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Cover of The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
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The Accidental Time Machine

Joe Haldeman

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Similar in characterization + relationships

These books are ranked using the characterization + relationships labels extracted for The Accidental Time Machine. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Characterization labels used: grad student, research assistant, dropout student, everyman protagonist, slacker hero, brilliant but hapless, flat protagonist, likable flawed protagonist, minimal character development, naive companion, AI character, religious figure

Relationships labels used: girlfriend breakup, travel companion, mentor-student, romantic relationship, family tension, power imbalance, rescuer dynamic, friendship, dependency

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

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Cover of The Boys Omnibus Vol. 4 by Garth Ennis

The Boys Omnibus Vol. 4

Garth Ennis · 2019 · The Boys Deluxe

A Hughie-centered omnibus of undercover superhero satire, relationship fallout, and a return to childhood home turf.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: everyman protagonist · antihero · manipulative leader · cynical team · wholesome outsiders · damaged characters · young superheroes · misogynistic behavior · moral complexity · character development · self-reflection · traumatized protagonist · gray morality · volatile temper · grounded perspective

Relationships labels: romantic relationship · breakup · trust issues · family reunion · friendship strain · team conflict · power imbalance · manipulation · parent-child relationship · childhood friends · adoptive family

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1600

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Cover of The Fugitive by Pittacus Lore

The Fugitive

Pittacus Lore · 2014 · Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files

A teen fugitive races to save Sarah while hunted by enemies, aided by a mysterious ally whose identity could change everything.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: former bully · jock protagonist · hacker ally · secretive ally · human protagonist · growth arc · unlikely hero · loyal protector · reluctant rescuer · tech-savvy

Relationships labels: ex-girlfriend dynamic · romantic tension · alliance · trust issues · mentorless partnership · shared cause · frayed friendship · teamwork

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1654

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Cover of Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence

Limited Wish

Mark Lawrence · 2019 · Impossible Times

A teen math prodigy at Cambridge must untangle converging timelines before a paradox destroys his future.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant prodigy · teen genius · awkward hero · introverted protagonist · relatable protagonist · morally serious · smart characters · supportive friends · new characters · villains · bullies · mathematician · time traveler

Relationships labels: friend group · romantic triangle · love triangle · friendship · family support · crises of loyalty · ex-girlfriend · new boyfriend · mentor relationship · parent-child bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1665

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Cover of The Grand Dark by Richard Kadrey

The Grand Dark

Richard Kadrey · 2019

A bike messenger in a decadent postwar city is pulled into secrets, class intrigue, and a looming new conflict.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive protagonist · ambitious underclass · addict · courier · actress · ordinary hero · flawed protagonist · opportunist · drifter · wastrel · good heart · character growth · passive protagonist · class striver

Relationships labels: romantic partnership · lovers · power imbalance · class-crossed romance · girlfriend relationship · friendship · mentor boss dynamic

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1672

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Cover of Making History by Stephen Fry

Making History

Stephen Fry · 1996

A Cambridge historian and a physicist try to erase Hitler from history, only to unleash a worse alternate world.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: history student · graduate student · PhD candidate · physicist · professor · physicist scientist · Holocaust survivor · elderly · young adult · flawed protagonist · irritating protagonist · unsympathetic lead · wunderkind · hubristic · immature · self-deprecating · brutal antagonist · well-rounded characters

Relationships labels: romance · gay romance · heterosexual relationship · breakup · mentor-student · collaboration · academic partnership · friendship · familial guilt · parental trauma · power imbalance · partnership

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1673

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Cover of The Eighth Guardian by Meredith McCardle

The Eighth Guardian

Meredith McCardle · 2014 · Annum Guard

A top student is recruited into a secret time-travel agency and must navigate conspiracies, rules, and a new identity.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen operative · strong heroine · sassy heroine · rebellious protagonist · selfish protagonist · whiny protagonist · smart protagonist · resourceful protagonist · outsider · antagonistic side characters

Relationships labels: boyfriend · romantic tension · friendship arc · mentor relationship · rivalry · family conflict · father mystery · parent-child conflict · team dynamics · forced separation

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1673

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Cover of Beyond Broadhall by Keith A. Pearson

Beyond Broadhall

Keith A. Pearson · 2021 · The '86 Fix

After a time-travel mishap leaves him in a changed present, Craig must face the consequences and find closure.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: hapless protagonist · middle-aged protagonist · male protagonist · unlikeable protagonist · redeemable protagonist · guilty protagonist · self-doubting · matured protagonist · everyman · comic antihero · character growth · character-driven

Relationships labels: family relationships · friendship · romantic relationships · parent-child · father-son · community ties · caregiver support · social worker · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1676

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Cover of China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh

China Mountain Zhang

Maureen F. McHugh · 1992

In a China-dominated future, a young gay man with a hidden mixed heritage tries to build a life across shifting worlds.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: everyman protagonist · gay protagonist · closeted character · mixed-heritage character · marginalized characters · ordinary people · flawed characters · introverted · self-conscious · unexceptional protagonist · civilian life

Relationships labels: family tension · mentor-apprentice · workplace hierarchy · forbidden romance · same-sex relationship · friendship · parent-child tension · social dependency · community ties · romantic pursuit · interpersonal touchpoints

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1687

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Cover of Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside by Cameron Stewart

Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside

Cameron Stewart · 2015 · Batgirl (2011)

Batgirl starts over in Burnside, balancing college, friends, and a modern, social-media-fueled crime wave.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: young adult heroine · college student · grad student · smart heroine · relatable heroine · immature heroine (mixed) · fallible protagonist · tech-savvy protagonist

Relationships labels: female friendship · mentor friendship · roommates · boyfriend issues · romantic tension · friend feud · women supporting women · hero-mentor dynamic

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1700

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Cover of All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner

All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault

James Alan Gardner · 2017 · Dark/Spark

Four college roommates gain superpowers in a weird alternate Canada and must stop a mad scheme while becoming heroes.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: college student protagonists · female-led ensemble · genderqueer protagonist · queer protagonist · science student protagonists · geology student · young adults · mad scientist · rich elite antagonists · newbie heroes · relatable narrator · nerdy protagonists · supportive friends · powered by accident · identity-seeking

Relationships labels: roommates · friend group · team dynamics · ex-boyfriend · romantic tension · rivalry · supportive friendship · mentor-student · power imbalance · elite vs ordinary · found family

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1709

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Cover of Going Home by A. American

Going Home

A. American · 2012 · The Survivalist

A prepared traveler must cross Florida on foot after an EMP blackout throws society into chaos.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: prepper protagonist · resourceful protagonist · everyman protagonist · survivalist protagonist · military characters · naive college student · ex-military character · stock characters

Relationships labels: family separation · marriage · parent-child bond · travel companionship · found family · temporary alliance · trust under pressure · group survival

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1718

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Cover of UR by Stephen King

UR

Stephen King · 2009

A bookish English instructor buys a mysterious Kindle that opens onto alternate realities, lost books, and future danger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: English instructor · book lover · reluctant technophobe · academic protagonist · everyman protagonist · obsessive reader · mild-mannered protagonist · curious outsider · supportive colleague · student ally

Relationships labels: breakup · ex-girlfriend · academic friendship · mentor-student · romantic tension · professional colleagues

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1725

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