Books like Severance + Giovanni’s Room

Hi! I have been trying to get back into reading the last few months instead of rotting on my phone all day, and recently have read Severance by Ling Ma after it was recommended to me by a friend. I ended up really liking the book and was surprised by my eagerness to finish it— these days, I can hardly ever find a book that actually keeps my attention and makes me want to pick it up instead of doing anything else (such as, ie, rotting on my phone all day). Last night I stayed up JUST to read the last 40 pages, which never happens to me!

I am looking for some more book recommendations of a similar nature to severance, particularly in regards to themes such as apocalypses and capitalist commentary and whatnot. Some of my favorite aspects of the book include the use of a trope, like an apocalypse, but creating a rather unique interpretation of what an apocalypse can look like— the fact that there’s no real danger, that there’s not actual zombies but rather humans who are ill with a sickness that works as an allegory for capitalism etc etc. Like, it’s a concept that’s outside the box, interesting, but is still done through a rather traditional story type: an apocalypse.

Another book I really liked, which is in a totally different ballpark lol, was Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. I LOVED it when I read it the first time. I love how effortlessly Baldwin captures the depth of human emotions and the complexity of our inner beliefs (aka internalized homophobia lol) through words on paper. The book just felt so human to me and I had seldom ever read something that felt like it could’ve come straight from one’s head, rather than from a totally fictional character.

I know these are two totally different books so I am happy to receive recommendations in any direction. If it helps, I do enjoy romance + drama, but I HATE cliche, cheesy stories. I want something thought provoking, raw, showing the complexities of the human experience, etc. I also do enjoy thriller and ‘unrealistic’ scenarios, such as apocalypses, paranormal events, etc.

I hope this all makes sense and isn’t totally word vomit lol, any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated!