If you loved the way The Girl in the Road plunged you into vibrant, speculative landscapes shaped by real-world geographies and cultures, you'll be captivated by Lagoon. Okorafor’s novel weaves together the chaos and beauty of Lagos with imaginative detail, as aliens arrive and disrupt the city’s fabric. Like Byrne, Okorafor brings diverse voices and worldviews to life, making you feel the pulse of a possible future.

If the braided, non-chronological paths of Meena and Mariama in The Girl in the Road drew you in, The Book of M will offer a similarly mesmerizing experience. Shepherd’s story follows multiple characters whose timelines twist and overlap in a world where people’s shadows (and memories) vanish, challenging their sense of self. Each revelation recontextualizes what you’ve read, echoing Byrne’s layered narrative structure.

If you were fascinated by Meena and Mariama’s morally ambiguous decisions and inner struggles in The Girl in the Road, you’ll be deeply moved by Aster in An Unkindness of Ghosts. Solomon crafts a protagonist who is brilliant, troubled, and far from perfect, navigating a generation ship’s harsh hierarchies and making choices with no easy answers.

If the fierce, resourceful women of The Girl in the Road inspired you, you’ll connect with Lauren Olamina in Parable of the Sower. Butler’s visionary protagonist endures a fractured society and undertakes a perilous journey, her strength and evolution anchoring the narrative and making her unforgettable.

If you appreciated the global, intersectional lens of The Girl in the Road, The Power will intrigue you with its tapestry of international characters and shifting viewpoints. Alderman imagines a world upended by sudden changes in gender dynamics, exploring identity, culture, and power through a cast as varied and nuanced as Byrne’s.