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Zombie Rules

David Achord

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Similar in characterization + relationships

These books are ranked using the characterization + relationships labels extracted for Zombie Rules. Books rank higher when they are close on every selected axis.

Characterization labels used: teen protagonist, prepper mentor, Vietnam veteran, bullied teen, genius protagonist, resourceful survivor, proactive hero, male gaze, hormonal teen, old soul, feisty girl, helpless female characters, competent survivor, depressed teen, traumatized survivor

Relationships labels used: mentor-protege, found family, friendship, romance, betrayal, parent-child surrogate, community trust, power imbalance, rivalry, protective bond

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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Shade's Children

Garth Nix · 1997 · Shade's Children

In a ruined future where children vanish at fourteen, escaped teens join a mysterious AI-led resistance.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · mysterious mentor · AI character · morally ambiguous guardian · rebellious youth · survivor protagonist · battle-hardened leader · eccentric character · cynical character · resourceful characters

Relationships labels: found family · mentor-ward · leader and team · trust and betrayal · romantic pairing · team loyalty · parental substitute · power imbalance · dependency relationship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1185

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Fugitives

Alexander Gordon Smith · 2010 · Escape from Furnace

Fresh out of Furnace, Alex and his friends are hunted through a locked-down city as a new plague turns the streets into a nightmare.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonist · former delinquent · brave protagonist · determined protagonist · resourceful survivor · mutating protagonist · friend trio · male ensemble · menacing antagonist · monsterized enemy · supportive ally · new female character

Relationships labels: friendship bond · loyalty · found family · group survival · rivalry · pursuit · authority conflict · mentor-antagonist

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1222

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Orleans

Sherri L. Smith · 2013

A fierce teen in a quarantined, blood-typed Orleans fights to save a newborn while an outsider scientist seeks a cure.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: fierce heroine · resourceful protagonist · hardy survivor · brave girl · scrappy character · cynical character · hardened survivor · naive outsider · bland male lead · protective caregiver · scientist character · teen protagonist · determined protagonist · strong female lead · capable warrior

Relationships labels: found family · caretaking · protective bond · unlikely partnership · fragile trust · mutual dependency · friendship over romance · mentor-like leader bond · tribal allegiance · parent-child surrogate

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1275

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Wizard of the Pigeons: The 35th Anniversary Illustrated Edition

Megan Lindholm · 1986

A homeless veteran in 1980s Seattle uses subtle magic and hard-won truth to face his past and a threat to the city.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: homeless protagonist · Vietnam veteran · PTSD survivor · damaged hero · stoic protagonist · quiet protagonist · reluctant hero · enigmatic protagonist · mentor figure · shapeshifter · female archetype · passive protagonist · sympathetic protagonist

Relationships labels: mentor relationship · unrequited love · romantic tension · dependency · found family · community support · city bond · caregiving · betrayal · support system

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1345

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Perilous Waif

E. William Brown · 2017 · Alice Long

An unusually gifted orphan flees a controlled upbringing and finds herself pulled into a dangerous far-future crew.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen heroine · overpowered protagonist · gifted child · badass girl · naive heroine · loyal protagonist · shy protagonist · resourceful survivor · superhuman growth · young soldier · transhuman protagonist

Relationships labels: found family · friend loyalty · mentor dynamic · crew bonds · protective relationships · romantic tension · bisexual attraction · subordinate power dynamic · female friendship · human-AI bonds

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1346

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Eternity's Wheel

Michael Reaves, Mallory Reaves · 2015 · InterWorld

Joey Harker must rally alternate versions of himself to stop a multiverse-ending force before everything resets.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · teen protagonist · young leader · alternate selves · recruiter · team leader · traumatized hero · flawed hero · traitor turned ally · supportive mentor · powerful protagonist · self-sacrifice

Relationships labels: mentor-protege · romantic tension · found family · team loyalty · rival factions · betrayal · soul bond · family ties · self-relationship · redemption

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1359

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In the After

Demitria Lunetta · 2013 · In the After

A teen survivor and a silent toddler navigate a silent, monster-filled world, then uncover dangerous secrets in a refuge.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: resourceful heroine · kick-ass heroine · smart protagonist · resilient survivor · traumatized teen · protective caretaker · mature child character · toddler companion · rebellious protagonist · inquisitive heroine · flawed heroine · paranoid survivor

Relationships labels: surrogate parent-child · sisterly bond · found family · caretaker bond · mother-daughter conflict · romance subplot · possible love triangle · community mistrust · mentor/authority conflict · family loss

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1381

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Will to Survive

Eric Walters · 2016 · The Rule of Three

After a global blackout, a teen and his fortified neighborhood face a deadly enemy while trying to survive and rebuild.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen hero · reluctant killer · moral conflict · traumatized protagonist · young leader · trusted sidekick · resourceful adult · villainous rival · community leader · honorable hero · high-morals protagonist · good-natured friend · father figure · mother figure

Relationships labels: family protection · parent-child · romantic relationship · friendship · mentor-mentee · community bonds · alliances · betrayal · rivalry · leader-follower · group solidarity · trust and suspicion

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1390

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100 Days in Deadland

Rachel Aukes · 2013 · Deadland

A shy office worker survives a zombie outbreak and journeys through a hellish Midwest with a hardened veteran guide.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: office worker · female lead · unlikely survivor · strong heroine · grizzled veteran · ex-military · Army veteran · ex-Ranger · prepper · mentor figure · teenage boy · villainous antagonist · stoic characters · character growth · reluctant survivor

Relationships labels: mentor-protege · found family · romantic tension · companionship · trust building · partnership · protective bond · rival survivors · group loyalty · family surrogate

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1395

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The Nightmare Brigade: The Girl from Déjà Vu

Franck Thilliez · 2022 · La Brigade des cauchemars

Two teens enter patients’ nightmares to cure fear, but a new case and hidden secrets threaten their fragile team.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: teen protagonists · scientist mentor · adopted child · amnesiac protagonist · disabled protagonist · brave · curious · secretive adults · troubled children

Relationships labels: found family · adoption · mentor-child · sibling-like bond · parent-child · teamwork · trust · protective

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1417

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The Wings Upon Her Back

Samantha Mills · 2024

A disillusioned winged enforcer must confront her past, her leader, and her god in a divided city.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed protagonist · adult female protagonist · older protagonist · weathered veteran · idealistic youth · jaded veteran · antiheroic lead · morally compromised protagonist · charismatic antagonist · abusive mentor · surrogate mother figure · reluctant rebel · ideological believer · disillusioned soldier

Relationships labels: mentor-mentee · abusive relationship · toxic attachment · surrogate mother · idolization · leader-follower · authority dependence · loyalty conflict · family estrangement · rebellion alliance · community betrayal · polyamorous side relationship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1448

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SAMPLER ONLY: Catching Fire

Suzanne Collins · 2012

A defiant Hunger Games victor is pulled back into a deadlier contest as rebellion spreads and the Capitol retaliates.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female protagonist · reluctant hero · survivor · love triangle · young protagonist · traumatized survivor · strategic ally · mentor figure · antagonist ruler

Relationships labels: forced romance · love triangle · mentor-protégé · family loyalty · allies · rivals · romantic tension · protective bond · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1456

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