Life deprives many people of justice, closure, love, meaning and peace. The best books about the afterlife address this deprivation with wisdom and originality. Skilled novelists build worlds that are imaginative yet easy to understand. Both fiction and nonfiction authors use the afterlife setting to discuss philosophy and spirituality.
Whether it’s novels, creative nonfiction, nonfiction or poetry, there are thousands of books about the afterlife. How do we narrow that list down to something manageable? Can we be objective at all, or are people’s ideas of “best” too subjective and variable?
I based this selection on highest average consumer ratings across Amazon, Goodreads and Barnes & Noble. These ratings aren’t the be-all-end-all of quality measurement, but they are the best relatively objective metric we have. To keep the list at a digestible length, I’m only considering titles with more than 100 reviews on Goodreads. I might change this criteria from time to time. Me and my team will also be monitoring comments and updating the list accordingly.
Remember that “best” does not always mean “most popular.” There’s a chance you haven’t heard of some titles on this list. Like a journey through the afterlife, surprises await.
Why Do Books About the Afterlife Captivate Readers?
Life is limited. Our bodies have an expiration date. Justice is inconsistent. We often have to watch evil people get away with murder, wondering if they will face consequences in the next life. With the afterlife, the only limit is our collective imagination.
As a setting, the afterlife intersects with many themes that captivate wide audiences. Here are a few of these themes:
- Grief
- Morality
- Philosophy
- Religion and spirituality
- Ghosts and other paranormal experiences
- Reincarnation
- The legal system
- Suicide
- Abortion
- Politics
Standalone Novels/Fiction Books About the Afterlife: Imagining Eternity
Standalone novels comprise the majority of best books about the afterlife. These titles may not be quite as famous as series such as “The Divine Comedy,” but they are generally more accessible and modern. Which one will be your next read?
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 10K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 173K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 131 ratings)
No, not that kind of divorce. The word can also refer to metaphorical separations. In the case of Lewis’ short novel, heaven and hell have separated (a reference to William Blake’s poem, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”). The journey is a bus ride from hell to heaven, but heaven might not be as perfect as the passengers assume.
Like Lewis’ other works, there is plenty of Christian rhetoric and allegory, as well as some Christian teaching sections. If you just want the story, feel free to skip those. Anyone can enjoy this book, but Christian readers are likely to feel a special connection.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 7K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.18 out of 5 (from 41K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 4 ratings)
When Soren, a devout Mormon, passes away, his afterlife is an unpleasant surprise. Instead of the Spirit Paradise good Mormons expect they will go to, Soren ends up in a version of Hell where he can only leave by finding the book of his life in a massive library.
As the title implies, this book is a novella, only about 100 pages long. Inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’ short story, “The Library of Babel,” Borges fans are likely to enjoy “A Short Stay in Hell.” The short novel is also similar to “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig.
Editorial Note: Read our full review of “The Midnight Library”
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 18K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.12 out of 5 (from 299K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (from 230 ratings)
Some critics describe this novel as “A Man Called Ove” meets “The Good Place” TV series, but with a queer love story and the setting of Charon’s Crossing (similar to the River Styx) from Greek mythology…but as a tea house. Beneath this detailed premise is a simple story about appreciating life and accepting death. At almost 400 pages, this one is a way bigger commitment than the short novels above.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 3K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.12 out of 5 (from 22K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 3.8 out of 5 (from 56 ratings)
Novels may dominate the afterlife genre, but let’s not overlook short story collections. This one presents many visions of the afterlife and God in only ~100 pages. Here are some samples to whet your appetite:
- God is the size of a microbe and unaware of your existence
- You work as a background character in other people’s dreams
- You are forced to live out your afterlife with annoying versions of who you could have been
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 6K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.06 out of 5 (from 64K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 19 ratings)
The afterlife can mean meeting new people and potentially falling in love. Delphie meets a great guy after she passes away, but it turns out he’s not supposed to be there. He is whisked away, but she might be able to reunite with him if she can find him back in the living world.
Best Novel Series About the Afterlife
There are only a few famous afterlife series. Because of their rarity and quality, these stories have defined the genre and inspired many generations of authors.
We have omitted ratings for series where you can’t easily buy the books as a series. All individual books have around a 4-star average rating on Goodreads.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 3K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.08 out of 5 (from 166K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 128 ratings)
Often referred to as “Dante’s Inferno,” this series is easily the most famous, genre-defining set of afterlife novels. Second only to the Bible, “The Divine Comedy” defined and popularized common ideas of hell, purgatory and heaven. There’s a good chance your high school English teacher or college professor made you read one of these books.
In my case, I had to read “The Inferno” in high school and then the trilogy — including “Purgatorio” and “Paradiso” — in college. Alighieri partially inspired my own novel, “Teach Me How To Die.”
It’s not an easy read, and it’s not for everyone. If you want something modern and accessible, opt for one of the other titles in this list.
Mitch Albom has a simple vision of heaven: Meet five people who are connected to you to various degrees. These five people help you find closure and atone for sins.
In “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” Eddie dies on his 83rd birthday and goes on this journey. The sequel, “The Next Person You Meet in Heaven,” tells the story of Annie, the person Eddie saved during the amusement park accident. She also ends up journeying through heaven.
By a slim margin, Amazon readers prefer the sequel. Goodreads users tend to be more critical of both books. If you like Mitch Albom and afterlife novels, he also wrote “The First Phone Call From Heaven,” although this book is not as highly rated.
