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Quick answer: If you loved Epic, read Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, Ready Player Two and Armada, then Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, then William Gibson's Neuromancer, and Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. All are fast stories set in games and virtual worlds.
Conor Kostick's 2004 novel takes place on a planet where life is run through an online game, and a group of teenagers upends the system. These picks keep that mix of adventure and online worlds.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline | Adult | readers who like games and nostalgia |
| Ready Player Two | Ernest Cline | Adult | the sequel |
| Armada | Ernest Cline | 14+ | readers who like game fiction |
| Ender's Game | Orson Scott Card | Adult | sci-fi fans |
| Neuromancer | William Gibson | Adult | readers who like cyberspace |
| Snow Crash | Neal Stephenson | Adult | witty cyberpunk |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | 12+ | readers who want intense action |
| The Maze Runner | James Dashner | 12+ | readers who like puzzles |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | 13+ | YA dystopia fans |
| Little Brother | Cory Doctorow | Teen/Adult | readers who like hacking |
| Cloud Atlas | David Mitchell | Adult | readers who like structure |
| Dungeon Crawler Carl | Matt Dinniman | Adult | the author's best-known series |
| The Giver | Lois Lowry | 12+ | readers who like ideas |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | 14+ | readers who like court intrigue |
| Gone | Michael Grant | Teen | no adults |
1. 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.
2. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Wade faces a new virtual world and bigger stakes. A larger and more divisive sequel.
Best for: the sequel.
3. Armada by Ernest Cline
A teen gamer finds that the game he plays may be a training program for a real alien invasion. Fast and fun.
Best for: readers who like game fiction.
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Ender Wiggin is recruited to a battle school in space. A classic of young genius and manipulation.
Best for: sci-fi fans.
5. Neuromancer by William Gibson
Case, a washed-up hacker, takes a final job in cyberspace. The book that created cyberpunk.
Best for: readers who like cyberspace.
6. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
A pizza-delivering hacker named Hiro Protagonist fights a virus that spreads in both the virtual and the real world. Fast, funny and packed with ideas about language and power.
Best for: witty cyberpunk.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Katniss volunteers to take her sister's place in a televised fight to the death. It is not magic, but its high stakes and quick pace appeal to the same readers.
Best for: readers who want intense action.
8. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas wakes in a glade surrounded by a deadly maze and must solve it with other boys. Mystery and suspense on every page.
Best for: readers who like puzzles.
9. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Tris chooses a faction in a divided Chicago and discovers she does not fit. Fast and popular.
Best for: YA dystopia fans.
10. 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.
11. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Six nested stories across time, each read by the next. Inventive and moving.
Best for: readers who like structure.
12. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
Carl and his cat Princess Donut are dragged into a deadly alien game show beneath Earth. The starting point for Dinniman's world, with sharp humor, gore and surprising heart.
Best for: the author's best-known series.
13. The Giver by Lois Lowry
Jonas lives in a society without pain, and learns its secrets. Short and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
14. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Mare, a Red girl with a Silver power, is forced into a deadly court. Fast and twisty.
Best for: readers who like court intrigue.
15. Gone by Michael Grant
Everyone over fourteen vanishes from a town. Fast, violent and gripping.
Best for: no adults.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Epic: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Epic. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For the closest match, try Ready Player One, Armada or Warcross. For a classic, pick Ender's Game or Snow Crash. For a younger series, read The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner or Divergent.
Related: What Is Epic Fantasy vs High Fantasy? · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Epic?
Conor Kostick, in 2004.
What is it about?
A teenager takes on a society that runs on an online game.
Is it a series?
It has sequels, Saga and Edda.
Who is it for?
Young adults and fans of game stories.
What should I read next?
Try Ready Player One.
Which book here is best for no adults?
Try Gone by Michael Grant, which suits readers looking for no adults.
Which book here is best for readers who like court intrigue?
Try Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, which suits readers looking for readers who like court intrigue.