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Quick answer: If you liked An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, try A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, Ready Player One, Project Hail Mary, The Circle, Followers and Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. They mix fast plots, tech culture and big questions about fame and mystery.
Hank Green's 2018 debut follows April May, a young designer who finds a giant statue in New York, films a video and becomes famous overnight as the world discovers more of them. It is a funny, thoughtful novel about internet fame, mystery and how people react to the unknown. These 15 books cover the same ground: techno-thrillers, alien mysteries and satire of life online.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor | Hank Green | Adult | the direct sequel |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | Adult | readers who like games and nostalgia |
| Project Hail Mary | Andy Weir | Adult | readers who like science puzzles |
| The Circle | Dave Eggers | Adult | readers who like tech dystopia |
| Followers | Megan Angelo | Adult | readers who like social media satire |
| Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore | Robin Sloan | Adult | readers who love books and code |
| Little Brother | Cory Doctorow | Teen/Adult | readers who like hacking |
| Yellowface | R.F. Kuang | Adult | readers who like satire |
| Dark Matter | Blake Crouch | Adult | readers who like twists |
| Recursion | Blake Crouch | Adult | readers who like ideas |
| Scythe | Neal Shusterman | Teen/Adult | readers who like YA sci-fi |
| The Martian | Andy Weir | Adult | readers who like problem solving |
| Annihilation | Jeff VanderMeer | Adult | readers who like mystery |
| Station Eleven | Emily St. John Mandel | Adult | readers who like human stories |
| Sourdough | Robin Sloan | Adult | readers who want a cozy read |
1. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
The sequel, picking up after the first book's cliffhanger. April faces the consequences of her fame and the mystery of the Carls.
Best for: the direct sequel.
2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Wade Watts hunts for an Easter egg in a virtual world full of 1980s pop culture. Fast and nostalgic.
Best for: readers who like games and nostalgia.
3. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship and must save the Earth. Funny, clever and moving.
Best for: readers who like science puzzles.
4. The Circle by Dave Eggers
Mae joins a powerful tech company and is drawn into its culture of total transparency. Chilling and satirical.
Best for: readers who like tech dystopia.
5. Followers by Megan Angelo
Two women chase fame online, while a future story shows the cost of living in public. Sharp and fast.
Best for: readers who like social media satire.
6. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Clay, a web designer, takes a job at a strange bookstore and finds a secret society. Warm, funny and nerdy.
Best for: readers who love books and code.
7. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Marcus, a teen hacker, fights back after the Department of Homeland Security abuses its power. Fast and political.
Best for: readers who like hacking.
8. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
A writer steals her dead friend's manuscript and builds a career. Sharp, funny and tense.
Best for: readers who like satire.
9. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Jason Dessen is kidnapped and wakes in a life that is not his own. A fast thriller with a big idea.
Best for: readers who like twists.
10. Recursion by Blake Crouch
A detective and a scientist face a memory plague that rewrites people's lives. Smart and gripping.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
11. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
In a world without death, scythes choose who to kill. Dark, original and fast.
Best for: readers who like YA sci-fi.
12. The Martian by Andy Weir
Mark Watney, stranded on Mars, must survive. Funny and gripping.
Best for: readers who like problem solving.
13. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
A team enters Area X, a zone where nature has changed. Short and eerie.
Best for: readers who like mystery.
14. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
A traveling troupe of actors survives in a post-pandemic world. Beautiful and quiet.
Best for: readers who like human stories.
15. Sourdough by Robin Sloan
A software engineer inherits a sourdough starter and enters the world of food markets. Warm and strange.
Best for: readers who want a cozy read.
How to Choose
For the next part of the story, read A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor. For similar mysteries, choose Dark Matter, Recursion or Project Hail Mary. For internet satire, try Followers, The Circle or Yellowface. For bookish fun, read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Both Hank Green novels end with big questions, so you may enjoy discussing them with friends. A good reading order is the duology first, then a puzzle-box thriller like Dark Matter, then a satire such as The Circle, so the tone shifts from hopeful to dark. Audiobooks suit April's chatty narration.
Related: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Last Thing He Told Me Ending Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Is An Absolutely Remarkable Thing a series?
Yes. It is followed by A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, and the two form a duology.
What is the main theme?
The novel looks at fame, social media and how people respond to mystery.
Does it have a cliffhanger?
Yes. The first book ends with a major question that the sequel addresses.
Who is Hank Green?
He is a YouTuber, educator and author who co-created many online channels with his brother John Green.
Is it hard science fiction?
No. It is closer to a near-future mystery with humor, and it does not require technical knowledge.
What do readers say about the ending?
Many like the open questions, while others wanted more answers, so the sequel matters.