Suggestions for books similar to . . .

[Paul_C]

Now, I've been picking up and sometimes rejecting a number of books recently - I've just finished Gregory Benford's In The Ocean of the Night, which I liked, but not as much as two trilogies I REALLY liked, M John Harrison's Kefahuchi Tract trilogy and Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy.

Firstly, I love Harrison's writing style, but I think that what I like most about them both is that there are huge parts of both series that remain unexplained, things described in great detail which don't really contribute anything whatsoever to the main story and ultimately you reach the end with no firm conclusion.

That may sound horrific to some of you, but I like the feeling that you're only seeing a small part of a bigger story, that the world you've read about is clearly continuing after you put the book down.

So any suggestions of writers who write in a similar way ?

 

[Vince W]

Since you like Harrison have you read his The Centauri Device? It's one of his best. I would also take a look at Nova, Tiriton, and Empire Star/Babel-17 by Samuel Delany.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Now, I've been picking up and sometimes rejecting a number of books recently - I've just finished Gregory Benford's In The Ocean of the Night, which I liked, but not as much as two trilogies I REALLY liked, M John Harrison's Kefahuchi Tract trilogy and Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy.

Firstly, I love Harrison's writing style, but I think that what I like most about them both is that there are huge parts of both series that remain unexplained, things described in great detail which don't really contribute anything whatsoever to the main story and ultimately you reach the end with no firm conclusion.

I absolutely adored Light, and Harrison's writing style really resonates with me. I also really enjoyed the rest of the Kefahuchi tract trilogy. However, I'm not sure I agree with you about the "unexplained" and things are described in great detail but don't really contribute, plus no firm conclusion .

I found Light to be pretty tight, and this continued in Empty Space. Nova Swing....yeah maybe. I think he just had to work out his obsession with noir that had started in Light.

Centuari Device is good. But it didn't grip me like Light. Not a fan of Samuel Delany, read Triton and was a bit put off.

I'm currently going through a lot of Cormac McCarthy at the moment, and although it's a different genre, I'm getting a similar vibe.

Will put my thinking cap on for others!

 

[hitmouse]

Gene Wolfe, in general.

 

[Paul_C]

I've read The Centauri Device, though only once, and Babel 17 a number of times. I've got the second two Books Of The Long Sun waiting to be read having read the first two ages ago (so long ago that I have very little memory of the story), so maybe those will be a good place to start.

I read through some of the wiki page for Light, and I can't say I'm much the wiser, but then I like it that way so I don't really want to fully understand

 

[BAYLOR]

Anachronisms by Christopher Hinz
The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook
The Veils of Azlaroc by Fred Saberhagen
Jack Faust by Michael Swanswick
Donovan's Brain by Kurt Siodmak
The Killing Star by Charles Pelligrino and George Zebroski
The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon
Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson

 

[tegeus-Cromis]

I love M. John Harrison (could you guess?) but actually the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy is relatively low among my favorites of his. This may have to do with Nova Swing, which, yeah... as Venusian Broon said. If you're interested in mainly his SF, definitely go on to Signs of Life (near-future SF, mainly dealing with biogenetics), but I actually love his fantasy, especially the Viriconium cycle and The Course of the Heart, even more. And you'll find what you're looking for in all of them. Oh, and read Climbers, his (supposedly) non-SFF book. It's amazing. And the short story collections...

A few things to recommend: I reread Light, on my third read, I think, by reading each character's chapters in a row (so first chapters 1,4,7..., then 2,5,8..., then 3,6,9...) You gain a whole new appreciation for it by following closely each character arc.

What you seem to like about his work is what he got from the New Wave, and from that point of view I'd suggest (if you haven't read them already), Aldiss's Barefoot in the Head (as well as The Malacia Tapestry if you like Viriconium), Pamela Zoline's The Heat Death of the Universe, and Norman Spinrad's The Void Captain's Tale and Child of Fortune. Also maybe Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow?

Also, I see much of the KT trilogy as inspired by cyberpunk, including perhaps Gibson's writing style. Not going to bother recommending Gibson, but maybe (a bit) closer to MJH are some of Walter Jon Williams' books, such as Hardwired and its sequels, and especially closer to the KT trilogy, Angel Station.

 

[tegeus-Cromis]

A little bit further afield: I remember reading Penelope Fitzgerald's Gate of Angels and getting some strange MJH vibes from it, then finding a blog post or interview where he expressed his love of her work. And, yeah, speaking of things left unexplained, that's certainly one to read.