Death will unfailingly find every person to have ever lived, yet is treated as a taboo topic in some cultures, causing extreme, pervasive anxiety. This nonfiction list aims to broaden understanding of this inevitability, both to hopefully negate some of the anxiety as well as satisfy some of our more morbid curiosities. It also aims to show that death is another, still useful, stage in the life cycle, aiding those that remain by helping to advance medicine, solve crimes, or understand art.
created by acloudofbats
last updated March, 2026



Totally a bonus point in knowing more about death!
I am rubbing my hands together so hard right now 😭😭😭😭 thank you so much.
You're so welcome! I hope you find much to enjoy in the list, and of course I'll continue adding to it as I find things that sound good. c:
Great list! Which do you think are the standouts?
Thank you! I still have a lot of reading to do just on this list, but I think great intro books are all of Caitlin Doughty's, both of Sue Black's, Dark Archives, and All the Living and the Dead. Most of them I listened to as audiobooks and most were read by the author, so they were great experiences.
I've been a Caitlin Doughty fan for a long time, but I need to check out Sue Black!
Some of her subject matter is tough to get through just because she worked on some major world disasters, helping to identify remains, but it's such a good look at how important forensic anthropology is. She narrates one of the books herself and has a lovely dry wit and Scottish accent too.