What should I read after The Terror by Dan Simmons? I fear that I will never find a book this gripping again!

I read the Terror in December and I don’t think any other book has gripped me in quite the same way. I remember I was partway through a tense chapter when I had to go to my parents’ house for Christmas dinner, and all I could think about the whole time was what would happen next.

I read quite broadly, but I do have a particular soft spot for naval and polar expeditions/disasters (which is how I stumbled upon The Terror in the first place). The polar setting, the incredible tension, the fantastic characters, and the understated humor all combined into a novel that felt like it was almost perfectly tailored for me.

I was hoping that Dan Simmons would prove to be a new favorite author, but I just finished reading The Fifth Heart and… it was fine, but bears no resemblance to The Terror whatsoever (much to its detriment). Apparently this foray into history/horror was quite atypical for Simmons, so while I will probably read more Simmons books, I suspect they won’t scratch the same itch.

Some similarish books/authors I like, (and some recommendations of my own!)

– As mentioned, I’ve read pretty much every nonfiction book about polar expeditions and shipwrecks that exist. I enjoyed The Wager, The Perfect Storm, Endurance, and The White Darkness

– I’ve been pretty into Stephen King lately. My favorites are his longer, grand scale novels (The Stand, The Dark Tower)

– I like Neal Stephenson a lot, and particularly enjoyed his historical fiction Baroque cycle, which is a deviation from his typical science fiction fare. The Baroque trilogy — Quicksilver, Confusion, and The System of the World — got mixed reviews, with many readers feeling it was too long, meandering, and boring. I quite enjoyed that aspect, though — Stephenson goes quite in depth about early monetary policy and the birth of the stock market, which sort of reminded me of Simmons’ historical grounding

– I discovered and adored Colson Whitehead this year and immediately read everything he’s ever written. He writes historical fiction, sometimes with elements of sci fi and fantasy (The Underground Railroad is so fucking good it won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, AND Arthur C Clarke award. Do yourself a favor and read it)

– Generally I appreciate good writing and compelling characters. Favorite non-genre books last year included Atonement, The Great Believers, and The Orphan Master’s Son)

Does anyone have any suggestions for what to read next? I am despairing at the thought of having read my perfect book, and having every future book be slightly disappointing!

EDIT these days I almost exclusively listen to audiobooks, so bonus points if the narrator for your suggestion is good!

by zenocrate