Hopefully avoiding too many 'classics' I guess I should attempt to pick a bunch of books you may not have heard of (and as a result may hate, but that's half the fun, right?). Obviously some of these might just happen to be books that are indeed well known, but just not to the people around me! I'm afraid I don't know a lot of unknown Sci-fi. I tend to gravitate towards classics in that area, so I guess try Dune if you haven't, it's brilliant!
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.
Immediately I choose a book that is difficult to describe. House of Leaves is closest to a horror novel, with a haunted house as the central narrative, but I wouldn't say it was particularly scary. Regardless, what makes the book incredibly unique and fascinating is that the author uses the physical object of the book to play around with your interpretation of the story. Margins, typefaces, and writing styles clash and warp depending on the events taking place, the book covers and pages themselves even featuring links to the narrative. The easiest example would be a scene in which a character is being chased and the author spreads words out across individual pages, some with single letters on them, as if to give the impression of speed or movement. It's a fairly dense and uninviting book on the surface, but not a challenging read at all, and one of the most fun books I have ever picked up.
John Dies at the End by David Wong.
Ok so this one might be a bit more well known, it was an internet sensation turned into best-selling novel a few years back, with a movie having been made and a sequel on the way. That being said, I think it's still worth a mention for being one of the most unique stories out there. It's a crude, intensely clever mind-bend of a horror/thriller/comedy....something! It's a tough book to describe, and I again shudder to attach 'horror' to it, as I am pretty much the wimpiest person alive and hate to give the impression of some terrifying book of which this is not.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.
Again, I am under the impression this one might be more well known, but still worth a mention. 1Q84 tells the alternating story of Tengo and Aomame, written chapter by chapter in their own voices. It's a brilliant mystery, wrapped in a love story, wrapped in a fantastical plot of parallel universes and dark motives. The sheer breadth of the narrative is stunning, and it's definitely one of the more easy reads this side of a thousand pages (if not less challenging in theme).
The Mastership Game by Scott McBain.
Behind every world power sits the 'Master.' A man, and his institute, entrusted with managing the peace of the world stage. But as the Master grows old, it becomes necessary to secure a successor, another human to bear the weight of all problems, and so the Mastership Game begins. Five are chosen, with the simple task of producing 20 Million dollars, and whomever reaches that target first is declared the winner. However, putting five of the most intelligent, ambitious people into competition with one another makes that task not as simple as it first seems, and so is born one of the best intellectual thrillers I've ever read.
The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas.
Describing books is a lot harder than I envisaged. Hm. The End of Mr. Y is a thriller at heart. Readers follow Ariel Manto as she discovers the once thought non-existent titular book, written by an enigmatic and fascinating Thomas Lumas. It is soon made clear why the book was intended to be lost, as Ariel is plunged into a dangerous and unknown world that in itself raises a series deeply existential questions. It's a fast paced narrative, with a great amount of humour, intrigue, and genuinely thought-provoking theories. A fascinating, if pulpy, read.
I've gotten carried away here, but just quickly, on the comic front: Bone (Jeff Smith), Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo), From Hell (Eddie Campbell / Alan Moore), Pluto (Naoki Urasawa), Hellboy / B.P.R.D. (Mike Mignola / Various).
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