with a small explanation even if you're not 100 % sure if they fit!
dreams, doubles, and david lynch
โlynchianโ is an over-prescribed pill, so iโm not going to assign such a label to any of these books. still, this selection reflects works that are in some way evocative of the work of master artist and filmmaker david lynch.
in which nothing is as it seems
books that fracture, remake, and defy the rules of time, space, memory, and idea.
Liminal Horror
Recs are from r horrorlit. I have not read them, but thought it would be a fun concept for you and me.
(let me know if any suggestions are egregious)
#backrooms #dreamy #weird #strange #surreal
Ergodic & Odd Formatting Strictly- (W/ NOTES by me)๐ ๐
Iโve seen lists, but not one strictly about Ergodic/odd formatting where itโs vital to read the e/physical because of the formatting and/or text โnon inclusive of illustrated versions, and just adding non-vital images, etc.
These are the books where if you donโt read the physical (maybe the ebook) youโre MISSING something VITAL to the experience.
I often read audiobooks and donโt know Iโm missing out ๐ซ
PLS recommend W/ explanation (& avoid spoilers) & feel free to argue cases!!
Examples & notes in comments!!!
backrooms vibes
books that feel like the backrooms: unsettling and horrifying liminal spaces. Open to more recs that fit this description.
Books That Break The Rules
Books that ignore the traditional way of telling a story. These books tell their stories in unexpected ways, through letters, transcripts, diaries, documents, text messages, or unconventional layouts.
experimental lit
books with an experimental structure or narrative choices, metafiction, oulipo, postmodernism, etc.
Ergodic Literature
A list of ergodic books I've come across through time. Those books that go beyond words on a page and contain special elements and features that make reading a whole new experience!
who what when where am I?
protagonists with amnesia or memory loss trying to figure out what happened/is going on
Freaky Little Books
Monsters, murders, hauntings, aliens, nightmares and more! Exploring the bizarre and macabre in short form literature.
Tiny strange books for adventurous readers with short attention spans or limited free time.
Epsitolary, Ergodic, and Experimental Books
This list features books with nontraditional forms, structures, and narratives.
Feel free to recommend more! :)
Books that are better physical ๐
I love books that have some unique feature that is best enjoyed as a physical book, rather than e-book or audio. An example could be that it has footnotes, appendices, non-linear storytelling, or requires frequent flipping of pages.
In this digital age, itโs fun to find books where the physical book has an advantage. Itโs also a factor I use when purchasing books at the bookstore.
Totally open to recommendations, as part of my reason for making this list is wanting to find more!
Shark Week ๐ฆ
shark related books (both fiction and non fiction)
Books that leave you with a "wtf" feeling
Mostly horror, some thrillers, and some plain weird books that you probably followed well, and definitely think about for a long time.
questioning reality
What is real and what is not? This list focuses on books that make the MC question their reality, from dystopian and science fiction to horror. I find it interesting how this theme allows us to ask questions about our own identities and the world around us. Make sure you add your own recommendations so we can spiral together ;)
X-Files Coded
Books to read when you are wanting those fabulous monster of the week vibes!
ergodic lit and other odd books
"ergodic literature is a mode of textual organization in which nontrivial effort is required for the reader to traverse the text, beyond ordinary eye movement or turning pages." - espen j. aarseth
books with unique formatting, books you can play like a game, books you need to take apart and put back together again, stories-within-stories, books containing found documents and ephemera, etc.
Fiction in academic form
Narratives that mimic the structure and tone of scholarly or documentary writing. These works present themselves as research papers, field notes, encyclopedias, annotated manuscripts, or official records.
