If you enjoy reading books by Lauren Oyler then you might also like the following authors:
Sally Rooney writes thoughtful novels about complicated relationships and the anxieties faced by younger generations. Her clear, sharp dialogue and emotionally nuanced storytelling explore themes like intimacy, class dynamics, and personal growth.
If you appreciate Lauren Oyler's insightful takes on modern relationships, you might enjoy Rooney's Normal People, which charts the shifting connection between two friends over several years.
Ottessa Moshfegh's work is darkly funny, introspective, and often unsettling, focusing on characters who feel disconnected from society. Her stories feature candid examinations of isolation, identity, and self-destructive behaviors.
Fans of Oyler's sharp wit and unorthodox characters might appreciate Moshfegh's novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation, about a young woman attempting to escape reality through prolonged sleep.
Elif Batuman captures the awkwardness and excitement of youth in a smart yet effortlessly humorous style. Her writing explores themes like identity, language, and cultural displacement through the lives of bright, introspective characters.
If you like Oyler's observant commentary and satirical edge, you'll likely appreciate Batuman's The Idiot, which follows a thoughtful college freshman navigating friendships and love.
Sheila Heti blends fiction and autobiography with openness and originality. Her work questions relationships, creativity, desires, and self-awareness, using a frank, conversational storytelling style.
If you enjoy Oyler's reflective and self-aware tone, try Heti's How Should a Person Be?, an unconventional novel examining friendship, art, and identity through honest personal reflections.
Patricia Lockwood approaches literary fiction with daring humor, lyrical language, and sharp social observations about internet culture and contemporary life. Lockwood's writing style combines poetic creativity with biting wit, dissecting modern anxieties and absurdities.
Fans of Oyler's critical outlook on digital life and contemporary absurdities might enjoy Lockwood's novel No One Is Talking About This, which humorously and sensitively tackles the surreal influence of social media on everyday experiences.
Jia Tolentino writes sharp and thoughtful essays that explore identity, feminism, internet culture, and contemporary anxieties. Her writing feels conversational and insightful, encouraging readers to rethink their own views.
In her essay collection Trick Mirror, she examines the ways we see ourselves and others in the age of social media. Fans of Lauren Oyler who like witty, critical takes on modern life will likely appreciate Tolentino's clear-eyed observations.
Megan Boyle writes in a direct, confessional style that's open and honest—almost like reading diaries or intimate conversations. Her book Liveblog documents her day-to-day experiences over several months, openly showing her flaws, anxieties, and mundane realities.
Readers who enjoy Lauren Oyler's personal, reflective approach and exploration of self-awareness will connect with Boyle's sincere and unfiltered voice.
Tao Lin's novels capture the mundanity and emotional detachment of contemporary life. With flat, understated prose, he portrays characters struggling with their identities and feelings of alienation in an overly connected digital age.
In his novel Taipei, Lin tells a fictionalized story of a writer drifting through life, drugs, and relationships in search of meaning and authenticity.
If you appreciate how Lauren Oyler critiques modern internet-age loneliness and detachment, you'll find Tao Lin resonates as well.
Halle Butler writes sharp, darkly comic stories about young characters deeply dissatisfied with their lives and careers. Her work is both humorous and uncomfortable, showing just how absurd and empty modern office culture and adulting can feel.
In The New Me, Butler follows Millie, a young woman trapped in temp jobs, self-doubt, and spiraling anxiety. Readers who enjoyed Oyler's ironic, incisive commentary on millennial identity and disillusionment will find plenty to like in Butler's clear-eyed storytelling.
Catherine Lacey writes novels that explore individual identity, existential anxiety, and the pressures people feel in contemporary society. Her prose is precise and emotional, diving deeply into characters' internal conflicts.
In Nobody Is Ever Missing, Lacey tells the story of a woman who leaves her everyday life to escape an overwhelming sense of disconnection.
Fans who liked Oyler’s exploration of identity, isolation, and emotional complexity will be drawn to Lacey’s insightful, emotionally direct writing style.
Raven Leilani writes sharp, honest narratives about young adulthood, race, and complicated relationships. Her voice is direct and brutally funny, capturing the awkward experiences of modern life in a refreshing way.
Her novel, Luster, explores loneliness and identity through the eyes of Edie, a twenty-something woman navigating an affair, art, and her sense of self in the often detached and confusing landscape of New York City.
Naoise Dolan explores complex relationships, modern anxieties, and questions of self-worth with sharp wit and careful emotional observation. Her clean, precise writing stays emotionally insightful, funny, and engaging without being sentimental.
Dolan's novel Exciting Times gives an honest portrayal of the subtle power dynamics between characters, following Ava, an Irish woman living abroad, as she navigates complicated romantic relationships in Hong Kong.
Brandon Taylor's writing style is subtle but deeply emotionally charged. He writes poignantly about desire, mental health, and the intricacies of personal identity.
In his novel Real Life, readers follow Wallace, a Black gay graduate student, as he deals with isolation, academic pressures, and difficult personal connections, presenting a vivid portrayal of friendship, race, and sexuality within academic life.
Ben Lerner crafts fiction blending insight, humor, and intellectual depth. His novels explore self-awareness, language, art, and the anxieties of modern life, offering reflective and critical perspectives on contemporary culture.
In The Topeka School, Lerner uses vivid prose to portray a family and their community in Kansas, examining themes of privilege, masculinity, communication, and the sources of modern discontent.
Rachel Cusk creates profound narratives focusing on identity, family, marriage, and the complex ways women navigate their personal and professional lives. She combines precise prose with insightful observations, revealing the deeper truths beneath daily experiences.
In her novel Outline, Cusk follows a writer teaching a summer course in Greece, who listens to the stories of those around her, creating a meaningful study of what it means to construct and share our identity with others.