Book recommendations if you love this VN?

[Sneep]

I'm at a loss. After researching other VNs I've come to accept that this simply is the best VN currently available and I won't find anything that gives me a similar experience.

So now I'm looking at other media. However, being the uneducated gamer that I am, I don't even know where to start with literature.
If you have any recommendations for books that have a similar emotional impact, I'd be thankful for any recommendations. Modern novels, classical tragedies, anything goes. Chances are I haven't read it yet

[Ellixer]

Can't speak for books but if you haven't looked into Umineko you probably should. The two VNs share a lot of fans and themes and are both my very favorites of the medium.

[Missilepom]

Borrowing the words of the person who introduced me to this work:

"Carmilla by Visual Gothic (it's free) -- and it turned out to be a lovingly made and artistically beautiful VN adaptation of the 1872 vampire novel by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu.
What struck me about it is that 'Carmilla' is, generally, simply renowned as "That Lesbian Vampire Story that Preceded Dracula" -- I found that this one is probably the first adaptation that doesn't exploit the lesbian aspect for cheap sexual thrills (like sooo many others) but focuses heavily on the romance aspect and the feeling of being misunderstood with an impossible love. I had a surprisingly entertaining and enlightening 5 hours and was amazed by how well 19th century gothic novel prose works in a visual novel."

You can find it here:
https://visualgothic.itch.io/carmilla

----------------
And obviously, you should read Fata Morgana's prequel Requiem for Innocence if you haven't already.

[Sneep]

Originally posted by Ellixer:

Can't speak for books but if you haven't looked into Umineko you probably should. The two VNs share a lot of fans and themes and are both my very favorites of the medium.

I was put off by the anime style, but I guess I'll just jump into it without judging the cover

Originally posted by Missile:

Borrowing the words of the person who introduced me to this work:

"Carmilla by Visual Gothic (it's free) -- and it turned out to be a lovingly made and artistically beautiful VN adaptation of the 1872 vampire novel by Joseph Sheridan LeFanu.
What struck me about it is that 'Carmilla' is, generally, simply renowned as "That Lesbian Vampire Story that Preceded Dracula" -- I found that this one is probably the first adaptation that doesn't exploit the lesbian aspect for cheap sexual thrills (like sooo many others) but focuses heavily on the romance aspect and the feeling of being misunderstood with an impossible love. I had a surprisingly entertaining and enlightening 5 hours and was amazed by how well 19th century gothic novel prose works in a visual novel."

You can find it here:
https://visualgothic.itch.io/carmilla

----------------
And obviously, you should read Fata Morgana's prequel Requiem for Innocence if you haven't already.

That looks really interesting, thanks! DLing right now

[Ellixer]

Oh yes Umineko is quite anime and that's not to everyone's taste, but it shares a lot of the same themes and beats with Fata Morgana so I think there's a chance you'll enjoy the substance of it, though it does take a while to get going (the entire story is 100+ hours).

[Neve Valkoinen]

"The seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle"

I didn't read it yet, but it is higly recommended, they say it is a lot like Umineko (and some vibes from Fatamoru), and i trust them because reading its synopsis the setting is nearly the same.
You can give it a try.

[karco]

Novels and short stories:

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Carmen by Prosper Mérimée
Anna Karenina and Father Sergius by Leo Tolstoy

Drama tragedies:

Salome by Oscar Wilde
Penthesilea by Heinrich von Kleist (not wildly known german author)

Manga
Dear Friends: Rina & Maki (yeah, It's emotionally very similar)

Games
Shadow of the Colossus - nuff said
Pandora's Tower for Wii (but you can play using emulator) - Zelda clone with very tragic story. Highly recommended.
Valkyrie Profile for PS1 and PSP (remake) - JRPG in very similar style

[Missilepom]

Speaking of games, highly recommend Silent Hill 2 if you haven't played it. (You can also watch Super Best Friends' LP of it if you don't like the gameplay.)

There are quite a few thematic parallels btw SH2 and Fata Morgana, such as exploration of trauma, abuse, and past sins. In fact, it was a review here comparing Fata to SH2 that convinced me to buy Fata, and the comparison was definitely well-founded.

[Scleractinian]

Fata Morgana is great, but I'd strongly disagree that it's the pinnacle of VNs. It is very unique though, so whilst you should absolutely not give up on VNs yet, you should keep an open mind because there's nothing else quite like it.

One word of warning: Fata Morgana is not a western VN, but it essentially reads like one. Most other VNs are a lot more... "Japanese" than Fata Morgana, which you will need to get used to.

Others have recommended Umineko. It is a brilliant VN (substantially better than Fata Morgana in my opinion) but you will be sorely disappointed if you start it with the expectation that it's another Fata Morgana, because it absolutely isn't. Fata Morgana is beautiful, mellow and refined whereas Umineko is a psychotic fantasy-mystery epic. They're polar opposites in terms of the atmosphere. I'd also add that Umineko is much, much longer than Fata Morgana and builds up to a crescendo which only truly gets going at the end of the first arc (Episode 4). So to the person complaining about the first episode being slow... you've seen nothing yet!

The Higurashi series (by the same guy as Umineko) is actually closer than Umineko to Fata Morgana in terms of the mood, in my opinion. It's full-on psychological horror though, but if that's something you think you can enjoy, it's very good.

If you're willing to stray further away from the kinds of themes in Fata Morgana, some other high-quality and beginner-friendly VNs include Clannad, Steins;Gate, G-Senjou no Maou, and the Fault series.

[Rachito]

I can´t stand Umineko and it´s not even close to be as good as Fata Morgana. Higurashi is better, it´s less pretentious and has less annoying characters than Umineko, but the art is kinda outdated (ang kinda ugly) tho.
I recommend 999 (The Nonary Games), it don´t give the same feeling than Fata Morgana but is a well written story with a touching ending.

[Scleractinian]

Originally posted by Rachito:

I can´t stand Umineko and it´s not even close to be as good as Fata Morgana. Higurashi is better, it´s less pretentious and has less annoying characters than Umineko, but the art is kinda outdated (ang kinda ugly) tho.
I recommend 999 (The Nonary Games), it don´t give the same feeling than Fata Morgana but is a well written story with a touching ending.

With respect, you are of course entitled to your opinion but I would guess that (1) you only played the Questions arc of Umineko and (2) that you didn't use the visual and voices patch for Umineko and Higurashi which are practically essential.

[Neve Valkoinen]

Originally posted by Plagioclase:

Originally posted by Rachito:

I can´t stand Umineko and it´s not even close to be as good as Fata Morgana. Higurashi is better, it´s less pretentious and has less annoying characters than Umineko, but the art is kinda outdated (ang kinda ugly) tho.
I recommend 999 (The Nonary Games), it don´t give the same feeling than Fata Morgana but is a well written story with a touching ending.

With respect, you are of course entitled to your opinion but I would guess that (1) you only played the Questions arc of Umineko and (2) that you didn't use the visual and voices patch for Umineko and Higurashi which are practically essential.

he was talking about the art of Higurashi

[sockesocke]

drakengard and nier as well as the other stories that take place in the same universe. some of the games dont take place in the past like house in fata morgana but they are still philosophical.

[carl]

nier automata

[Neve Valkoinen]

Originally posted by btimofte100:

nier automata

yeah, a really nice book

[hikool101]

For books, perhaps try The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria series. Maybe the anime Kurozuka could be enjoyable for you, too.