I'm wondering what you consider to be the 'Catch 22' for the noughties, the literary equivalent of 'Six Feet Under' or 'The Thick of It', Jonson's 'Alchemist' for our times, or the 'Tristram Shandy' of the 21st century... Something subversive, topical, dark, very funny, and excellently executed.
Any thoughts?
2007-07-02 17:39:07 · 11 answers · asked by sjhoward 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Thanks for the Iain Banks suggestion... I'm already a huge fan of his, so that's certainly in the right direction!
2007-07-05 11:47:03 · update #1
The dumbing down of America has created a publishers which are not interested in such novels. Horrible, but true and if you cannot publish you cannot write!
2007-07-02 17:44:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Read John Irving's 'Until I find you' last year. That was dark, comical, and well-executed, although I don't know if you'd call it subversive.
Then there's Chuck Palahniuk (bet I've spelt that wrong!). 'Survivor' was pretty dark and cynical stuff. Haven't read 'Fight Club', but I probably should (if only so I can then say how much better the book was than the film!).
Most of Iain Banks 'straight' fiction would probably come under the heading of dark yet comical, but subversive? The only one that came close was 'Dead Air' (written shortly after 9/11), except that he botched it (IMHO) by turning it into a love story about halfway through.
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Edit: Changed my mind. Just read 'Complicity' again this evening, which is pretty dark and scores well on the subversiveness front. It's not exactly comical, though.
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'Pattern Recognition' by William Gibson is quite interesting, but again doesn't fulfill all your criteria.
I give up. Guess I should read more (or at least, more widely).
2007-07-03 07:52:01 · answer #2 · answered by tjs282 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem is the publishing companies are afraid to put out books like that now because they might get sued. Even if you win the book is gone, not worth the paper it is written on.To many people think they know what is right for the public, so a lot of book don't make it to press.
2007-07-08 17:47:53 · answer #3 · answered by Coop 366 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're out there, try "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore. It's the best I've read in a while.
2007-07-02 20:59:21 · answer #4 · answered by Detourz 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
I'm a HUGE fan of the series Six Feet Under and since Running with Scissors shares similar themes I think you may enjoy it if you haven't read it already.
2007-07-02 17:50:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christopher Brookmyre is worth a look, but personally I really enjoy Carl Hiaasen. He writes very biting, satirical, rather screwball books based mainly in Florida. Definitely worth a read!
2007-07-03 01:54:14 · answer #6 · answered by Sarah A 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not what you had in mind but there could be Neil Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels. there is a book on Haiti with flying machetes and chopped heads this about the situation of terror in Haiti. Massacre River by PInochte famous poet. not black humour but supernatural eliment
2007-07-02 18:25:49 · answer #7 · answered by darren m 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore.
2007-07-02 19:21:46 · answer #8 · answered by Granny in KS 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scott Westerfeld wrote a trilogy of books (Uglies, Pretties and Specials). They might fit your criteria.
2007-07-10 17:24:05 · answer #9 · answered by mythic120 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Die Blechtrommel van Gunther Grass. {The Tin Drum}.
2007-07-06 10:33:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