# Book Recommendation: Complex Experimental Surreal Books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810 "2012-06-21T02:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/21 "2012-06-22T21:19:17Z")
Another shout for John Barth - outstanding writer who’s roughly a contemporary of Pynchon, but with a very contrasting style. Doesn’t look to show his arse as much, but the fireworks are still there. John Crowley is another big dog in this area, although maybe lacks the heavyweight literary rep of other names as his work was ghettoised by the fantasy label for ages. \*Little Big \* is his masterpiece, from the early 80s - he’s quite different to Barth (IMHO) but shares a supremely controlled and gentle touch to this type of writing. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/22 "2012-06-22T21:26:44Z")
I don’t know if the OP or other posters are specifically focusing on experimental novels by male writers, along the lines of the OP’s list, but if not, there’s quite a bit of interesting experimental fiction by female writers including Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Richardson, and Djuna Barnes. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/23 "2012-06-22T22:12:36Z")
I think the [The Magus](http://www.amazon.com/The-Magus-John-Fowles/dp/0316296198/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340403047&sr=1-1&keywords=the+magus+john+fowles) by John Fowles would fit the OP’s bill. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/24 "2012-06-22T22:34:38Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > I think the [The Magus](http://www.amazon.com/The-Magus-John-Fowles/dp/0316296198/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340403047&sr=1-1&keywords=the+magus+john+fowles) by John Fowles would fit the OP’s bill. I really didn’t like The Magus, but I love the same author’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman, which would fit the OP (as well as The Collector, which doesn’t). ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/25 "2012-06-23T05:30:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Noone’s mentioned _The Illuminatus Trilogy_ by Robert Shea and robert Anton Wilson yet? > > Very much of it’s time, but still an interesting read. Wilson’s _Schrödinger’s Cat Trilogy_ is even more appropriate. The three volumes all tell parts of the same story with the same characters, but can be read in any order. Definitely experimental (and head-screwing). [inside joke] It’s Potter-Stewarting funny! [/inside joke] ---
**Author:** ![DeweyDecibel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DeweyDecibel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeweyDecibel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/26 "2012-06-26T20:17:06Z")
My recommendation is JORGE LUIS BORGES. He writes short (often very short) stories, not novels, but they are the epitome of complex, experimental, and meta. If you like this genre he is an absolute must. His Collected Fictions is quite good, and comprehensive. The collection Fictions is, IMO, the best to start with (it’s a subsection of Collected Fictions, and also published separately). Also, I third Cloud Atlas. Mitchell’s earlier novel Ghostwritten is also excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810/27 "2012-06-27T13:24:47Z")
> [@Busy\_Scissors](#): > > John Crowley is another big dog in this area, although maybe lacks the heavyweight literary rep of other names as his work was ghettoised by the fantasy label for ages. \*Little Big \* is his masterpiece, from the early 80s - he’s quite different to Barth (IMHO) but shares a supremely controlled and gentle touch to this type of writing. +1 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendation-complex-experimental-surreal-books/625810.md?page=1)