Post Punk Kitchen Forum

hi y'all. am looking for something really good to read, a novel or short stories. i like quirky fiction and i do like some sci-fi (ray bradbury, arthur c clarke, time travel, etc....)

here are some of my fave books below, maybe you have a suggestion for me?

Not quirky at all, but if you want good, and you want science fiction, check out Jack McDevitt. He has two main series running, plus a few stand alones. I'd go with either Talent for War, or Engines of the Gods. EoG is my favorite series.

I love his world building and how he makes everything seem so majestic.

I don't even particular care for science fiction, but I preorder all of his books in hardcover, and even sent him one to autograph (he is a very nice guy, it seems)

i can't stop recommending the convalescent to everyone in the world. i've been giving copies to people for christmas/birthdays/whatever since before i bought a copy of my own.

You should read Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. It has some sci-fi elements, but isn't straight up sci-fi. It's freaking awesome, though.

I'm not familiar with any of the books pictured (but now I want to read them!), so I' m not sure if this is what you'd like, but Phil K. Dick short stories are my absolute favorite. I also really like Smile at the Foot of the Ladder by Henry Miller. Franz Kafka's short stories are great too.

For a novel, recently I read the 1st two books of the MaddAddam trilogy by Margaret Atwood (Oryx & Crake and The Year of the Flood - on PPK recommendation!) and loved them. I can't wait for the 3rd one to come out!

Haruki Murakami was my first thought, as well. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore.

Also, anything by Christopher Moore. Likewise Neil Gaiman.

How about Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series?

You've got Barry Hughart! Awesome!

Ursula Le Guin is amazing! Wizard Of Earthsea was really good YA, but I super love her science fiction. I think The Lathe Of Heaven was the quirkiest, lightest one I've read, but The Left Hand Of Darkness and The Dispossessed are just amazing.

I also loved Year Of The Flood, so +1 yummy to that.

Mockingbird by Walter Tevis

yes, a fellow bloggy peep told me about him! loooooved 'bridge of birds.' so sad that book #2 is out of print. oh well. 'bridge of birds' really can stand on its own though. fantastic story!

Seconding Christopher Moore!

Have you read Ready Player One? It's quirky and kind of sci-fi, but mostly just entertaining.

There's also House of Leaves and John Dies at the End.

(Love this thread! My reading list just grew exponentially!)

oh 'house of leaves,' wow i read that several years ago (still have my copy of course), that was quite a reading experience! it was bizarre, but good. i'm thinking there was a lot of "potty mouth" in that book, and that is something i try to avoid when i read now. there are so many other words to use besides *#@$*#$*# to describe stuff, you know?!

Coin Locker Babies by Ryu Murakami
The Master and Margarita by Diana Lewis Burgin
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

I was also going to reccomend Christopher Moore if you like quirky. Or Terry Prachett. His discworld series is really fun.

There is a book that just came out this year called "The Long Earth" written by Steven Baxter & Terry Prachett. It was pretty good, kind of like sci-fi light. And had some fun weird aspects thanks to Terry Prachett.

There was an omnibus edition out a while back... Let's see:

http://subterraneanpress.com/store/prod ... rder_ebook

ebook! (I have the paper edition from when it was released...)

Anyway, if you like that sort of thing, you might enjoy Tim Powers or James Blaylock.