In “A Certain Slant of Slight,” published in 2005, a young woman ghost named Helen possesses living hosts as a body of “Light.” She falls in love with another ghost named James, who is also possessing a body. The novel illustrates what a sexual relationship between bodies of “Light” would feel like.
“Under the Light,” the 2013 sequel, focuses more on Jenny and Billy, the people Helen and James possessed. Living or dead, the series is about people trying to reconcile their pasts so they can move forward.
Creative Nonfiction Books About the Afterlife: Insights and Accounts
Unlike fiction books, creative nonfiction books about the afterlife don’t have a universal appeal. Because novels present the afterlife as fiction, it doesn’t matter if readers believe in heaven, hell, purgatory, ghosts or souls. With creative nonfiction afterlife stories, authors are claiming the events really happened.
If you’re able to simply enjoy these books for their storytelling, prose, rhetoric and character development, believability shouldn’t be an issue. Don’t let the lower ratings dissuade you. Many of these ratings are from people who evaluate the books from a believability or theological perspective. Like several other reviewers, we recommend reading these books as if they were novels.
For those who have rolled their eyes at “true” stories of ghosts and out-of-body experiences, skip this section and stick to the fiction books. Also, people with strong religious faith should approach with caution.
Some critics describe this type of book as part of a “near death experience (NDE) movement.” A contrast to the afterlife fiction space where all famous authors are primarily professional writers, reputable NDE authors include doctors, therapists, religious professionals, researchers and academics.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.6 out of 5 (from 12K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.16 out of 5 (from 17K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (from 69 ratings)
As cancer was shutting down Moorjani’s organs, she had a near death experience that revealed the source of her illness. Weeks afterward, she was cancer-free. During her healing journey, she reflected on growing up with a Hindu background in Hong Kong.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 13K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.31 out of 5 (from 24K ratings)
- Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (from 96 ratings)
Many of these books espouse reincarnation theories, and this one is perhaps the most highly rated. Dr. Newton claims he successfully used hypnosis to help people experience past lives and the journeys between those lives. Some people call this process past life regression therapy.
Amazon Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (from 9K ratings)
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.03 out of 5 (from 5.8K ratings)
Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (from 44 ratings)
This book sets itself apart because the author herself had uncertainty about the nature of her alleged paranormal experiences with her brother. At first she worried she had gone insane. For those interested in this story, critics often call the subgenre after death communications (ADC).
Best Books About the Afterlife for Young Adults
There’s a fair amount of overlap between afterlife and young adult books, especially novels. Start with these if you love both genres or fall in the traditional YA age range and want something relatable (or to buy something for your kid).
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 13K ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.21 out of 5 (from 152K ratings)
The first illustrated novel in our list, this book tells the story of two sisters meeting ghosts after they move to a coastal town. You’ll like it even more if you’re a fan of Latino culture.
- Amazon Average Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (from 216 ratings)
- Goodreads Average Rating: 4.05 out of 5 (from 2.3K ratings)
You might know this story better by its 2006 film adaptation title, “Wristcutters: A Love Story.” Originally published as a novella in 1998, “Kneller’s Happy Campers” is a dark comedy about an afterlife full of people who have died by suicide. Mordy journeys through this world to find Desiree, his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile he meets other souls and becomes a bit hopeful.
There is also a graphic novel version called “Pizzeria Kamikaze,” named after the pizza place Mordy works at.
Amazon Average Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (from 1K ratings)
Goodreads Average Rating: 3.94 out of 5 (from 23K ratings)
Barnes & Noble Average Rating: 4.1 out of 5 (from 7 ratings)
Imagine if Ebenezer Scrooge ignored the three ghosts and then died — and if he was a 17-year-old woman. As part of her afterlife journey, Holly Chase must serve as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Year after year she serves, stuck at 17 years old, watching her family move on. This year will break the cycle.
Our Favorite Authors Who Explore the Afterlife in Their Writing
Because the idea of “best” is so subjective, I want to also go beyond ratings and make sure a few more interesting authors are on your radar. Whether you read their books about the afterlife or another topic, chances are you’ll be better off knowing about their work.
Matt Haig
“The Midnight Library” is Haig’s mega bestseller related to the afterlife, but he has other novels that explore the subject. In 2007 Penguin published “The Dead Father’s Club.” Later Haig wrote “The Possession of Mr. Cave,” a story that involves the spirit of a father’s dead son. “The Life Impossible,” published in 2024, may not technically be an afterlife novel, but it deals with similar themes of death, grief and accepting one’s past.
Neil Gaiman
You may have heard the news about Mr. Gaiman, but you don’t have to swear off all of his books forever. If you like afterlife fiction, he has three titles worth considering:
- “Coraline” (adapted into the animated film) — includes ghosts and other supernatural elements
- “Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophies of Agnes, Witch”” (adapted into the live action TV series, “Good Omens”) — includes heaven, hell, angels and demons
- “The Graveyard Book” — a boy, raised by ghosts, lives in a graveyard
Jean-Paul Sartre
Primarily known as an existentialist philosopher, Sartre was also a fiction writer. His most famous play, “No Exit,” takes place in an existentialist imagining of hell. “The Wall,” the keystone short story in his collection, is about political prisoners who experience the interstice of life and death as they await execution.
What Can Books About the Afterlife Teach Us About Living?
Afterlife books often have a theme of regret, both over sins and missed opportunities. Life is busy and painful. These stories encourage us to pause, have more fun, seek meaning and be good to the people who love us.
The Afterlist
This list isn’t over. Together we can reincarnate it over and over again. Send us your book suggestions, and perhaps the list will take on a new life. We wouldn’t want to have any regrets.
