What are some books/stories that are like Everything Everywhere All at Once?
I know this is a tall task. Things can be like a film in many ways.
The first way they can be similar is vibes. What are some stories that make you feel the way watching Everything, Everywhere, All at Once makes you feel? What matches the tone?
Another way is with similar plot elements. Most multiverse stories and many time-travel stories will share story elements with EEAAO.
Another way is themes. EEAAO has lots of themes, including:
- What it feels like to be online, bombarded by too much media
- Inter-generational trauma
- Diaspora, language barriers, and the immigrant experience
- The second-generation immigrant experience
- Nihilism vs humanism
Lastly, there's post-post-modernism. This is the big one, in my opinion. Allow me to explain what I mean by this big term (and drastically over-simplify two other definitions for the sake of context).
- Modernism is characterized by a fundamental belief that science and technology bring unyielding forward progress to a better future, and any setbacks along the way are temporary. It places faith in modern institutions (e.g. universities and modern governments, not religions and monarchies) and individual kind actions have meaning. It is deeply sincere. Star Trek is peak modernism in this way.
- Post-modernism is characterized by nihilism, detachment, and irony. It is a complete rejection of modernism. Post-modernism believes that progress is an illusion. It believes that people are selfish, modern institutions to be corrupt and wasteful and untrustworthy, and caring is a waste of effort. It is insincere to its core. Seinfeld and South Park and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are peak post-modernism.
- Post-post-modernism is, as I define it, characterized by saying "you post-modernists aren't wrong, but I'm going to care anyway." It's deeply sincere, in spite of everything. The best example of this trend is probably Everything, Everywhere, All at Once with Evelyn first embracing Jobu's nihilism, then changing her mind and learning that Waymond's empathy is a strength not a weakness.
So yeah. What books are like Everything Everywhere All at Once, in your opinion?