If you liked
Books like Shardik
by Richard Adams
Richard Adams's Shardik is the strange, ambitious second novel from the Watership Down author: a bear god, a hunter, a 700-page parable about belief and political violence. These five share its conceptual ambition.
The shortlist
What to read next
The Plague Dogsby Richard Adams
“Richard Adams's third novel. Two laboratory dogs escape in the Lake District. The book that broke me as a 12-year-old.”
The Hidden Queenby Alma Alexander
“The Hidden Queen by Alma Alexander 2004 review. A Croatian-Australian fantasy debut that opens a duology about a princess in hiding learning to use magic she should not have.”
Changer of Daysby Alma Alexander
“Changer of Days by Alma Alexander 2004 review. The conclusion to the duology that began with The Hidden Queen, escalating the political stakes without losing the patient register.”
The Algebraistby Iain M. Banks
“Iain M. Banks's standalone space opera. A galaxy without faster-than-light travel, a millennia-old gas-giant civilization, and one of his best villains.”
Steles of the Skyby Elizabeth Bear
“Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear 2014 review. The final book of the Eternal Sky trilogy lands its Mongol-empire-inspired epic fantasy with rare grace.”
FAQ
Common questions about Shardik read-alikes
- These look like fantasy. Was Shardik fantasy?
- Sort of. Shardik invented its own register: secondary-world parable with theological weight. The Adams sequel The Plague Dogs is closer to the Watership Down register (contemporary England, animals). Alma Alexander's Hidden Queen duology is the closest secondary-world parable cousin.
- Should I read Watership Down first?
- Not necessary. Shardik is the strangest of Adams's novels and the one most likely to surprise readers who came in expecting Watership Down.
- What other Richard Adams should I read?
- Maia (the much-criticized late novel that nonetheless has its defenders) and Tales from Watership Down (the short-story collection) are the two underread Adams books worth picking up.
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