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Lock In

John Scalzi

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: rookie agent, veteran partner, snarky protagonist, hardboiled partner, gender-neutral protagonist, privileged protagonist, disabled protagonist, integrator character, resourceful lead, cynical lead

Relationships labels used: buddy cop, partner dynamic, mentor-mentee, working partnership, family background, community identity, care dependency, body sharing, trust relationship

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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Head On

John Scalzi · 2018 · Lock In

An FBI pair investigates a star athlete’s death during a violent future sport played through robot bodies.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: FBI agents · rookie agent · veteran partner · gender-ambiguous protagonist · snarky dialogue · competent investigator · wealthy protagonist · rich family · female partner

Relationships labels: buddy cop · investigative partnership · parent-child · corporate power · league ownership · team loyalty · friendship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1351

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Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution

P.W. Singer, August Cole · 2020

In near-future Washington, an FBI agent is paired with a robot partner to stop a tech-driven conspiracy tearing society apart.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female protagonist · FBI agent · former Marine · war veteran · robot partner · mentor role · cynical protagonist · competent heroine · reluctant ally · strained marriage · working mother · bureaucratic superior · shadowy villain · terrorist mastermind

Relationships labels: buddy cop · human-machine partnership · mentor-apprentice · marriage strain · parent-child bond · trust issues · bureaucratic conflict · boss-subordinate · partnership arc · family-work conflict

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1629

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Orlando People

Alexander C. Kane · 2019 · Orlando People

A weak telekinetic in early-2000s Orlando gets pulled into a murder mystery that could wipe out her kind.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: snarky heroine · flawed protagonist · weak superpowered protagonist · quirky heroine · wisecracking narrator · dry-witted agent · relatable protagonist · outcast · young adult protagonist · level-based powers

Relationships labels: buddy cop · lopsided partnership · partner dynamic · FBI collaboration · adversarial alliance · found team · government vs minority · community identity

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1653

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Titanborn

Rhett C. Bruno · 2019 · Children of Titan

A corporate bounty hunter and an augmented new partner investigate a bombing that uncovers a deeper revolt on Titan.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: anti-hero · bounty hunter · collector · corporate enforcer · older protagonist · jaded protagonist · flawed protagonist · hard-drinking · gruff · cynical · mentor-protégé · rookie partner · socially awkward · analytical · emotionally detached · cybernetically enhanced · augmented · highly trained · complex protagonist · mysterious partner

Relationships labels: mismatched partners · buddy cop · mentor rookie · estranged daughter · parent-child estrangement · forced partnership · workplace dependency · rival factions · family conflict · trust building · camaraderie

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1690

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Thresher

Michael R. Cole · 2018

After a hurricane, a Florida coastal town faces a giant thresher shark, and a cop uncovers why it won’t stop killing.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: flawed cop · rookie cop · hardboiled detective · marine biologist · scientist · politician · mayor · police chief · reporter · shark hunter · traumatized protagonist · alcoholism · grief · reluctant hero · caring partner · eager trainee · corrupt villain · stereotyped villains · likeable ensemble · character development

Relationships labels: buddy cop · mentor trainee · partner friction · found family · father figure · workplace partnership · community under siege · authority conflict · teamwork · romance-free

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1704

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Powers, Vol. 1: Who Killed Retro Girl?

Brian Michael Bendis · 2006 · Powers (2000)

A homicide detective and his new partner investigate the murder of a beloved superhero in a city full of powers.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: detective protagonist · rookie partner · brooding lead · abrasive partner · powerful detective · secretive protagonist · child companion · beloved victim

Relationships labels: cop partnership · mentor-rival dynamic · protective bond · work partnership · trust issues · parental surrogate · professional tension

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1757

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Escape from Incel Island

Margaret Killjoy · 2023

A queer mercenary and a hacker infiltrate an island prison full of misogynist factions and chaos.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: wise-cracking protagonist · mercenary · nonbinary protagonist · female co-lead · PhD character · hacker · special ops · morally gray · faction leaders · reformed antagonist · nice guy archetype · toxic male archetypes

Relationships labels: buddy duo · found partnership · enemy to ally · work partnership · power imbalance · group factions · betrayal · solidarity · community under pressure

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1780

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Places in the Darkness

Christopher Brookmyre · 2017

On a corrupt futuristic space station, two mismatched women investigate the first murder in orbit and uncover bigger secrets.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: female leads · corrupt cop · straight-laced investigator · odd-couple duo · antiheroine · jaded veteran · privileged outsider · bureaucrat · rule-follower · streetwise · hardboiled · unlikable protagonists · strong women · morally flexible · character contrast · agency · character growth

Relationships labels: buddy cop · enemy to allies · rival partnership · forced cooperation · mismatched partners · distrust · foil relationship · work partnership · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1790

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Match Game

Craig Alanson · 2022 · Expeditionary Force

A snarky AI and a bluffing human commander face a powerful equal, pushing a galaxy-wide scheme toward a cliffhanger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: snarky AI · cunning protagonist · military leader · bantering duo · ensemble cast · mischievous strategist · naive teammate · devious antagonist · fake-out specialist

Relationships labels: buddy duo · found family · friend group · command hierarchy · rivalry · alliances · species conflict · power imbalance · co-dependent banter

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1875

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The Gate of the Feral Gods

Matt Dinniman · 2025 · Dungeon Crawler Carl

Carl and his crew must survive a brutally weird fifth-floor dungeon challenge split across four deadly biome bubbles.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: resourceful hero · sarcastic protagonist · morally driven · hardened survivor · comic relief cat · intelligent companion · growing leadership · character growth · resourceful side characters · unstable AI antagonist · supporting cast expansion

Relationships labels: buddy duo · found family · group alliance · team dependence · trust issues · forced cooperation · protective bond · rival alliances

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1942

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Falcon & Winter Soldier: Cut Off One Head

Derek Landy · 2021 · Falcon & Winter Soldier

Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes team up to stop Hydra infighting and a new killer before a looming catastrophe.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: ex-Captain America · team dynamic · buddy cop leads · snarky duo · mismatched partners · traumatized veteran · former killer · fanboy antagonist · young assassin · humorous villain · supportive friend

Relationships labels: friendship · partnership · buddy cop · teamwork · rivalry · power struggle · found family · friction · tough love · platonic chemistry

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1943

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Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Matt Dinniman · 2024 · Dungeon Crawler Carl

Carl and Princess Donut enter a deadlier dungeon floor where quests, chaos, and cosmic politics test their survival.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: reluctant hero · cat protagonist · talking animal · diva · non-human companion · baby creature companion · protective leader · resourceful protagonist · competent survivor · drunk mentor · NPCs with agency

Relationships labels: found family · buddy dynamic · protective bond · partnership · caretaking · mentor-student · teamwork · companion bond · party growth · trust · collective survival

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1950

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