What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedA Desolation Called Peace
Arkady Martine · Book · 2021
If you loved A Desolation Called Peace, start with The Ark (Dean Devlin, 2023) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to A Desolation Called Peace across media.
If you loved A Desolation Called Peace, you likely crave complex political maneuvering and the difficult, often dangerous process of bridging alien divides.
Films on the same thread
Dune
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2021
Shares 2 threads with A Desolation Called Peace: Political Intrigue, Space Opera.
Like A Desolation Called Peace, this epic explores the heavy burden of leadership and the clashing of massive imperial powers against the backdrop of an unforgiving, alien frontier environment.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1968
Shares a thread with A Desolation Called Peace: Space Opera.
Fans of A Desolation Called Peace will appreciate this film's similar focus on the profound, existential mystery of first contact and the limitations of human knowledge when confronting the unknown.
Project Hail Mary
Phil Lord · Film · 2026
Shares a thread with A Desolation Called Peace: First Contact.
This story mirrors the scientific urgency found in A Desolation Called Peace, emphasizing the desperate need for communication and cooperation when faced with an existential threat from deep space.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2016
Shares a thread with A Desolation Called Peace: First Contact.
If the linguistic puzzles of A Desolation Called Peace hooked you, this film offers a grounded, intellectual exploration of how we translate intent when encountering a truly alien intelligence.
Series on the same thread
The Expanse
Mark Fergus · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with A Desolation Called Peace: Space Opera.
The intricate political conspiracies and tense interplanetary friction in this series echo the high-stakes diplomatic maneuvering that defines the complex world of A Desolation Called Peace.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rick Berman · Series · 1993
Shares 3 threads with A Desolation Called Peace: Space Opera, Military Science Fiction, Political Science Fiction.
This series captures the same atmosphere of moral ambiguity and post-war reconstruction found in A Desolation Called Peace, focusing on how diverse cultures negotiate peace on a shared space station.
Peacemaker
James Gunn · Series · 2022
Explores: Anti-hero redemption, Dysfunctional team, Government conspiracy.
While tonally distinct, the ideological conflict and the obsession with achieving peace at a high human cost will resonate with readers who enjoyed the character motivations in A Desolation Called Peace.
The Ark
Dean Devlin · Series · 2023
Explores: catastrophic failure, resource scarcity, leadership crisis.
The high-pressure leadership challenges and focus on survival within a fragile, mission-critical environment parallel the tense, claustrophobic stakes that drive the narrative of A Desolation Called Peace.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
Readers of A Desolation Called Peace who enjoyed the deep dive into Teixcalaanli power dynamics will find this exploration of revolutionary patterns and historical collapse equally compelling and intellectually rigorous.
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2025
Explores: civilizational collapse, human nature, moral ambiguity.
The analytical approach to power and civilizational conflict in these podcasts provides the same rich, geopolitical texture that makes the world-building in A Desolation Called Peace so exceptionally immersive.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is A Desolation Called Peace a standalone novel?
No, A Desolation Called Peace is the spectacular space opera sequel to the Hugo Award-winning debut titled A Memory Called Empire. It continues the narrative established in the first book, focusing on the Teixcalaanli space and the mysterious alien armada encountered at the edges of their territory.
What order should I read the books in to understand A Desolation Called Peace?
You should read A Memory Called Empire first. A Desolation Called Peace is the direct sequel to that debut novel, and reading them in order ensures you follow the developments regarding the Teixcalaanli space and the alien armada that lurks at the edges of their borders.
Did A Desolation Called Peace win any awards?
The author of A Desolation Called Peace, Arkady Martine, won the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novel for this specific book. This recognition follows the success of her debut novel, A Memory Called Empire, which also received a Hugo Award for its contribution to the space opera genre.
What is the central conflict in A Desolation Called Peace?
The central conflict in A Desolation Called Peace involves an alien armada that lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. The primary tension arises because no one can communicate with this new threat, creating a high-stakes situation that forces characters to confront the unknown within the space opera setting.