Simply put, I need a new author to read. As a lad, I adored Douglas Adams’ work, and more recently I have developed a similar fondness for Terry Pratchett. However, I’ve pretty much exhausted all of their works. I’ve moved onto Neil Gaiman, and very much enjoyed his novels and short stories, but now I’m just about done with those. One day I’m sure I’ll get into his graphic novels, but at this moment they don’t really interest me. I’ve also started on a Wodehouse collection borrowed from a friend, but while I enjoy it I find I need to be in the right mood to enjoy his work and need some things to read for the other times. So, where would be a good place to go from here?
I enjoy Wodehouse, Adams and Pratchett too. 
Here’s a TV series on British politics that was a comedy classic, with the books being a fine read too:
There’s a follow-up called Yes, Prime Minister
A couple of my fave authors who are somewhat prolific:
Harry Crews
Richard Russo
Madison Smartt Bell
Jim Harrison
If you like Douglas Adams, you might try Robert Sheckley, who was a big influence on him. Unfortunately, he’s dead (relatively recently) and most, if not all, of his stuff is out of print. But you can find him in used bookstores (especially science fiction books), at conventions, and at on-line used bookstores.
i also think he’s the most ripped-off writer for movies. The guy doesn’t get the credit he ought to. Read The Status Civilization, and then tell me whether the film Total Recall didn’t scarf most of its materal from this book (after the first 20 minutes exhausted the nominal Philip K. Dick source).
Have you read Christpher Moore? His stuff is in print, and he’s alive. I was introduced to his stuff by the Stupidest Angel, which had a quotable line every other page (I was quoting them to Pepper Mill), and whose stuff is Prachett whacky.
You might try A. Lee Martinez. He’s fairly new (three books out, at least two more on the way.)
Gil’s All Fright Diner
In The Company of Ogres
A Nameless Witch
I just picked John Twelve Hawks “Traveler” and “The Dark River” and have been loving them. It’s basically a paranoia/sci fi kind of thing set in the present day, pitting the “Brethren” - a group dedicated to controlling the human race via high tech surveillance devices - against the Travelers, a handful of people who can ‘travel’ via astral projection to different realms and their guardians, the Harlequins.
There’s some hoo-haw over the author being a paranoid “live off the grid” kind of guy, but I don’t care about that. They’re just fun books.
Another vote for Robert Sheckley. I suggest starting with Dimension of Miracles, a wild, exciting, hilarious science fiction novel.
When I first read The Hitchiker’s Guide my immediate thought was “This is just Dimension of Miracles rewritten!” Apparently a lot of other people had the same thought.
It’s not literally true, but there are an awful lot of similarities.
My fave authors are Iain Banks and Tim Powers - just about anything by them will be great. I have also been reading James Blaylock lately and really enjoying his stuff, it’s sort of Tim Powers lite.
Tom Holt has a similar feel to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett I find.
I agree, based on the one book of his that I’ve read so far.
I tried many times to read Patrick O’Brien,he writes sea stories of the Nelsonic age,couldn’t get into his stuff but one day it just clicked and after that I was hooked.
I seriously ask you to have a crack at O.B.
Thanks for the recommendations, everyone! I think I’m going to start with Sheckley and then try moving on to some of the others. Hopefully it will be at least a few months before I need more suggestions (I’m a bit of a slow reader).
Try China Mieville. He’s a bit darker than the authors mentioned, but a very rich imagination. Also try Mervyn Peake and M. John Harrison, the authors Mieville cribbed his style from.
On another note, you might like Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, a very funny–though kind of sexist–British academic novel.
I’ll also vote for Tim Powers.
Robert Asprin’s MYTH series is good as is Phool’s (up to when Asprin got writers’ block.)