What to read, watch, and listen to if you loved12 Monkeys
Terry Matalas · Series · 2015
If you loved 12 Monkeys, start with Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gilliam, 1995) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 1 film and 2 podcasts, each matched to 12 Monkeys across media.
If 12 Monkeys gripped you, it is because you are fascinated by the desperate, recursive struggle to rewrite history against impossible odds.
Books on the same thread
The End of Eternity
Isaac Asimov · Book · 1955
Explores: Temporal Paradoxes, Determinism vs. Free Will, Utopian/Dystopian Societies.
Like 12 Monkeys, this story explores the heavy burden of time travel and the philosophical tension between rigid determinism and the human desire to alter a fated future.
The Time Machine
H. G. Wells · Book · 2016
Shares a thread with 12 Monkeys: Time Travel.
Much like the dystopian foundations of 12 Monkeys, this foundational classic examines the terrifying trajectory of humanity, forcing you to confront the bleak consequences of our own societal evolution.
Feed
M. T. Anderson · Book · 2012
Explores: Technological Dependence, Social Commentary, Consumerism.
The unsettling technological reliance here mirrors the desperate atmosphere of 12 Monkeys, where the loss of individual autonomy serves as a chilling backdrop to a crumbling, uncertain world.
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood · Book · 2017
Explores: Totalitarianism, Religious Extremism, Gender Inequality.
This narrative shares the oppressive, high-stakes dread found in 12 Monkeys, grounding its speculative vision of a ruined society in the visceral, personal struggle for survival and lost freedom.
Films on the same thread
Twelve Monkeys
Terry Gilliam · Film · 1995
Shares a thread with 12 Monkeys: Time Travel.
As the cinematic predecessor to 12 Monkeys, this film delivers the same haunting exploration of trauma and the psychological toll of attempting to save a world already marked by death.
Podcasts on the same thread
CounterClock
Audiochuck · Podcast · 2025
Explores: unsolved homicide, seeking justice, historical mystery.
This investigative journey echoes the core mission of 12 Monkeys, requiring you to painstakingly unravel the threads of the past to find justice in a cold, confusing reality.
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with 12 Monkeys: moral ambiguity.
Just as 12 Monkeys navigates the moral ambiguity of saving the world, this series examines the cyclical nature of civilizational collapse and the heavy consequences of human power.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is 12 Monkeys a story about time travel?
Yes, 12 Monkeys follows Cole, a time traveler who journeys from 2043 to the present day. He utilizes a dangerous and untested method of time travel to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that threatens to annihilate the human race.
What is the primary mission in 12 Monkeys?
The primary mission in 12 Monkeys is for Cole to stop a future catastrophe. He must travel from 2043 to the present day to identify and destroy the origin of a deadly plague that is responsible for the decimation of the human race.
Does 12 Monkeys involve a race against time?
Yes, 12 Monkeys focuses on a high-stakes race against the clock. Cole must navigate the dangers of his mission to find the source of a plague in the present day before the virus can destroy humanity in his original timeline.
Is the plague in 12 Monkeys the main threat?
The plague is the central threat in 12 Monkeys. Cole is sent from 2043 to the present day specifically to locate and eradicate the source of this deadly virus, which is destined to cause the near-total extinction of the human race.