Maybe it’s the end of the world, but not for Candace Chen, a millennial, first-generation American and office drone meandering her way into adulthood in Ling Ma’s offbeat, wryly funny, apocalyptic satire, Severance. "A stunning, audacious book with a fresh take on both office politics and what the apocalypse might bring." —Michael Schaub, NPR.org “A satirical spin on the end times-- kind of like The Office meets The Leftovers.” --Estelle Tang, Elle NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: NPR * The New Yorker ("Books We Loved") * Elle * Marie Claire * Amazon Editors * The Paris Review (Staff Favorites) * Refinery29 * Bustle * Buzzfeed * BookPage * Bookish * Mental Floss * Chicago Review of Books * HuffPost * Electric Literature * A.V. Club * Jezebel * Vulture * Literary Hub * Flavorwire Winner of the NYPL Young Lions Fiction Award * Winner of the Kirkus Prize for Fiction * Winner of the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award * Finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel * A New York Times Notable Book of 2018 * An Indie Next Selection Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. With the recent passing of her Chinese immigrant parents, she’s had her fill of uncertainty. She’s content just to carry on: She goes to work, troubleshoots the teen-targeted Gemstone Bible, watches movies in a Greenpoint basement with her boyfriend. So Candace barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies cease operations. The subways screech to a halt. Her bosses enlist her as part of a dwindling skeleton crew with a big end-date payoff. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost. Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers? A send-up and takedown of the rituals, routines, and missed opportunities of contemporary life, Ling Ma’s Severance is a moving family story, a quirky coming-of-adulthood tale, and a hilarious, deadpan satire. Most important, it’s a heartfelt tribute to the connections that drive us to do more than survive.
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About the author
Ling Ma
Author
Ling Ma is a Chinese American novelist and professor at the University of Chicago. Her first book, Severance (2018), won a 2018 Kirkus Prize and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book of 2018 and shortlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award. Her second book, Bliss Montage (2022), won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and The Story Prize. She is a 2024 MacArthur Fellow.
Severance
by Ling Ma
Books Like Severance
If you're looking for books similar to Severance, here are some recommendations based on themes, tone, and narrative style.
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
A dystopian novel exploring societal control and individual resistance. Like Severance, it offers a sharp critique of systemic structures and personal survival strategies. The story follows a protagonist navigating an oppressive, transformed world. Atwood's prose is precise and powerful, sharing Ling Ma's ability to blend social commentary with personal narrative. The book examines themes of resilience, identity, and human adaptation.
The Road
Cormac McCarthy
A stark, minimalist novel about a father and son traveling through a post-apocalyptic landscape. Similar to Severance, it explores survival, human connection, and the psychological impact of societal collapse. The narrative focuses on maintaining humanity in the face of extreme circumstances. McCarthy's prose is spare and powerful, offering a profound meditation on survival and parental love. The book shares Severance's bleak yet compassionate view of human endurance.
Never Let Me Go
Kazuo Ishiguro
A dystopian novel exploring identity, humanity, and societal systems. Similar to Severance, it offers a nuanced examination of human behavior within extraordinary circumstances. The story follows characters navigating a world with deeply unsettling underlying structures. Ishiguro's prose is subtle and introspective, sharing Ling Ma's keen psychological insights. The novel probes questions of purpose, survival, and individual agency.
Station Eleven
Emily St. John Mandel
A post-apocalyptic novel exploring survival and art after a devastating flu pandemic. Like Severance, it blends literary fiction with apocalyptic themes, examining human connections and societal breakdown. The story follows a traveling Shakespeare troupe navigating a transformed world, offering a nuanced look at civilization's remnants. It shares Ling Ma's keen observations of human behavior during catastrophic events. The novel beautifully interweaves multiple narratives about survival, memory, and resilience.
White Teeth
Zadie Smith
A multi-generational novel exploring immigration, identity, and cultural intersection. Similar to Severance, it offers a nuanced examination of first-generation experiences. The narrative blends humor, social commentary, and complex character studies. Smith's prose is vibrant and insightful, sharing Ling Ma's keen observational style. The book explores themes of belonging, adaptation, and cultural identity.
Zone One
Colson Whitehead
A literary zombie apocalypse novel set in post-pandemic New York City. Similar to Severance, it offers a sophisticated, satirical take on societal collapse and survival. The protagonist works in zombie cleanup, providing a unique perspective on post-apocalyptic reconstruction. Whitehead's prose is intellectual and nuanced, exploring themes of memory, work, and human resilience. The novel blends genre fiction with literary exploration of societal structures.
Normal People
Sally Rooney
A contemporary novel exploring personal connections and societal expectations. Similar to Severance, it offers a nuanced examination of individual experiences within broader social contexts. The narrative follows two characters navigating complex personal and professional landscapes. Rooney's prose is subtle and observant, sharing Ling Ma's psychological depth. The book explores themes of connection, identity, and personal growth.
The Age of Miracles
Karen Thompson Walker
A coming-of-age story set against a backdrop of global environmental catastrophe. Like Severance, it focuses on a young protagonist navigating an increasingly unstable world. The narrative explores how personal lives intersect with larger societal changes. Walker's prose is contemplative and observant, similar to Ling Ma's style. The book examines adaptation, family dynamics, and individual resilience during unprecedented global shifts.
The Leftovers
Tom Perrotta
A novel about the aftermath of a mysterious global event where a portion of the population suddenly disappears. Like Severance, it examines how people cope with inexplicable societal disruption. The story explores personal and collective responses to trauma and uncertainty. Perrotta's darkly humorous approach mirrors Ling Ma's satirical tone. The book delves into themes of loss, adaptation, and finding meaning in a fundamentally changed world.
The Circle
Dave Eggers
A satirical novel about technology, surveillance, and corporate culture. Like Severance, it offers a sharp critique of modern work environments and societal systems. The story follows a young woman navigating an increasingly invasive technological landscape. Eggers' writing combines dark humor with serious social commentary. The book explores themes of individual autonomy within oppressive institutional structures.
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