If you were captivated by the sweeping, epoch-spanning narrative of Shikasta—from Canopean records to the fate of Earth—The Dispossessed offers a similar grand scale. Le Guin’s story follows Shevek, a physicist whose journey between two radically different worlds explores social evolution, the cyclical nature of progress, and the deep questions of what it means to belong in a universe shaped by forces larger than any one individual or society.

If you were intrigued by Lessing’s Canopean agents navigating the bewildering complexities of Earth and its spiritual decline, you’ll find Solaris equally compelling. Lem’s novel centers on a team of scientists studying the sentient ocean of the planet Solaris, whose incomprehensible responses to human presence probe the limits of communication, empathy, and understanding across species.

If you appreciated the profound meditations on human history, spiritual transformation, and the future in Shikasta, Childhood’s End will resonate with you. Clarke’s vision of alien Overlords guiding Earth toward a mysterious transcendence challenges readers to reflect on what it means to be human—and what we might become.

If you enjoyed how Lessing built the history of Shikasta through Canopean archives, political shifts, and the evolving nature of humanity, then The Left Hand of Darkness offers a similarly immersive experience. Gethen’s unique society, with its shifting gender norms and intricate customs, is explored through the eyes of an outsider, revealing how culture shapes perception at every level.

If the allegorical structure of Shikasta—with its mythic retelling of humanity’s fall and redemption—spoke to you, A Canticle for Leibowitz will too. This novel’s post-apocalyptic monks safeguard the remnants of lost knowledge, weaving religious symbolism and historical repetition into a meditation on the persistence of faith, memory, and meaning.