If you loved the dense, idea-driven science of Anathem—like the explorations of consciousness, mathematics, and philosophy within the walls of the concent—Blindsight will captivate you. Watts tackles the nature of sentience and alien intelligence through a rigorously scientific lens, as a crew of specialists investigates a mysterious alien presence at the edge of the solar system.

If you found yourself drawn into the layered societies, cloisters, and traditions of Anathem, Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun offers a similarly immersive experience. The story follows Severian, an exiled torturer, through a world steeped in forgotten technologies, secret orders, and deep history that unfolds with every chapter.

If the philosophical debates and metaphysical puzzles of Anathem—like Erasmus’s discussions with Fraa Jad and the enigmatic Hylaean Theoric World—struck a chord, Solaris will resonate with you. Lem’s novel confronts the limits of human understanding as scientists grapple with an inscrutable alien ocean that defies all attempts at communication or comprehension.

If the grand scale and centuries-spanning ramifications of the mathic world in Anathem fascinated you, Dune delivers an epic narrative of feuding noble houses, ecological transformation, and the rise of Paul Atreides. Herbert’s universe is vast, with politics, religion, and science intertwining in a story that’s both intimate and cosmic.

If the encounters with the Geometers and the complex linguistic and cultural puzzles in Anathem captivated you, Embassytown is a must-read. Miéville’s tale dives deep into the intricacies of language, meaning, and contact with truly alien minds in a setting where human and nonhuman communication forms the heart of both the world and the conflict.