Severance [GRPL Book Club]Like this list

15 items

• The Very Nice Box

  a Novel

  Blackett, Laura,

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  A novel that straddles the line between "rom com" and "suspenseful thriller," painting a scathing portrait of contemporary work culture, entitlement, and the perils of being a woman in a "man's world".

• Several People Are Typing

  a Novel

  Kasulke, Calvin,

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  This one plays with format and genre in a fun way. Written entirely in the form of Slack messages, "Several People Are Typing" is the story of office worker Gerald, whose consciousness has been uploaded into the company's internal communication…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• There's No Such Thing as An Easy Job

  Tsumura, Kikuko, 1978-

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  Much of "Severance" is about going through the motions, day in and day out, of a repetitive, meaningless job. The protagonist of this dark comedy from author Kikuko Tsumura is looking for just that: a job that simply doesn't ask much of her. And her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Factory

  Oyamada, Hiroko, 1983-

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  Another bit of horror that's more surreal than satire, "The Factory" takes place in a sprawling industrial campus, where every employee has a narrow, specific task to complete - over and over, all day every day. Kept busy enough and fragmented…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Year of Rest and Relaxation

  Moshfegh, Ottessa,

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  What if, instead of losing yourself in your work, you simply stopped doing it - and, really, anything at all? A novel about mental health, burnout, and the all-too-common feeling of detachment and alienation created by our contemporary society and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Zone One

  a Novel

  Whitehead, Colson, 1969-

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  On the whole, the "zombie apocalypse" genre is one that's about throwing off the yoke of the world as we know it and starting over. Colson Whitehead's "Zone One" is a zombie-filled post-apocalyptic New York City where society, bureaucracy, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bliss Montage

  Ma, Ling, 1983-

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  Find yourself becoming a fan of Ling Ma's work? Check out this collection of her short stories, many of which touch on similar themes to "Severance."

• The Circle

  a Novel

  Eggers, Dave

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  Mae Holland is working for the Circle - one of the most influential tech companies in the world - and lives on their sprawling, dream-like campus. It's modern, fun, and fully connected, integrating all aspects of her social media and financial…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Warehouse

  a Novel

  Hart, Rob (Fiction writer),

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  Another dystopia-adjacent novel about a massive live-work facility, out-of-control capitalism, environmental devastation, monotony, burnout, and corporate surveillance. Harrowing and uncomfortably near-future, where an ordinary employee and a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Am Legend

  Matheson, Richard, 1926-2013,

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  The original novella that tackled the notion of being the last person alive in an emptied city (and the grandpappy of much of our modern zombie aesthetic, despite technically being about vampires), Matheson's "I Am Legend" tackled suburban ennui in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Temporary

  Leichter, Hilary,

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  Another surreal workplace novel that falls more on the side of humor and magical realism than horror, "Temporary" is the story of a woman trying on a near-infinite variety of different, increasingly-absurd temporary jobs, trying to do her best work…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• If You Liked "Leave The World Behind" by Rumaan Alam

  View on bibliocommons.com

  Looking for more soft apocalyptic stories? These books similar to "Leave the World Behind" by Rumaan Alam feature very recent world-endings and a slow-building sense of dread.

• If You Liked "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata

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  Looking for more books that capture the banal absurdity of modern work culture and pressures on women to conform to social expectations? Check out these similar reads!

• If You Liked "Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982" by Nam-Ju Cho

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  Looking instead for novels written by Asian and Asian-American women about misogyny, social pressure to conform to the patriarchal demands of womanhood, with a bent toward satire, the surreal, and horror? Check out more similar titles here!

• Severance [GRPL Book Club]

  Ma, Ling, 1983-

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  Haven't had a chance to read Ling Ma's "Severance"? Click through to check out a copy in your preferred format!