Books like A Wizard of Earthsea, according to Reddit

The read-alike list

Ranked by co-mention strength — how often each book shares a thread with A Wizard of Earthsea, normalized so ubiquitous books don't dominate.

#1

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

An envoy is sent alone to a planet where everyone is genderless most of the month, and he has to unlearn who he assumes is in charge.

193 shared threads · praised

#2

The Dispossessed

Ursula K. Le Guin

A physicist from an anarchist moon colony travels to the wealthy world that exiled his people, carrying a theory that could reunite them or arm their enemies.

175 shared threads · mixed

#3

Dune

Frank Herbert

A duke's son survives his family's betrayal on a desert planet and becomes the prophet who leads its people to war.

181 shared threads · mixed

#4

The Fifth Season

N. K. Jemisin

A woman searches a dying continent for the daughter her husband stole, while the world ends again on schedule.

91 shared threads · praised

#5

Assassin's Apprentice

Robin Hobb

A bastard prince trained as an assassin narrates sixteen books of loss, loyalty, and one very long grudge against fate.

35 shared threads · praised

#6

Hyperion

Dan Simmons

Seven pilgrims journey toward a monster that grants one wish and kills everyone else, and each tells the story of why they came.

156 shared threads · mixed

#7

The Lord of the Rings

J. R. R. Tolkien

A gardener, a burglar's heir, and seven others walk a piece of jewelry to a volcano because destroying it is the only way to stop a war.

76 shared threads · mixed

#8

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke

Two rival English magicians revive magic itself, and neither can predict what the fairy they bargained with actually wants.

39 shared threads · praised

#9

The Hobbit

J. R. R. Tolkien

A burglar with no interest in adventure gets talked into robbing a dragon by a wizard who never quite explains the plan.

38 shared threads · mixed

#10

The Blade Itself

Joe Abercrombie

Nine-Fingers the barbarian just wants to survive one more winter, but a torturer's investigation and a prince's war have other plans.

45 shared threads · praised

#11

Ender's Game

Orson Scott Card

A six-year-old is drafted into a war academy that trains him to command a fleet, and he doesn't find out what he actually did until it's over.

91 shared threads · praised

#12

Neuromancer

William Gibson

A burned-out hacker banned from cyberspace takes one last job to breach the AI that might already own a piece of him.

92 shared threads · praised

The overlap, in numbers

Where each pairing actually shows up. Click through for the full Reddit verdict on each book.

1. #1 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin — 193 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
2. #2 The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin — 175 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
3. #3 Dune by Frank Herbert — 181 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
4. #4 The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin — 91 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
5. #5 Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb — 35 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
6. #6 Hyperion by Dan Simmons — 156 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
7. #7 The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien — 76 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
8. #8 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke — 39 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
9. #9 The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien — 38 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
10. #10 The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie — 45 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
11. #11 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card — 91 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF
12. #12 Neuromancer by William Gibson — 92 shared threads , mostly in r/printSF