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Merking

Fríða Ísberg

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Similar in premise + themes

These books are ranked using the premise + themes labels extracted for Merking. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Premise labels used: empathy test, mandatory assessment, social sorting, referendum, predicted antisocial behavior, security vs freedom, rights restriction

Themes labels used: polarization, prejudice, compassion, empathy, human rights, freedom, security, surveillance, segregation, belonging, vulnerability, collectivism vs individualism, moral ambiguity, state power, class, gender, misogyny, violence against women, mental health, therapy, public debate, ethics, social control

This does not mean the books share the same plot, setting, quality, or difficulty. It means their premise + themes embeddings are close.

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The Test

Sylvain Neuvel · 2019

A British citizenship test turns into a terrifying moral ordeal for an immigrant father and his family.

Why this is here

Premise labels: citizenship test · immigration test · moral dilemma · life or death choice · state screening · future Britain

Themes labels: immigration · citizenship · belonging · racism · xenophobia · sexism · ageism · bias · prejudice · morality · ethics · free will · choice · sacrifice · humanity · dehumanization · bureaucracy · social commentary · psychological trauma · survival · good citizen · systemic injustice · identity · value of life · power

Semantic match: ranked by premise + themes

Distance: 0.1627

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Tenth of December

George Saunders · 2013

Ten darkly funny, inventive stories probe kindness, class, and moral crisis in a skewed version of contemporary America.

Why this is here

Premise labels: moral choice · social critique · class tension · near-future pressure · human dignity · redemption

Themes labels: kindness · compassion · moral choice · class inequality · consumerism · capitalism · violence · war trauma · death · suicide · loss · grief · humanity · redemption · social inequity · parenting · shame · dignity · immigration · exploitation · corporate power · free will · ethical responsibility · loneliness

Semantic match: ranked by premise + themes

Distance: 0.1929

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میرا

Christopher Frank · 2005

In a glass-walled, conformity-obsessed society, one woman’s love and difference threaten the rules.

Why this is here

Premise labels: anti-individualism · collectivist society · surveillance state · private life denied · forced conformity · social control · identity suppression · love versus system · loneliness taboo

Themes labels: individuality · freedom · privacy · conformity · collectivism · control · surveillance · identity · love · loneliness · alienation · choice · resistance · humanity · body autonomy · social equality · otherness · shame · desire

Semantic match: ranked by premise + themes

Distance: 0.1946

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Harrison Bergeron

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. · 1961

In a future where the state enforces absolute equality, one gifted boy’s rebellion exposes the cost of sameness.

Why this is here

Premise labels: forced equality · state control · individuality versus conformity · anti-egalitarian dystopia · handicaps as social leveling · competition suppressed · absolute equality · government overreach · talent suppression

Themes labels: equality · equity · freedom · individuality · conformity · meritocracy · fairness · state power · political control · suppressed excellence · competition · human difference · justice · civil liberties

Semantic match: ranked by premise + themes

Distance: 0.1972

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A People's Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction from 25 Extraordinary Writers

Victor LaValle, Charlie Jane Anders, A. Merc Rustad, Lizz Huerta, Maria Dahvana Headley, Malka Ann Older, Sam J. Miller, Tananarive Due, Ashok K. Banker, Omar El Akkad, Daniel José Older, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Justina Ireland, Violet Allen, Gabby Rivera, Tobias S. Buckell, Hugh Howey, Jamie Ford, G. Willow Wilson, N.K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, Kai Cheng Thom, Daniel H. Wilson, Catherynne M. Valente, Seanan McGuire, Alice Sola Kim · 2019

A diverse anthology imagines near-future Americas shaped by resistance, oppression, and hard-won hope.

Why this is here

Premise labels: near-future America · alternative futures · social resistance · marginalized perspectives · speculative social critique · oppressive systems · hopeful futures · justice and equity

Themes labels: resistance · oppression · marginalization · representation · freedom · justice · equity · love · hope · fear · surveillance · climate change · racism · xenophobia · sexism · homophobia · queer erasure · government control · corporate power · migration · body autonomy · reproductive rights · slavery · community building · empathy · revolution · identity · history and mythology