What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedOblivion
Joseph Kosinski · Film · 2013
If you loved Oblivion, start with Severance (Dan Erickson, 2022) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Oblivion across media.
If you loved the way Oblivion questions the nature of your own reality, these stories will challenge your sense of self.
Books on the same thread
The Maze Runner (Book 1)
James Dashner · Book · 2014
Explores: Survival, Memory Loss, Conspiracy.
Like the protagonist of Oblivion, Thomas wakes up with his memories erased and must navigate a high-stakes conspiracy to uncover the true purpose of his isolated environment.
Annihilation
Jeff VanderMeer · Book · 2014
Explores: Environmental Collapse, Exploration, Identity.
Fans of the eerie, isolated atmosphere in Oblivion will appreciate how this story uses environmental exploration to force characters to confront deep questions about their own identity.
Dark Matter (Movie Tie-In)
Blake Crouch · Book · 2024
Shares a thread with Oblivion: Existential Crisis.
If the existential crisis in Oblivion kept you engaged, this thriller mirrors that journey by forcing a man to reconcile his life with an entirely different reality.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · Book · 2016
Explores: Identity Crisis, Parallel Universes, Regret.
This narrative echoes the core conflict of Oblivion by placing a man in a world where his life, memories, and sense of identity have been fundamentally altered.
Series on the same thread
Severance
Dan Erickson · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with Oblivion: Memory Manipulation.
This series expands on the memory manipulation themes found in Oblivion, depicting a corporate world where workers are surgically divided to keep their true selves completely hidden.
Lost
Jeffrey Lieber · Series · 2004
Explores: Survival, Secrets, Moral Ambiguity.
Much like the survivors in Oblivion, the characters here must piece together the truth of their situation while trapped in an environment that holds dangerous, hidden secrets.
Westworld
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2016
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Existentialism, Free Will vs. Determinism.
If you enjoyed the artificial intelligence elements of Oblivion, this show offers a deeper, more complex look at how synthetic consciousness struggles with existentialism and free will.
Attack on Titan
Series · 2013
Explores: Survival, Existential Horror, Loss of Innocence.
This series captures the same post-apocalyptic desperation seen in Oblivion, focusing on the last remnants of humanity fighting for survival against an overwhelming and mysterious threat.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic stories echo the experimental tone of Oblivion, utilizing short-form audio to explore the moral ambiguity and existential questions that define the human condition.
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
This audio drama mirrors the themes of Oblivion by focusing on castaways struggling to survive in a hostile universe while dealing with complex questions of artificial intelligence.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the primary mission of Jack Harper in Oblivion?
In Oblivion, Jack Harper serves as a drone repairman stationed on Earth. His primary mission is to facilitate the extraction of vital resources from the planet following a long-term war against an extraterrestrial threat known as the Scavs.
Is Oblivion a film about a lone survivor on Earth?
Oblivion depicts Jack Harper as one of the last few drone repairmen remaining on Earth. While he operates as part of a massive extraction mission, his solitary existence is disrupted when he rescues a stranger from a crashed spacecraft.
Does a stranger appear in the plot of Oblivion?
Yes, the arrival of a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft is a central event in Oblivion. Her rescue forces Jack Harper to question his mission and the reality of the operation he is performing on Earth.
Who are the Scavs in the movie Oblivion?
The Scavs are a terrifying threat that Jack Harper and his operation have been at war with for decades in Oblivion. They represent the primary conflict that necessitated the extraction of resources from Earth before the arrival of the stranger.