Not read a much since having are son but looking to get back into reading again.

Big fan of Coupland at his best, and more recently found scarlet Thomas, jasper fforde, tom Holt, Christopher Moore and Buckley pretty good.

Anyone recommend anything similier to the above or just some new alt fiction that goes off at tangent.

Robert Rankin is the answer you seek, I expect.

I know Jim pooley and John omally very well, been reading about Brentford for years.

Anything else

Good good. (-:

Obvious answers, Douglas Adams / Terry Pratchett?

In the ones you’ve listed, I can recommend Shades of Grey (Fford) and the Portable Door series (Holt) if you’ve not read them.

Oh, I know. Robert Asprin? The Myth-Inc series is great.

Not quite the same but I think you might like: Big fan of Chris Brookmyre, and Mike Carey’s Felix Castor series is a good read.

Yeah read all of Adams and Prachett, shades of grey was very good, I managed to read doughnut (holt) but not read the portable door series so will check that out cheers.

What’s alt fiction? Wikipedia didn’t really clarify….

Oh,

I read the first Andrew Harman years ago and thought it was ace; he’s been on my list of people I need to read more of for a long time.

See also, Piers Anthony’s Xanth series; puntastic.

Neil Stephenson

Kurt Vonnegut

Chuck Palahniuk

Proper writers – big ideas

not read the portable door series

The first one is, shockingly, “the portable door.” There’s about half a dozen overall. I think the unofficial official title is the “JW Wells Series”, same difference.

If I can turn this back on you,

What would you recommend?

Have a look around some of the ‘alternative’ ie. not Amazon or Smashwords book sharing sites and see what you can download for free.

If you want something a bit out there, Solaris?

China Mieville?

Justin Kronin’s “The Passage” & “The Twelve”, are just brilliant. And you should finish in time for the final book to come out.

Presume you’ve read Gaiman’s stuff like American Gods and Neverwhere?

Harry Turtledove writes an interesting yarn

No one mentioned the Bible yet.

Just saying.

Big Big fan of gaiman read all his stuff including the younger readers ones.

Cougar if u have nit read Christopher Moore check out lamb (as per the reference to the bible)

Also as mentioned American gods, one of my favorite books.

Christopher Buckley also readable little green men is a good American satirical yarn.

Cheers for all the other names of which I have not heard before, lots to check out there.

Not sure what ‘alt fiction’ is, but going with general ‘alternative’ (ie odd, different, fantastical etc) then for me it’s Ray Bradbury. Always Ray Bradbury. Especially his short stories. Also Algernon Blackwood, Iain Banks, Terry Pratchett, Aldous Huxley, Philip K Dick

You’ve tried Kurt Vonnegut? And that chap who wrote about being a record producer? John Niven?

Stephenson is good stuff. Try REAMDE for entry level although that’s his latest book.

I’d recommend The Martian by Andy Wier. It’s alt Science Fiction..

Solar by Ian McEwan
Complicity by Iain Banks

Assuming that by ‘alt’ you mean less well known literature, rather than some sort of genre fad, there’s a lot worse writing out there than The Vorrh by Brian Catling. Sort of Narnia for adults written by a professor of Sculpture with more than a passing interest in shamanism.

Otherwise I second the Stanislaw Lem recommendation above.

Michael Marshall-Smith

Try some of Paul Austers stuff. That is weird.

Not sure if comics qualify, but if you enjoyed Dredd as a youngster you might enjoy the more recent stuff too – he (and the comic) have grown up considerably, it’s a lot more adult these days.

Last books I read was the entire Jo Nesbo Harry Hole series. Dunno how ‘alternative’ norewgian crime fiction is anymore, or if like fixies and red trousers it’s just become mainstream.

Neil Stephenson

For sure.

Try REAMDE for entry level although that’s his latest book.

Or Zodiac or Cryptonomicon. Some of the other stuff is less accessible, but if you’re a cyber/steam punk fan you’ll find much to love.

Justin Kronin’s “The Passage” & “The Twelve”, are just brilliant. And you should finish in time for the final book to come out.

I’ve just finished both of these. Compulsive page turners, absolutely, but brilliant isn’t a word I’d use. You can really tell Cronin is an English Professor – the books are a like a compilation of literary tricks and techniques to keep you interested and reading. Kind of like MTV in literary form.

Solar by Ian McEwan

Personally I’d give that a big miss. When McEwan tries to be funny he misses the mark. Subtle satire it ain’t.

Massively left field and potentially scoff worthy but a recent thread reminded me how much I enjoyed the Red Dwarf novels. And thinking of goofy science fiction reminded my of Stark by Ben Elton.

Not exactly high brow I grant you.