Recs if you like Cat’s Cradle...

Based on the list/book published in 2006, general editor Peter Boxall.

Overlooked, lesser known classics from all over the world and of many genres.

This list also exists as a book club on Fable under the same name.

Books for when you’re laughing at life while quietly freaking out about it. Stories full of absurdity, awkwardness, and existential dread, perfect for anyone who’s ever thought, “WTF is even happening?"

Books that exhibit key traits of, or helped develop, the Postmodern literary movement, many of which are experiemental. Not including criticism or theory. Research trigger warnings before reading.

(Recommendations welcome)

dystopian: relating to or denoting an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice.

these will probably leave you staring at a wall for a while. definition of absurdism: intentionally ridiculous or bizarre behavior; belief that human beings exist in a purposeless, chaotic universe

"Turn me over, I'm done on this side!" —St. Lawrence, whilst roasting on a spit

Gallows humor, black comedy, l'humour noir — whatever you call it, this is the place for it. This list includes André Breton's seminal anthology of dark humor, a number of the works excerpted in this anthology, and beyond. You can find a link to the complete contents of Breton's anthology in the comments.

Want more weird humor? Check out my list Nitpicky Neuroticism (Comedy Edition)!

based purely off of vibes

A variety of books recommended by a librarian (appropriate for students aged 11-16 as well).

books that will leave you in a "what did i just read" cloud for weeks after (scifi, horror, contemporary, etc)

Weird, New Weird and Postmodern (Speculative) Literature Books for everyone who needs a break from other kinds of novels.

Too rare to die.

a mix of near-future / speculative / dystopian / science fiction, satire, poetry, and nonfiction on apocalypses past, present, and future, and how we have and can continue to live through them.

Books with a distinct literary DNA that reflects the chaotic, revolutionary era they were born into and often show a systemic distrust of authority. Whether the enemy is the military (Catch-22), psychiatric institutions (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), or government surveillance (Vineland)

A mix of fiction and nonfiction set in/about the 1960s. Includes books from the decade too.

books mentioned or referenced in The Outer Worlds video game, listed in descending order by publication year. credit to Reddit user MatthewMMorrow for compiling a list.

Books that teach you to distrust big government and institutions that someone should have made me read in high school but didn't. 1960s and earlier only

A list containing every novel and short story collection written by satirist Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.