Burnside, John: 1955 - 2024

The Devil's Footprints, 2005 - Thematic Parallels: Mystery

Burnside, John: The Devil's Footprints, 2007
The novel is a psychologically rich, poetic exploration of a man confronting his past, his guilt, and perhaps something darker lurking in both himself and the world around him.
The following books are thematically similar. They lend themselves well to being read in groups, compared with one another, or used to teach a similar topic over an extended period with a class:
- Barnes, Julian: Arthur & George, 2005, ~500pp
  The novel features mystery, suspicion, and the destructive power of rumor within a closed society..
  Both books take inspiration from mysterious or unexplained real-life events, blending fact with fiction, and they interrogate the boundaries between reason and the supernatural, leaving readers questioning what is real.
- Hart, John: The Last Child, 2009, ~410pp
  "The Last Child" is a mystery/thriller novel centered on the disappearance of a young girl and her twin brother’s relentless search for her. It tackles difficult subjects with sensitivity, weaving a narrative about loss, hope, and the complicated passage from childhood to adulthood, while exposing both the darkness and resilience found in human nature.
  Both novels depict small towns as places of claustrophobia, buried secrets, and suppressed horrors. They blur the line between what is real and what is perceived, deeply immersing readers in the protagonists' inner worlds. The landscape is not just a setting but a character that enhances the tension and isolation.
- Moore, Brian: Lies of Silence, 1990, ~210pp
  Like "The Devil’s Footprints," this nnovel explores psychological distress in oppressive circumstances, personal responsibility, and the effect of traumatic events on individuals and families.
  While "Lies of Silence" is rooted in political realism and "The Devil's Footprints" in gothic psychological fiction, both explore guilt, moral paralysis, alienation, and the haunting nature of past sins. Their protagonists are deeply introspective men whose lives unravel under the weight of personal and historical burdens.
- Wyndham, John: The Day of the Triffids, 1951, ~270pp
  This novel explores primal fears and the surreal in the context of collective disaster, echoing the eerie atmosphere present in Burnside’s novel.
  Both narratives take place in worlds where normal life has been disrupted, leaving survivors in isolation or fear, heightening tension and vulnerability. They revolve around unexplained phenomena that defy conventional logic, feeding into themes of paranoia, fear, and human helplessness. Ambiguity deepens the unease in both narratives, leaving the reader/viewer to question what is real and what is imagined or misunderstood.
List of general discussion questions on Mystery (pdf)
List of essay prompts on Mystery (pdf)