Ill's Picks
10 books? Impossible. Instead I present the Nob(ill) Prize Winners. Nob(ill)’s are awarded for a complete body of work rather than a single title. 10 authors? Impossible. There could have been at least 50 more. Each of these authors possesses a strong and singular voice that my world has been much improved by hearing and not one of them are anything at all like each other.
Happy Reading, ill
Jorge Luis Borges: This Argentinian author created whole universes in the span of a few paragraphs. If you haven’t read him yet, please, treat yourself. Recommended: Collected Fiction
Shirley Jackson: One of the great unsung (or too rarely sung) heroes of American literature. I can recommend everything, however “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” is one of the rare books that I think is perfect
Patricia Highsmith: The Shangri-la’s sang “he’s good bad, he’s not evil” but Highsmith is a bit of both. Morally fraught, claustrophobic, and all around terrible in the best possible way. Recommended: The Talented Mr. Ripley
Helen Oyeyemi: Oyeyemi’s books are a bit like ballet: she uses her considerable storytelling muscle to create works of such whimsy and fantasy that you can almost forget the technical difficulty of what she does. Absolutely amazing. Recommended: What is Not Yours is Not Yours
Mary Roach: Not to be crass, but if you haven’t read science writer Mary Roach’s hilarious and fascinating screeds on the subject of buttholes then you probably aren’t living your best life. As Muriel Spark put it “It is the kind of thing one would like, if one likes that kind of thing.” Recommended: Gulp - Adventures on the Alimentary Canal
Oscar Wilde: When I was a young nerd Oscar Wilde was my teen suicide prevention hotline. How could a world that made Oscar Wilde be all bad? Recommended: Complete Works
Marilynne Robinson: It takes a mighty talent to make a profoundly queer heathen such as myself dig into Christian books. But if more Christians - no, scratch that - if more people had her empathy and insight the world would be a much better place. Highly Recommended: Housekeeping
John Waters: Yep, that John Waters - professional wierdo, aesthete of the awful. Waters writes essays that are love letters to unlovable things. Funny, opinionated, and (dare I say) nearly heart-warming if you’re a little bit unlovable yourself. Recommended: Crackpot, the Obsessions of John Waters
Octavia Butler: In some nerdy circles Butler has reached near mythic status. It makes sense, she was ahead of the curve - looking at what would make not just individuals, but communities survive and evolve while writing a cracking, fast-paced story. Walking Dead, please tip your cap to the queen. Recommended: Parable of the Sower
Lynda Barry: It takes a special type of talent to publish collected class syllabuses and to have it be one of the most delightful and inspiring books I’ve read in ages. Her comics are funny, raw, and alarming. I would kill to have her be my friend, but I get the distinct impression that she wouldn’t approve. Recommended: 101 Demons