What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins · Series · 2021
If you loved The Underground Railroad, start with The Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead, 2018) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Underground Railroad across media.
What hooked you in The Underground Railroad was the unflinching way it blends harrowing historical reality with profound, transformative personal journeys.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Nickel Boys
Colson Whitehead · Book · 2020
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Trauma.
Like The Underground Railroad, this novel by the same author explores the systemic trauma inflicted upon Black Americans, offering a devastatingly intimate look at the fight for survival.
The Man Who Lived Underground
Richard Wright · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Systemic racism.
This existential narrative mirrors the psychological depth found in The Underground Railroad, forcing you to confront the suffocating impact of systemic racism on the individual human spirit.
Washington Black
Esi Edugyan · Book · 2018
Explores: Slavery, Scientific Discovery, Identity.
If you valued the adventurous pursuit of freedom in The Underground Railroad, you will appreciate this story that similarly blends historical struggle with a transformative quest for identity.
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
Nikole Hannah-Jones, The New York Times Magazine · Book · 2022
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Systemic Racism.
The Underground Railroad reimagines the landscape of American history, and this collection provides the essential, rigorous context needed to understand the deep-seated legacy of the slavery depicted.
Films on the same thread
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen · Film · 2013
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Resilience.
This film shares the visceral, harrowing intensity of The Underground Railroad, capturing the brutal reality of stolen freedom and the persistent, quiet resilience required to endure such immense injustice.
Emancipation
Antoine Fuqua · Film · 2022
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Slavery Drama.
Much like the desperate bid for autonomy in The Underground Railroad, this film focuses on the dangerous path to liberty and the sheer endurance needed to escape systemic bondage.
Mudbound
Dee Rees · Film · 2017
Explores: Racial Prejudice, Post-War Trauma, Class Conflict.
This drama echoes the atmospheric tension of The Underground Railroad, examining how the brutal social hierarchies of the American South continue to shape the lives of those within.
Moonlight
Barry Jenkins · Film · 2016
Explores: identity, sexuality, self-discovery.
Directed by the creator of The Underground Railroad, this film carries that same signature sensitivity, exploring how personal identity is formed amidst the weight of societal expectations and trauma.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: systemic racism.
This podcast deepens the historical foundation of The Underground Railroad, tracing the origins of the systemic racism that the series portrays through its powerful, speculative lens of history.
Slow Burn
Slate Podcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Political scandal, Archival research, Cultural impact.
If you were drawn to the way The Underground Railroad interrogates American history, you will appreciate this series that meticulously uncovers the hidden truths behind significant national events.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Underground Railroad based on a book?
Yes, the 2021 television series The Underground Railroad is an adaptation of the 2018 novel of the same name. Both versions follow the journey of Cora as she escapes a Georgia plantation and discovers a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil.
Should I read The Underground Railroad before watching the series?
You can choose either order as both the 2018 book and the 2021 television series tell the story of Cora and her escape from the antebellum South. The series brings the literal railroad network to life, while the book provides the original source material for her journey.
Is the railroad in The Underground Railroad a real historical network?
In the context of The Underground Railroad, the network is not a metaphor. The story depicts an actual railroad system featuring engineers and conductors operating secret tracks and tunnels hidden beneath the Southern soil, which Cora discovers during her desperate bid for freedom from her Georgia plantation.
What is the premise of The Underground Railroad?
The Underground Railroad follows a young woman named Cora who escapes a plantation in the antebellum South. Instead of finding a metaphorical network, she discovers a secret, literal railroad system complete with tracks, tunnels, engineers, and conductors that she uses in her bid for freedom.