Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

The People Could Fly

by Virginia Hamilton

Publication year 1985

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Guilt, Revenge, Memory, Death, Animals, Environment, Appearance & Reality, Food, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Fate, Race, Language, Regret, Shame & Pride, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Symbolic Narrative, US History, African American Literature, Race & Racism

... Read The People Could Fly Summary

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Philosophy of Composition

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1846

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Beauty, Death, Art, Language

Tags Philosophy, American Literature, Arts & Culture, Literary Criticism, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Edgar Allan Poe’s essay “The Philosophy of Composition” first appeared in Graham’s Magazine in 1846. A year earlier, his poem “The Raven” made him a celebrity. In the essay, Poe describes the process he claims to have followed in writing that poem. The essay illustrates Poe’s aesthetic principles according to which a poem must have a certain length, “unity of effect,” and connection among its elements. It also presents his ideas concerning beauty in poetry... Read The Philosophy of Composition Summary

The Pigman

by Paul Zindel

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Death, Truth & Lies, Mental Health, Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Published in 1968, Paul Zindel’s The Pigman established the young adult genre in fiction novels and became a classic book that is still read by teenagers in classrooms today. Written from the dual perspective of two high school students, Zindel takes the reader inside the mind of a teenager’s thoughts, fears, and impressions of others and examines what it means to be kind and empathetic. The novel was awarded the New York Times Outstanding Book... Read The Pigman Summary

The Pit and the Pendulum

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1842

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Death, Safety & Danger

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Symbolic Narrative, Fantasy, Incarceration, Grief & Death, Psychology, Gothic Literature, Romanticism, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

“The Pit and the Pendulum,” Edgar Allan Poe’s agonizing tale of terror and suspense, was first published in 1842. One of Poe’s many horror stories, “The Pit and the Pendulum” became famous for its depiction of pure dread. This guide refers to the 1992 Modern Library edition of Poe’s Collected Tales and Poems.The story begins with shocking suddenness: “I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony” (246). The narrator, we soon discover, is a... Read The Pit and the Pendulum Summary

The Postcard

by Anne Berest

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Memory, Regret, Mental Health, Race, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Community, Immigration, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, French Literature, Military & War, World History

... Read The Postcard Summary

The Postmortal

by Drew Magary

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Future, Science & Technology, Marriage, Conflict

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a science fiction thriller that follows a man named John Farrell in the decades following the “postmortal cure,” a type of genetic engineering that stops aging. The novel grapples with the human experience amid technological advantages, religious zeal, and increasingly human-driven crises. Magary, whose legal name is Andrew Schuyler Magary, is a journalist, humor writer, and novelist. He has written for magazines such as GQ and is the co-founder... Read The Postmortal Summary

The Premature Burial

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1844

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fear, Death, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“The Premature Burial” is a short horror story published in 1844 by American writer Edgar Allan Poe that explores the fear of being buried alive, otherwise known as taphephobia. This condition is considered rare in contemporary times but was a common fear during the 19th century because, due to a lack of sufficient medical techniques and technologies, people were sometimes mistakenly declared deceased and accidentally buried alive.Other short stories written by this author include The... Read The Premature Burial Summary

The Proving Ground

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Regret, Disability, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Daughters & Sons, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Science, Technology, Science/Technology, Gender & Feminism, Biography, US History

... Read The Proving Ground Summary

The Purpose Driven Life

by Rick Warren

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Good & Evil

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian, Inspirational, Self-Improvement

The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren, an American evangelical Christian pastor and author, is a work of Christian literature that offers guidance by means of a 40-day personal, spiritual journey. Warren brings his experience in spiritual leadership to this text, exploring what he identifies as God’s five purposes for human life on Earth. This framework seeks to serve as a blueprint for Christian living in the modern... Read The Purpose Driven Life Summary

The Quiet American

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Death, Trust & Doubt, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Military & War, Vietnam War, British Literature, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction

The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a... Read The Quiet American Summary

The Reckoning

by John Grisham

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, War, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Race, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Femininity, Masculinity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Death, Coming of Age, The Past, Nation

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism, Military & War, World History

... Read The Reckoning Summary

There Is No Antimemetics Division

by qntm

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

... Read There Is No Antimemetics Division Summary

The Rest of Our Lives

by Ben Markovits

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Race, Aging, Midlife, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Domestic Fiction, Relationships

... Read The Rest of Our Lives Summary

There Will Come Soft Rains

by Ray Bradbury

Publication year 1950

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Science & Technology, Death

Tags Science Fiction, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Published in 1950, “There Will Come Soft Rains” is among Ray Bradbury’s most well-known short stories. Bradbury is one of the 20th century’s most recognizable American authors, and his work helped propel science fiction and speculative fiction into mainstream literature. “There Will Come Soft Rains” contains themes of scientific advancement, nuclear proliferation, and mid-20th-century American domestic life.Originally published in Collier’s Magazine in May 1950, “There Will Come Soft Rains” was published later that year as... Read There Will Come Soft Rains Summary