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Truth of the Divine

Lindsay Ellis

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Similar in characterization + relationships

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

Characterization labels used: traumatized protagonist, interpreter, journalist, alien companion, government agent, antiheroic figures, morally ambiguous, vulnerable lead, supportive love interest, estranged father, childlike alien, co-dependent pair

Relationships labels used: human-alien bond, age-gap romance, codependency, power imbalance, mentor-student dynamic, romantic tension, friendship to romance, family estrangement, support dependency, interspecies friendship, interspecies love

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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Apostles of Mercy

Lindsay Ellis · 2024 · Noumena

In a militarizing Earth on the brink, a human translator and her alien bond face new species, danger, and hard choices.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: matured protagonist · traumatized protagonist · conflicted protagonist · alien outsider · enigmatic alien · CIA agent · journalist · investigative journalist · new love interest · mentor figure · morally compromised characters · unreliable narrator

Relationships labels: codependency · alien romance · inter-species romance · queer relationship · mentor-protege · family estrangement · inter-species bond · friendship · dependency · power imbalance · covert alliance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1153

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The Man Who Fell to Earth

Walter Tevis · 1976

An alien comes to Earth to save his dying people, but human loneliness and self-destruction derail his mission.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: alien protagonist · fragile protagonist · genius · outsider · introverted · lonely · alcoholic · depressed · sympathetic antihero · scientist · government agents

Relationships labels: friendship · mentor relationship · scientist relationship · human contact · alienation · isolation · dependence · power imbalance

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1450

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Earth Fathers Are Weird

Lyn Gala · 2019 · Earth Fathers

A stranded fighter pilot takes a job to get home, only to discover the “nanny” position is something far stranger.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: fighter pilot · military officer · resourceful protagonist · protective hero · kind alien · non-humanoid alien · very alien love interest · caretaker · parenting arc · sweet love interest · insecure characters

Relationships labels: human-alien romance · found family · co-parenting · pair bonding · caregiving relationship · power imbalance · mutual dependence · chosen family · parent-child bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1508

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Silver Surfer, Vol. 2: Worlds Apart

Dan Slott, Mike Allred · 2015 · Silver Surfer by Slott & Allred

A quirky cosmic road trip turns romantic and dangerous as the Silver Surfer’s past catches up with him.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: alienated hero · human companion · sentient board · former herald · cosmic being · redemptive arc · guilt-ridden protagonist · playful companion · humane alien

Relationships labels: romantic relationship · companion dynamic · mentor-like bond · power imbalance · shared journey · past betrayal · love and guilt · protective bond

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1537

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Thrum

Meg Smitherman · 2024

A stranded astronaut accepts rescue from an enigmatic alien, only to find the ship and her own mind may be untrustworthy.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: astronaut · scientist · sole survivor · unreliable protagonist · traumatized protagonist · anxious protagonist · spiraling protagonist · enigmatic alien · cryptic rescuer · unsettling love interest · handsome monster

Relationships labels: alien-human relationship · rescue dependency · power imbalance · romantic tension · toxic relationship · manipulation · isolation · trust issues · seduction

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1620

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Cottonwood

R. Lee Smith · 2013

A naive caseworker at an alien camp discovers hidden cruelty and risks everything for an insectoid father and son.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: naive heroine · compassionate heroine · strong heroine · determined protagonist · alien father · single father · protective father · alien child · innocent child · stoic hero · alien hero · villainous humans · oppressed characters · survivors · morally complex characters

Relationships labels: human alien romance · interspecies relationship · slow-burn romance · father son bond · found family · friendship to romance · caretaker bond · power imbalance · oppressor oppressed

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1634

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The Rose Field

Philip Pullman · 2025 · The Book of Dust

Lyra and Malcolm race through a cross-world mystery toward a desert redoubt, chasing Dust, Pan, and answers.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: adult protagonist · traumatized protagonist · searching protagonist · spy · academic · witches · scientists · scholars · spies · military leader · radical faction · new threat · underused characters · inconsistent characterization · morally ambiguous

Relationships labels: companion bond · human-daemon bond · separation · reunion · romance tension · teacher-student power imbalance · family ties · allied factions · rival factions · protective bond · unresolved relationship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1661

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Exordia

Seth Dickinson · 2024

A Kurdish refugee’s encounter with an alien pulls her into a world-ending, morally fraught struggle over fate and survival.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: refugee · war orphan · survivor · disaffected office worker · survivor protagonist · civilians · soldiers · scientists · special ops · national security · alien rebel · traumatized characters · moral injury · utilitarian · queer characters · STEM characters

Relationships labels: homoerotic friendship · sapphic relationship · queer romance · mother-daughter · found family · working team · intergroup conflict · us-versus-them · power imbalance · alien-human bond · rivalry · betrayal · romantic tension

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1693

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Dangerous Visions

Harlan Ellison · 1967 · Dangerous Visions

A landmark SF anthology of original stories meant to push taboo boundaries and redefine what science fiction could do.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: antiheroes · eccentric protagonists · alien perspective · authorial intrusions · psychologically unsettling characters · provocateurs · outcast figures · morally ambiguous characters

Relationships labels: power imbalance · alien-human contact · family taboo · incest taboo · romance · rivalry · community prejudice · author-reader dialogue · editor-author relationship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1718

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A Visit to the Husband Archive

Kaliane Bradley · 2025 · The Time Traveler's Passport

In a memory-starved dystopia, a woman checks out a husband from an archive and learns what books can restore.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: literal-minded protagonist · memory-impaired protagonist · female protagonist · older male companion · professorial figure · alien rulers · cynical outsider · emotionally distant character · world-weary character

Relationships labels: companion bond · gendered power imbalance · transactional relationship · mentor-protege · sexual relationship · forced pairing · dependent relationship · colonizer-colonized

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1722

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Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction

Ann Leckie · 2024

Ann Leckie’s complete short-fiction collection spans alien first contact, imperial intrigue, and gods meddling in human lives.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: alien protagonist · young protagonist · anthropologist · diplomat · translator · ruler · tyrant · god · small god · monk · servant · refugee · noble · stranded traveler · infiltrator

Relationships labels: cross-cultural relationship · human-alien contact · power imbalance · mentor-text tension · family dynamics · intergenerational conflict · marriage avoidance · political rivalry · treaty negotiation · worship relationship · god-human bargain

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1744

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Le Poison de la vengeance

Robin Hobb · 2000 · L'Assassin royal

A traumatized young bastard sets out on a slow, dangerous path to rebuild himself and take revenge.

Why this is here

Characterization labels: traumatized protagonist · damaged hero · antihero · reluctant hero · coming of age · self-discovery · isolated protagonist · vengeful protagonist · morally conflicted · resourceful survivor · animal companion · wounded psyche · improving maturity

Relationships labels: human-animal bond · mentor relationship · found family · tension between characters · loyalty and betrayal · friendship bonds · romantic separation · companionship

Semantic match: ranked by characterization + relationships

Distance: 0.1759

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