We live in the age of superheroes. Don’t get me wrong, I love superheroes, but even I have to admit that the market is, and I use this word conservatively, saturated with superheroes.

For fans of the comic book or graphic novel (they’re the same thing, practically speaking) medium who want something different to read, I present my top 8 non-superhero graphic novels everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. This list is by no means comprehensive—there are so many fantastic graphic novels out there that didn’t make this list but are, by all standards, equally excellent to the ones presented here. Instead, this list is broken down by genre and is meant to provide just a taste of all the delectable works out there. Please enjoy.

Fantasy: Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman’ (DC/Vertigo)

No list would be complete without this entry. Comic book fans and non-fans alike have heard of this fantasy odyssey and anthology. This series represents an excellent entry point for fans looking for a more mature read that incorporates elements of classic western mythology. This series came out in 1989 and leads the charge in establishing comics as a serious literary form in the United States.

The series loosely follows Morpheus, the master of Dreams and the Dream Realm, but each issue explores a unique and complex narrative that will require at least three or four readings. Some of the most famous Sandman issues include “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “A Dream of a Thousand Cats,” and “Calliope.” Sandman is a hauntingly beautiful journey deep into a world forgotten.

Horror: Junji Ito’s ‘Uzumaki’ (Shogakukan)

While lesser known to western audiences, this beloved title has been consistently praised by manga fans worldwide for its stunning artwork and deeply disturbing imagery. In fact, the series was even nominated for the coveted Eisner award in 2003. The work can only be described as a nightmarish, Lovecraftian story void of any logic. Uzumaki follows the fictional Japanese town of Kurôzu-cho, a young high-school girl named Kirie Goshima, and her boyfriend Shuichi Saito as they try to escape the curse of the spiral.

While the story is undoubtedly disturbed, the horror sometimes reaches such preposterous levels that the story can border on humorous rather than straight-up scary. Regardless, this series is a must-read for any horror fan.

Autobiography/Memoir: Alison Bechdel’s ‘Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy’ (Mariner Books)

No American graphic novel is more beloved, more studied, or more famous than Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomedy. Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock in the last seven to eight years has heard of the eponymous Bechdel test—a test to determine whether a piece of work passes even the most basic and rudimentary feminist standards. Fun Home, as the book is known more commonly, is an autobiographical account of Alison Bechdel’s life and her complicated relationship with her father.

This is the gold standard of graphic novels as fine literature and has been a source of constant academic discourse since its publication in 2006. The novel centers on discussions of sexual orientation, gender roles, suicide, emotional abuse and the cross-generational ramifications of homophobia and transphobia. Fun Home is nothing short of brilliance and attacks these issues with fearless grace, sensitivity and introspection. The art, too, is fearless with only minimalist blue overtones and thick, single lines to carry the story forward. Fun Home is a must-read. Period.

Supernatural: Alan Moore’s ‘Swamp Thing’ (DC/Vertigo)

Before Alan Moore, Swamp Thing was nothing more than a two dimension, generic swamp monster that was totally unmemorable and provided nothing but a convenient monster to move the plot along. But he changed all that. His 1983 envisioning of Swamp Thing was so inspired that his monster has become the definitive Swamp Thing.

Describing Swamp Thing is like describing poetry, something akin to a long metaphor between man and the indomitable will of nature. The series is introspective and existential and brimming with beauty. Much like another supernatural favorite of mine, Mushi-shi, Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing inhabits a space of its own in the comic book landscape. Violence and punchy action scenes are replaced with lush artwork that breathes life into Swamp Thing’s dying world.

Post-Apocalyptic Thriller: Katsuhiro Otomo’s ‘AKIRA’ (Kodansha)

There are a ton of amazing post-apocalyptic comic books out there right now. We love a good dystopian action adventure mystery bildungsroman filled with government conspiracy and, occasionally, zombies. Katushiro Otomo’s AKIRA, however, stands apart and above many other in my mind for its mind-blowing art and incredible legacy.

