If you were captivated by the intricate, future-Bangkok setting and cultural textures in The Windup Girl, you'll love how China Mountain Zhang transports you into a future dominated by Chinese culture. The novel’s nuanced depiction of daily life, shifting climates, and the interplay between personal ambitions and societal expectations creates a world as vivid and complex as Bacigalupi’s.

If you appreciated the relentless, sometimes brutal atmosphere of The Windup Girl—from the violence of genetic enforcers to the desperate survival of its characters—The Water Knife delivers a similarly harsh and uncompromising world. Set in a near-future American Southwest ravaged by drought, you'll find the same intensity and moral grayness as characters fight for survival and power.

If you enjoyed following Anderson Lake, Hock Seng, Emiko, and Jaidee through intersecting stories in The Windup Girl, River of Gods offers a sprawling tapestry of characters in near-future India. Each brings unique perspectives and motivations, weaving together a complex narrative that mirrors the multi-threaded storytelling you admired.

If you were fascinated by the bioengineered plagues, calorie companies, and environmental themes in The Windup Girl, you'll be drawn into Oryx and Crake. Atwood’s vision of a world devastated by unchecked genetic manipulation and ecological collapse resonates with the same urgency and cautionary power.

If you were intrigued by characters like Hock Seng and Anderson Lake, whose actions blur the lines between heroism and self-interest, Perdido Street Station offers equally complex figures. Isaac and Lin must navigate the grime and corruption of New Crobuzon, making difficult, sometimes questionable choices in a city as morally tangled as the Bangkok of The Windup Girl.