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Viriconium by M. John Harrison

Have you read this book? Just a few quick questions — it takes about a minute. Share what you liked (or didn’t), and we’ll use your answers to recommend your next favorite read!

Love Viriconium but not sure what to read next?

These picks are popular with readers who enjoyed this book. Complete a quick Shelf Talk to get recommendations made just for you! Warning: possible spoilers for Viriconium below.

In Viriconium, did you enjoy ...

... the intricate, dreamlike city and lush, immersive worldbuilding?

City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer

If you were captivated by the shifting, surreal landscapes of Viriconium and the sense that the city itself was a living, breathing character, you’ll lose yourself in City of Saints and Madmen. VanderMeer’s Ambergris is a city as strange and layered as Viriconium, with bizarre festivals, fungal mysteries, and unreliable histories that create a world so detailed you’ll question what’s real.

... the poetic, ornate language and evocative prose style?

Engine Summer by John Crowley

If you loved the lyrical, baroque prose of Viriconium, Engine Summer will entrance you with its lush, dreamlike sentences. Crowley’s writing is rich with imagery and subtle rhythms, creating an atmosphere that feels timeless and otherworldly, much like Harrison’s city of shifting illusions.

... the haunting, philosophical exploration of decay and transformation?

The Drowned World by J. G. Ballard

If the existential questions and philosophical undertones of Viriconium drew you in, The Drowned World offers a similarly profound meditation on memory, entropy, and the human psyche. As Kerans wanders a flooded, ruined city, Ballard explores what it means to be human in a world that is both beautiful and collapsing.

... the morally ambiguous heroes navigating a bizarre, atmospheric city?

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville

If you were compelled by the ethically complex characters and the muddy, uncertain morality of Viriconium, you'll find Isaac and his companions in Perdido Street Station to be equally fascinating. Their decisions are fraught with consequence and ambiguity, set against the backdrop of the teeming, monstrous city of New Crobuzon.

... the non-linear narrative and reality-warping story structure?

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

If the fractured, dreamlike chronology of Viriconium intrigued you, The Unconsoled will mesmerize you with its surreal, shifting sense of time and place. Ryder’s journey through a city of shifting rules and memories blurs reality and narrative in a way that echoes Harrison’s approach.

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