Books for fans of Severance

Bliss Montage : Stories by Ling Ma

Bliss Montage offers a collection of surreal, unsettling stories that explore the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, personal identity, and corporate or societal delusion. Ling Ma’s stories examine isolation, control, and the uncanny ways modern life distorts human connection. A woman coexists with all her ex-boyfriends under one roof, an invisible drug alters friendships, and a ritual promises healing through self-burial. These eerie, dreamlike narratives mirror the disorienting duality of Lumon Industries, where the ordinary becomes warped, and autonomy is always at risk.

(Not to get too meta, but Ma's previous novel, called Severance, is also great.)

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Nella Rogers starts to sense that her office is hiding something sinister beneath its polished exterior. At first, Nella is thrilled when another Black woman, Hazel, joins her all-white publishing house. But when Hazel effortlessly rises through the ranks while Nella receives anonymous warnings to leave, she begins to question everything—her co-worker, her company, and even her own perception of reality. Unsettling, suspenseful, and deeply satirical, The Other Black Girl explores themes of identity, workplace control, and corporate assimilation.

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Mae Holland lands her dream job at the world’s most powerful tech company, but as she climbs the corporate ladder, she begins to lose herself in its relentless push for “transparency” and control. With its eerily cheerful yet deeply sinister atmosphere, The Circle is a slowly unraveling reality, where employees become mere extensions of the company’s will. A gripping, thought-provoking dystopia, this novel forces readers to question how much of themselves they are willing to surrender in the name of progress. The Circle offers a chilling look at corporate overreach, surveillance, and the illusion of workplace utopia. Terrifyingly plausible and impossible to put down, this book will leave you questioning every digital footprint you leave behind.

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris

Ellice Littlejohn’s law firm hides layers of deception, and once she starts peeling them back, she realizes there’s no safe way out. When Ellice’s boss—and secret lover—is found dead in his office, she walks away, determined to keep her past hidden. But when she’s suddenly promoted to his role, she finds herself ensnared in a high-stakes corporate conspiracy where every move could be fatal. Fast-paced, chilling, and thought-provoking, All Her Little Secrets is a thriller that will keep you questioning who—if anyone—can be trusted.

Personal Days  by Ed Park

Something is off at this unnamed New York company. The emails feel more cryptic, the meetings more absurd, and the layoffs have begun. Pru, Laars, and Jack II—each trapped in their own cycle of work-induced anxiety—watch as their office unravels. No one knows who’s next. No one knows why. With razor-sharp wit and a creeping sense of paranoia, Personal Days turns the monotony of corporate life into something surreal and sinister. The jargon, the secrecy, the quiet dread—it’s all here.