So many good books, so little time. I will add them slowly so please be patient. Click on the pictures to buy the book from Amazon. At the moment they link to the UK site but I will add 'USA' links beneath the pictures soon if you'd rather buy from the USA. Oh, by the way, buying them through these links will generate a small amount of income to me and help with this site at no additional cost to you.
Robert A. Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land. This story held a huge mirror upto Western society. In a Tarzan stylie, a young child is abandoned on Mars and returns to earth as a young adult carrying entirely different values. For me, when I read it as an adolescent, often racked with jealosy and uncontrolled emotions it helped me revaluate the nature of love and relationships.
Any book that can convince you that cannibalism makes loads of sense has got to be powerful. Don't be scared by that! Read the book and see what I mean; I don't eat people, honest. If you've ever heard the word 'Grok' and wondered what the hell they were saying, well this is where it came from. Click here to go to one of the many Heinlein homepages.
Iain M. Banks: Consider Phlebas. This is really meant to cover all of his books, but as this is the first in his sci-fi collection (and the first one I read), it's the best place to start in my humble opinion. The story is a huge adventure romp and has all the elements of absolute classic sci-fi, without a drop of pretension.
Banks takes the relationship between machines and humanity to a whole new level, although it's explored in this story less than the later ones. Pure genius. Read them all, and then read his non sci-fi collection under the name Iain Banks. Click here to go to his homepage.
Philip K Dick: Beyond Lies the Wub. This is the first of five from a set of short story collections by this prolific and shockingly creative writer. So many films have been based upon his stories but you'd hardly recognise them. Each volume holds around twenty-five tales ranging from sci-fi/prospective fiction to contemporary fantasy. Here's his official homepage.
Clive Barker: Weave World. Clive Barker writes some of the most colourful horror fiction I’ve read. There’s always a strong magical element and a dreamlike quality to them. He communicates images far better than almost any writer I know, and when you think back to them it’s more like remembering a film than a book (and not because of the Hellraiser series!). Weave World is beautiful. It’s scary not just because he’s great at writing about some really vile topics (although they never seem cheap) but also because you fear for the characters like they’re people you know, and believe me some pretty terrible things can happen to anyone in a Clive Barker novel. Follow this link to his homepage.
Robert A Heinlein: Job. Another Heinlein book? Of course! Although ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ was probably the one book that had the greatest effect on me, Job is my favourite Heinlein book by far. It follows one man as he is swatted between a bewildering number of alternative earth histories. In true Heinlein style each one challenges the characters beliefs, his patience and nerves to breaking point, right up to a frankly bizzare but entertaining last few chapters. It’s simply great fun to read.
Douglas Adams: The Hitch Hiker Trilogy (in 5 parts)
