Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Dept. of Speculation

Life gets in the way of dreams and plans

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Dept. of Speculation launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   The Book of Speculation: A Novel▲60

   A young librarian is haunted by a mystery

   2015 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Curious▲59

   The desire to know and why your future depends on it

   2016 · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Inventology▲72

   How we dream up things that change the world

   2016 · its alternatives →

4. 4
   The Book of Disquiet▲61

   A haunting mosaic of dreams

   2016 · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Deep Thoughts▲65

   Irreverent observations about life

   2016 · its alternatives →

6. 6
   Predictably Irrational▲96

   The hidden forces that shape our decisions

   2015 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   If You Feel Too Much▲66

   Thoughts on things found and lost and hoped for

   2015 · its alternatives →

8. 8
   The Knowledge▲62

   A too close to true novel

   2017 · its alternatives →

9. 9
   The More of Less▲68

   Finding the Life you Want Under Everything you Own

   2016 · its alternatives →

10. 10
    But What If We're Wrong?▲62

    Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past

    2016 · its alternatives →

11. 11
    The Da Vinci Curse▲74

    Life Design for People With Too Many Interests and Talents

    2016 · its alternatives →

12. 12
    The Folded Clock▲70

    Diary of a modern writer

    2016 · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Dark Matter of the Mind▲67

    The Culturally Articulated Unconscious

    2017 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Antifragile▲89

    Things that gain from disorder

    2015 · its alternatives →

15. 15
    The Meaning of Things▲60

    Applying Philosophy to Life

    2016 · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Fooled By Randomness ▲105

    The hidden role of chance in life and markets

    2015 · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Suspicious Minds▲68

    Why we believe conspiracy theories

    2016 · its alternatives →

18. 18
    Changer▲61

    Destiny can be changed

    2016 · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Nonsense▲59

    The power of not knowing

    2016 · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Outline: A Novel▲55

    One-sided conversations on a plane about life

    2015 · its alternatives →

21. 21
    The Surrender Experiment ▲61

    Surrendering to life

    2015 · its alternatives →

22. 22
    The Elephant in the Room▲65

    Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying

    2016 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    The Passionate State of Mind▲54

    An insightful collection of aphorisms

    2016 · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Meaningful▲69

    The story of ideas that fly

    2016 · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →