We came to the end of an era earlier this year, when Logan, Hugh Jackman's last turn as X-Men anti-hero Wolverine, hit theaters. For those of you still riding high on the film's thrills and feels, I've got 10 books to read if you loved Logan and need time to process Jackman's departure.
Logan is the ninth film featuring the Aussie actor in the Wolverine role. Jackman first starred as the character in the 2000 film X-Men, alongside co-stars Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen. Although some fans initially took issue with his height — At 6' 3", Jackman is a full foot taller than Wolverine — the X-Men fandom at large came to embrace him in the role. Over the next 17 years, Jackman would portray the character in eight more films.
With its brutal violence, bittersweet ending, strange heroine, and the central grizzly dude/young girl, mentor/mentee relationship, Logan has drawn comparisons to a number of varied media, including classic westerns, Sicario, samurai films, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us. The 10 books below are my attempt to capture those common themes, but of course, my list is by no means exhaustive.
Check out my recommended reading for Logan fans below, and share your suggestions with me on Twitter!
1. 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy's The Road follows an unnamed father and son across the bleak landscape of the post-apocalyptic U.S. — just the sort of grim, brutal read you'll want after Logan.
2. 'I Am Legend' by Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson's 1954 vampire novel centers on an uninfected man, Neville, living in the days between a pandemic that claimed the lives of everyone he knew and a sea change in human history and evolution.
3. 'True Grit' by Charles Portis
When her father is robbed and murdered by a hired hand, 14-year-old Mattie Ross hires a drunk U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn to help her avenge his death.
4. 'Lone Wolf and Cub' by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima
After his wife and servants are murdered, a high-ranking samurai finds himself framed for treason, and sets off on the path of a ronin with his infant son in tow.
5. 'After the Golden Age' by Carrie Vaughan
The ordinary accountant daughter of superheroes, Celia West finds herself investigating a former supervillain in this homage to classic comic books.
6. 'The Fifth Season' by N.K. Jemisin
Her husband has killed their son and absconded with their daughter, but Essun isn't giving up without a fight. Accompanied by a strange young boy, she sets off to avenge her children in The Fifth Season.
7. 'Gemsigns' by Stephanie Saulter
When the Syndrome ravaged worldwide populations, human scientists sparked the next phase of human evolution, creating Syndrome-immune, genetically enhanced beings known as "Gems." But the Gems were never given full rights under the law, and now they want what's theirs.
8. 'Empire State' by Adam Christopher
Set in a decopunk version of New York City, Empire State centers on a moody newspaper reporter investigating corruption in the local government.
9. 'The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter' by Carson McCullers
In a 1930s Georgia mill town, after his longtime roommate is committed to an asylum, John Singer moves into a single room and explores more deeply his relationships with other characters, including a teenage tomboy and a black doctor.
10. 'Old Man Logan' by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven
If you loved Logan and want to visit the story's origins, check out Old Man Logan, the comics series on which the film was based.