Like many of the other entries in this list, AKIRA is hard to describe without explaining the series from beginning to end. On a surface level, AKIRA is a Japanese cyberpunk political thriller filled with, you guessed it, government corruption, biker gangs, guerilla resistance parties and scientific experiments gone very, very wrong. Set in one of the most richly realized and imaginative landscapes in the entire medium, AKIRA is a high-concept tale of youthful dreaming and lust for greener pastures.

This timeless classic, which won the prestigious Harvey Award in 1993, has a wide reaching legacy, responsible in large part for manga’s breakthrough in western countries. The series has inspired legions of fans in its wake, ranging from legendary Japanese director Satoshi Kon to Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto to even A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio and Kanye West. Do yourself a favor and read this series.

Folklore/Coming-of-Age: Gene Luen Yang’s ‘American Born Chinese’ (First Second Books)

I regret that I hadn’t read American Born Chinese during my formative years of as Chinese-American high schooler in Southern California, because I’m sure this book would have inspired me to speak out of Asian-American issues more prominently back then. American Born Chinese has won a host of prestigious awards, including both an Eisner Award and a Harvey Award, since its release in 2006, and for good reason.

The graphic novel is broken into three short stories, each seemingly unrelated until the final few pages when all the stories are effortlessly woven together. Yang uses traditional Chinese folklore and imagery to imagine his coming-of-age story as a Chinese-American boy growing up in white San Francisco all while tackling ideas of race, racism and the intersection between culture and self-identity. Yang’s depiction is at times painfully genuine and relatable for any minority growing up in a predominately white society, especially Asian-Americans whose space in the American landscape is uniquely contemptuous. This book is sure to be a reflective experience for any person trying to cultivate an identity in the face of overwhelming prejudice.

Sci-fi/Space Opera: Brian K. Vaughan’s ‘Saga’ (Image)

If you’re a fan of Star Wars and/or Game or Thrones, then Saga is the graphic novel series for you. Gorgeously illustrated by the mind-blowingly talented Fiona Staples, Saga is perhaps the most lauded sci-fi series in contemporary graphic novels. The series has won multiple Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards in 2013, 2014, and 2015 and a Hugo Award in 2013.

Saga is a Romeo & Juliet tale of epic, space opera proportions about Alana and Marko, lovers from opposite sides of two, long-warring extraterrestrial races, and their daughter Hazel, as they hop around the galaxy evading authorities from their respective races. In the meantime, the war between Landfall Coalition and Wreath has been outsourced to other planets in the galaxy, and the endemic people of those planets are forced to choose a side in a war which has nothing to do with them. Vaughan’s nuanced and tasteful treatment of war and responsibility is particularly worth mentioning as one of my favorite aspects of the series. To say that the world of Saga is elaborately imagined would be a disservice to the comic; the landscape to the social structure of each world is meticulously designed yet feel unique and organic. Saga is the definitive science-fiction graphic novel in all of contemporary comics.

Comedy/Dramedy: John Layman’s ‘Chew’ (Image)

Topping off our list is John Layman’s Chew, a hilarious adventure following US Food and Drug Administration agent Tony Chu, who solves crime via psychic impressions from food. In a world without chicken, the black market trade on illegal bird meat has skyrocketed, sending Tony on a sometimes literal wild goose-chase through the criminal underworld to apprehend those responsible.

This outlandish, self-effacing, and delightfully wacky series took the comic book world by storm upon its release in 2009, has since won two Eisner Awards and two Harvey Awards and is certainly one of Image’s most acclaimed titles. The art is as snappy and stylish as its writing, thanks in large part to artist Rob Guillory and their team of colorists. The series has also been highly applauded for its Chinese-American protagonist who defies all Asian-American stereotypes. If you’re looking for a story with bite (forgive me), order yourself the first issue of Chew.