The man who’s science fiction I adore. Haunting, haphazardly philosophical, forever relevant.
One “classic” I actually enjoyed. This book consumed me, and my waking dreams (or nightmares?) for days after finishing. Winston could’ve been anyone in his same situation. So flawed, so beautifully human.
This dystopian nightmare ends like one, but I swear I was better for it.
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If we rely too much on our biology, is there any human left? How much of our souls is our hard-won personality we’ve cultivated? How much meddling does it take for the fragile personalized to break?
When you realize your dream is a fevered nightmare, what’s worse? Staying complacent, or fighting for something better? This book is what happens then.
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Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby are men of deep sorrow and great secrets, and this novel of glitz and soul-crushing glamor take the drama of 1920s New York to a fever pitch. With devastating results.
And yet, “so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” Bury me with a copy of this book.
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NEVER LET ME GO By Kazuo Ishiguro
Kathy, Ruth and Tommy were once kids at a special boarding school in the English countryside. Hailsham was a place of cliques, secrets and teachers who made them feel special. Years later, Kathy is reflecting on their childhood and beginning to understand the true meaning of their gift. Ruth and Tommy are back in her life and together they are discovering how this will shape the future.
Why Read It? This British-Japanese has written seven novels, of which the most recognized is The Remains Of The Day. His career started in 1982, and he’s known for Never Let Me Go.
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A SCANNER DARKLY By Philip K. Dick
Bob is living a double life – he’s both a junkie and a drug dealer. But there’s a twist: Bob and his pursuer, law enforcement agent Fred, are the same person! Substance D causes Bob’s mind to split in two, with each side unaware of the other. He’s caught in a paranoid spiral as he desperately tries to stay one step ahead of Fred, who’s trying to stay one step ahead of his bosses.
Why Read It? He’s known for his science fiction, with stories dealing with existentialism and altered states of consciousness. A Scanner Darkly and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep is a good introduction to his style.
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THE CONSTANT RABBIT By Jasper Fforde
In England, 2022, 1.2 million human-sized rabbits have taken over thanks to a mysterious event that happened 55 years ago. When a family of rabbits moves to Much Hemlock, a small village in Middle England, the villagers want them gone. Peter Knox and his daughter Pippa, however, choose to stand with them – even if it means risking the wrath of the UK Anti-Rabbit Party. Will Peter and Pippa have to choose between their human and rabbit friends?
Why Read It? His books are a pastiche and parody of the genres they occupy. There’s the main plotline combined with an alternative plotline from an author’s work within the fictional universe he created.
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PRACTICAL DEMONKEEPING By Christopher Moore
Meet Travis O’Hearn and Catch – an unforgettable pair! Travis is a 100-year-old ex-seminarian and roads scholar, and Catch is a demon with an appetite for people. In Christopher Moore’s ingenious debut novel, they arrive in Pine Cove, California, where the locals have other plans in store. Get ready for a wild ride as Travis tries to be rid of Catch and chaos ensues!
Why Read It? He’s known for Practical Demonkeeping. The best comic fantasy is absurd. Christopher Moore does this well.
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MIDDLESEX By Jeffrey Eugenides
Middlesex is a captivating story about the Stephanides family, who immigrate from a small village in Asia Minor to Detroit, then finally settle in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. As the narrator Calliope (later Cal) discovers a family secret, the reader is taken on a journey through history and culture. From the roaring ’20s of the Motor City to the 1967 race riots, Jeffrey Eugenides creates an epic and lyrical tale that will leave you breathless.
Why Read It? His stories delve into the lives of young Americans. Middlesex tells the story of Cal Stephanides grappling with identity, expectations, and gender in American and Greek culture.
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CATCH-22 By Joseph Heller
Meet Yossarian, an extraordinary bombardier stationed in Italy during WWII. He’s determined to stay alive even as thousands of people try to kill him and his own army keeps upping the number of missions he must fly. But there’s Catch-22. If Yossarian tries to avoid these missions, he’s considered sane and, therefore, ineligible to be relieved. Will Yossarian find a way out?
Why Read It? As a master of satire, his writing is unforgiving and timely. Many of his invented words are now part of the English lexicon. His novel captures the absurdity and tragedy of a world war.
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THE RUM DIARY By Hunter S. Thompson
Discover The Rum Diary, Hunter S. Thompson’s classic tale of jealousy, deceit, and passionate intoxication set in 1950s San Juan, Puerto Rico. Follow freelance journalist Paul Kemp as he’s pulled into a world of power, corruption, and criminal opportunity.
Why Read It? A great author with work in memoir, journalism, and fiction. He wrote extensively on politics, drugs, sports, and people. People attribute the method of Gonzo Journalism to him. A dizzying, hedonistic freefall into an intriguing world.
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