If you were captivated by the way The Real Story thrusts you into a dark future with deeply flawed characters like Angus Thermopyle and Nick Succorso, you'll love Altered Carbon. Takeshi Kovacs is a protagonist whose ethics are always in question, operating in a gritty cyberpunk world where everyone—hero or villain—is compromised. The book skillfully explores the gray areas of morality, just as Donaldson does.

If you enjoyed the shifting alliances and perspectives between Morn Hyland, Angus Thermopyle, and Nick Succorso in The Real Story, Leviathan Wakes offers a similarly rich ensemble. You'll follow a diverse cast—from detective Miller to idealistic Holden—each with their own motives, secrets, and narrative arcs, making for a dynamic, multifaceted story.

If the bleak, almost noir tone of The Real Story drew you in—the violence, the sense of danger, the rawness—then Neuromancer will hit the mark. Gibson's world is just as unforgiving, filled with desperate characters like Case and Molly navigating a landscape of crime, betrayal, and survival.

If you appreciated how The Real Story slowly unspools layers of deception and hidden motives—never letting you know the full truth until the end—Revelation Space delivers a similarly complex, multi-layered plot. Multiple characters pursue their own agendas, and the narrative is full of twists, secrets, and shifting allegiances.

If Morn Hyland’s and Angus Thermopyle's intense journeys of survival and change resonated with you, The Stars My Destination is a classic in which Gully Foyle's transformation from an ordinary man into a force of nature is both riveting and disturbing. The character’s growth is as raw and powerful as anything in Donaldson’s universe.