Fate

We can call it destiny; we can call it providence; we can even call it the will of the gods. Whatever words we use, the idea that the events in our lives are beyond our control is powerful — which explains why so many authors, past and present, have used the ever-relevant idea of fate to communicate rich lessons about humanity.

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Korean Literature, Agriculture


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mythology, Action / Adventure

Rick Riordan’s The Last Olympian is the fifth and final installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Published in 2009, this fantasy children’s book was a #1 bestseller on the lists of USA Today, the LA Times, and the Wall Street Journal. The novel follows the teenage demigod Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and of a mortal woman. He and other demigods spend their summers at Camp Half-Blood, located in Long Island, NY.When... Read The Last Olympian Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1941

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Literature, History: World

The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that charts the rise of Monroe Stahr, a film producer in 1930s Hollywood. Its fragments were collected and edited by Fitzgerald’s friend Edmund Wilson and published posthumously in 1941, the year after Fitzgerald’s death. The book’s protagonist is widely considered to be modelled after the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg, whom Fitzgerald greatly admired. The story focuses on the inner workings of the film... Read The Last Tycoon Summary


Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1993

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure

The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski, is a collection of short stories in the fantasy genre, although it borrows heavily from the folk and fairy tale tradition, as well. The collection was first published in Polish in 1993, although several stories had previously been published as part of a separate collection in 1990. Along with a series of short story collections and novels, The Last Wish is part of the Witcher saga. Subtitled Introducing the... Read The Last Wish Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Romance

The Light Between Oceans is Australian writer M.L. Stedman’s debut novel, published in 2012 by Random House Australia. Categorized as historical fiction, the novel won various accolades, such as the Indie Book Awards Book of the Year in 2013. A film adaptation of The Light Between Oceans was released four years after the novel’s publication in 2016. All citations in this guide are based on the 2012 Scribner edition, accessed via Scribd.com.Plot SummaryIn 1918, after... Read The Light Between Oceans Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

The Luminaries (2013) by Eleanor Catton is historical fiction written in the style of a 19th-century serial novel. It is set during the gold rush on the South Island of New Zealand in the 1860s. A whodunit told using two overlapping timelines and extensive flashbacks, it deploys motifs of astrology to paint a detailed portrait of class, gender, and conflict on the colonial frontier. The novel won the Man Booker Prize in 2013; at the... Read The Luminaries Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, Inspirational, Music, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Mitch Albom’s 2015 novel, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, blends magical realism with historical fiction to create a genre-bending work that is accessible for a wide range of audiences; however, given the complex themes of love, loss, regret, and redemption, the novel is best suited for a young adult audience and older.A personification of music, “Music,” narrates much of the novel. The novel starts at Frankie’s funeral and is interspersed with anecdotes from famous... Read The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto Summary


Publication year 1994

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history novel by American science fiction author Philip K. Dick. Released in 1962, the novel imagines a different world in which Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan defeated the United States of American and the Allied forces in World War II. The highly-praised novel was adapted for a television series. This guide uses an eBook version of the 2017 Open Court edition of The Man in the... Read The Man In The High Castle Summary


Publication year 1886

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, Industrial Revolution, Realism

The Mayor of Casterbridge: The Life and Death of a Man of Character (1886) is a novel by Thomas Hardy. Taking place in a fictional town in rural England sometime in the 1840s, the story follows young hay trusser Michael Henchard as he traverses English social life and struggles to improve his standing. One of the foremost authors of the Victorian period, Hardy is known for his psychologically and morally complex portrayals of rural English... Read The Mayor of Casterbridge Summary


Publication year 1981

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Crime / Legal, Psychology, Mental Illness, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Biography

The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981) is a nonfiction work by Daniel Keyes, documenting the life and experiences of William Stanley “Billy” Milligan, the first defendant found not guilty by reason of insanity because of dissociative identity disorder (DID). The book follows Milligan’s early life experiences that led to his illness, arrest, and trial after the rapes of three women on the Ohio State University campus, as well as the years he spent in different... Read The Minds of Billy Milligan Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 1956

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

“The Minority Report,” a short story by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, follows the story of Precrime Commissioner John A. Anderton as he decides whether or not he will commit the murder of a stranger, Leopold Kaplan, of which he has been accused approximately one week in advance of the event. Through this political and psychological dilemma, Dick explores the themes of predestination versus free will, the importance of personal values versus the greater... Read The Minority Report Summary


Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1902

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs) wrote his well-known horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. The short story is about the White family and the three wishes granted to them through an ominous monkey’s paw. The “monkey’s paw” has become part of popular culture and appeared, for example in The Simpsons television show as part of its Treehouse of Terror episodes. This guide cites the paragraphs of the Project Gutenberg version.Written in the third... Read The Monkey's Paw Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment

Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy


Publication year 1952

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery