If you enjoy reading books by Mary Doria Russell then you might also like the following authors:
Ursula K. Le Guin is a writer who brings deep thought and care to her stories, often exploring themes about humanity and society. Her book “The Left Hand of Darkness” is set on a planet where people can shift between male and female genders.
The story follows an outsider, Genly Ai, as he works to build trust and understanding with the planet’s inhabitants. Their culture challenges his views, and the journey he takes with a key ally, Estravan, shows how bonds can form across profound differences.
Octavia E. Butler wrote science fiction that is hard to forget. One of her most popular books, “Parable of the Sower,” tells the story of a girl named Lauren Olamina living in a future America torn apart by chaos and violence.
Lauren has a rare condition that makes her deeply empathic—she feels the pain of others as if it were her own. She starts to form a belief system called Earthseed and dreams of building a community based on its ideas.
It’s a story about survival, faith, and what it takes to create hope when almost everything is falling apart.
Margaret Atwood is known for creating rich, thought-provoking worlds with stories that leave a lasting impact.
In her novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” she tells of a dystopian society where women’s rights have been stripped away, and one woman, Offred, struggles within a harsh system that controls every aspect of her life.
The story explores power, resistance, and survival in a world that feels unsettlingly possible. Atwood’s ability to mix realism with speculative elements makes her books worth exploring.
Barbara Kingsolver is known for creating stories with rich characters and vivid settings. One of her books, “The Poisonwood Bible,” follows a Baptist missionary who drags his family to the Congo in the 1960s.
The story is told through the voices of his wife and daughters, each with their own perspective on their new life. It’s a deeply human tale about culture, family bonds, and the unexpected ways lives unfold.
Fans of Mary Doria Russell’s ability to explore relationships and emotional depth might enjoy Kingsolver’s storytelling.
Kazuo Ishiguro is an author known for crafting stories with emotional depth and subtle tension. One of his most notable works, “Never Let Me Go,” follows three friends who grow up in a seemingly idyllic English boarding school.
As they uncover the purpose of their existence, the story becomes haunting and unforgettable. Ishiguro’s storytelling balances quiet moments and deep questions about humanity and purpose, making it a unique experience for readers.
Colson Whitehead is an author known for blending history with rich storytelling. One of his books, “The Underground Railroad,” reimagines the real historical network as a literal railroad beneath the ground, complete with trains and conductors.
The story follows Cora, a young enslaved girl, who risks everything to escape from a Georgia plantation. Her journey takes her across different states, each one presenting a unique and often brutal reality.
The book explores themes of freedom and survival in a way that feels vivid and immediate. If you enjoy stories with deep characters and historical depth, this might catch your interest.
Geraldine Brooks is an author known for bringing history to life through richly detailed stories. Her novel “Year of Wonders” is set during a seventeenth-century plague outbreak in an English village.
The story follows Anna, a young housemaid who becomes an unlikely heroine as the village chooses to isolate itself to prevent the disease from spreading. Brooks creates a vivid world filled with the struggles and resilience of people facing disaster.
Fans of Mary Doria Russell may enjoy how Brooks blends strong characters with deeply human questions about faith, survival, and sacrifice.
Kim Stanley Robinson is a science fiction writer known for exploring big ideas through detailed storytelling. One of his books, “Aurora,” follows a generation ship on a mission to establish a colony on a distant planet.
It dives into the challenges of long-term space travel, the complexities of maintaining a fragile ecosystem, and what it means for humans to leave Earth behind.
The story focuses on the ship’s inhabitants as they face unexpected dangers and moral dilemmas, tackling questions about survival and humanity’s limits. It offers a thoughtful take on interstellar exploration.
Madeline Miller writes novels rooted in Greek mythology, bringing ancient tales to life with vivid characters and relatable emotions. Her book “Circe” focuses on the titular witch from Homer’s “Odyssey”.
Circe is banished to a remote island after defying the gods and starts to embrace her independence. Along the way, she transforms mortals and faces gods, carving out her own story. The mix of myth and human choices makes the book feel fresh and engaging.
Leif Enger writes stories that feel human and heartfelt. His novel “Peace Like a River” tells the story of Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy whose family is pulled into a journey across the Midwest.
Reuben’s brother, Davy, goes on the run after an incident that shakes their small town. The story unfolds through Reuben’s eyes, blending family bonds, faith, and a sense of adventure.
There’s a big focus on the relationships within the Land family, especially with their father, Jeremiah, who seems to carry an air of quiet strength. Enger’s writing has a way of making you feel attached to the characters and their struggles.
Anthony Doerr is an author known for creating vivid worlds with rich, emotional stories. His novel “All the Light We Cannot See” follows two characters during World War II—a blind French girl named Marie-Laure and a German boy named Werner, whose lives cross in unexpected ways.
The book explores how individuals navigate through turmoil and find moments of connection even in the darkest times.
David Mitchell is an author known for blending different voices and timelines in his stories. One of his standout works, “Cloud Atlas,” weaves together six interconnected narratives that span across centuries.
The book takes you from the story of a 19th-century notary on a Pacific voyage to a dystopian future where a cloned worker questions her purpose. Each character’s actions ripple through time, showing how lives and events echo across history.
The structure might seem complex at first, but the way the stories connect creates a unique reading experience. If you enjoy deeply layered storytelling, this book might catch your interest.
Ann Patchett is an author known for exploring relationships and human connection. Her novel “Bel Canto” begins with a lavish birthday party in an unnamed South American country. Things take a drastic turn when a group of rebels takes the guests hostage.
The story focuses on the unexpected bonds that form between the captors and the captives. With music as a central element, the book creates moments of beauty and highlights shared humanity in a tense situation.
Fans of Mary Doria Russell might enjoy how Patchett examines connections in extraordinary circumstances.
Jane Smiley is a versatile author who writes about human relationships and the forces that shape them. One of her books, “A Thousand Acres,” is a modern take on “King Lear.” It’s set on a farm in Iowa, where a father decides to divide his land between his three daughters.
The story explores family dynamics and long-hidden secrets that come to the surface. The small-town setting, the conflicts within the family, and the emotional weight of the story leave a strong impression.
The characters feel complex and real as their choices unravel everything they thought they knew about each other.
Hilary Mantel was a celebrated historical novelist known for bringing distant figures to life with sharp detail and fresh perspective. In her novel “Wolf Hall,” she focuses on Thomas Cromwell, a key advisor to Henry VIII.
The story follows Cromwell as he rises from a blacksmith’s son to a powerful figure in the volatile Tudor court. The book captures the dangerous politics of the time and offers a close look at Cromwell’s quick thinking and ambition.
Readers who enjoy rich character studies and intricate human struggles might find Mantel’s work an exciting discovery.