Recommend a book for me

[msstice]

I'm in some need of some distraction (I can swear that's in a song somewhere.) I'm looking for a laugh out loud (or at least snigger while you read) book, preferably sci-fi or fantasy. I used to love P.G. Woodehouse's Jeeves books but haven't read them for a while. I could try them again. I enjoyed The Atrocity archives by Charles Stross, and perhaps should look at some of the other laundry files books ...

I looking for laugh out loud books as I've developed a strange kind of anxiety within the last week, where mild nasal congestion is leading me to anxiety attacks and an inability to fall asleep. I know this is all psychological and the nasal congestion is just unpleasant/annoying and I'm hoping a funny book will help divert my mind. Thank you for your help!!

 

[Snicklefritz]

I always turn to Terry Pratchett and Discworld when I need a total escape with fun and humor.

I hope you feel better soon and other platitudes lol. But seriously, I do wish you well.

 

[Harpo]

Seconding Pratchett, or try Robert Rankin?

 

[BAYLOR]

Flying Dutch by Tom Holt
Silverlock by John Myer Myers
Bill The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
The High Crusade by Poul Anderson
Calihan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson
Red Dwarf Infinity Welcome Careful Drivers by Naylor and Grant
Red Dwarf :Better than Life Naylor and Grant
Another Fine Myth by Robert and Lynn Aspirin
Caiphis Cain Hero of the Imperium by Sandy Mitchell
Lest Darkness Fall

 

[hitmouse]

If you liked Wodehouse’s Jeeves, then try the Blandings stories, or Mr Mulliner. More snort out loud imho.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

Anything written by Douglas Adams.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

An endorsement of Stephen's Hairy London - I thoroughly enjoyed this very funny, clever novel with its unique and engaging story.

I'm becoming a big fan of Christopher Moore. A Dirty Job, from the Grim Reaper series, was quite rewarding, and had a lot of laughs, if I remember correctly. Good storyline, too; I also enjoyed the follow-up novel.
I thought his book Razzmatazz was very good, as well.

One truly guilty pleasure - I somehow became a fan of a LitRPG series of books named Dungeon Crawler Carl. I LOL throughout each book... there's some tawdry humor, I'll be honest, but also some well-deserved laughs. There's also some genuinely moving stuff in the series, and an action storyline that never quits. Not for everyone, and I'm still surprised that I am reading a LitRPG series... but I love it.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[Finch]

I second the suggestion of Douglas Adams , However . If your feeling a bit low . Planet Of Adventure by Jack Vance is addictive , absorbing, and fun to read .

 

[Toby Frost]

Well there's always Space Captain Smith by me. And if that doesn't distract you there are five sequels!

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Not to derail, but @Toby Frost, do you think Space Captain Smith could ever end up on Audible? Because of an eyes thing, I pretty much have to listen these days, instead of read. But I'd love to experience the series, CC

 

[Montero]

Jasper Fforde the Nursery Crimes - The Big Over Easy about the murder of Humpty Dumpty and the Thursday Next books.

 

[Vince W]

If you can find them I would suggest Isaac Asimov's Azazel stories. I know they were collected in a single volume. A great collection of fantasy humour, IMO.

 

[Biskit]

Another vote for Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat books, Pratchett and Jasper Fforde.

I have a certain fondness for Mary Gentle's Grunts, if you like your laugh out loud with widely distributed body-parts in a high fantasy satire.

Slightly off-beat might be Lois McMaster Bujold's A Civil Campaign --- I'm not sure how well that would work as a standalone as it is mid-series, and a comedy of errors in the middle of what you might call a light military science fiction series. The whole series (starting with The Warrior's Apprentice) has a thread of humour running through it, but Civil Campaign is the real laughter-fest.

For vulgar humour you could try "Hell of a Deal" by Mark Huntley-James (along with Road to Hell, Hell of a Bite, and a silly flash fiction collection The Letter Hex on such topics as planning permission for new mountains.)

Less laugh out loud and more tongue in cheek Streamrider.

 

[Vince W]

Also in the vein of The Stainless Steel Rat, there are the Reteif books by Keith Laumer.

I just remembered Barry B. Longyear's Circus World stories but those might be hard to find.

 

[Steve Harrison]

My novel, Blurred Vision, might fit the bill for a good laugh. That was the plan, anyway. It's a young adult SF adventure and, in my biased opinion, a lot of fun.

There's a free preview on Amazon should you want to see if it fits the bill.

 

[paranoid marvin]

For comedy I'd recommend the Red Dwarf and HHGTTG series for scifi, or Yes Minister for general reading.

It's deinitely worth considering audio books as well, as I find that sometimes they can greatly enhance the experience.

For instance, there are audiobooks of Stephen Fry and also Jonathon Cecil reading P.G.Wodehouse 'Jeeves' stories (both are very good) or radio dramas starring the wonderful Michael Hordern and Richard Briers.

 

[Hugh]

My personal favourites that I don't think are listed above:

Leonora Carrington: The Hearing Trumpet
I find this hilarious.
NB this is the same Leonora who has recently been reclaimed as a great "British" artist.

The Hearing Trumpet - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Roger Zelazny: A Night in the Lonesome October
Gentle dark humour concerning Halloween.

A Night in the Lonesome October - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

R.A. Lafferty: The Best of R.A. Lafferty
Quirky Lafferty at his best.

 

[msstice]

Oooh, thank you for your wishes and the great suggestions. I see I will need a new tab in my TBR spreadsheet.

I don't know most of them, so I this is a nice pile of suggestions.

The only one I have tried and didn't work for me was the Red Dwarf novelization. I absolutely love the original Red Dwarf series but surprisingly I really disliked the book to the extent that I tossed it out.

 

[AE35Unit]

Terrry Pratchett or Robert Rankin perhaps?