Must-read Authors?

[Joel]

There are humor authors anyone interested in the genre really ought to have at least some familiarity with. Wodehouse jumps readily to mind. Who else?

[Dickie]

I need to read some Wodehouse. Not very familiar with him.
I do like to sample a number of unique approaches. These include:
Jean Shepherd, S.J. Perelman, Robert Benchley and Christopher Buckley. Do you ever find yourself reading somebody's humor and then, perhaps unconsciously, emulating that style? It's like watching old Elvis movies and then walking around saying (oblivious to your behavior), "Thank you very much!"--a trait my wife has pointed out on many occasions. I tell her she's just so lucky that I don't binge on Hannibal Lector films. Oh, and for the feds or whoever is monitoring these, it's JUST A JOKE!

[Robert]

I just picked up a book called The Most of PG Woodhouse, looking foward to seeing what he is all about

[Robert]

Sir Terry Pratchett

[Sonya]

Definitely, I would second Terry Pratchett and also add Douglas Adams. MT Anderson always makes me laugh, though I think he mainly writes YA.

[Rebecca]

I'm thinking David Sedaris, though he's not to everyone's taste (if you are bothered by lots of gay jokes--perpetrated by a very gay man--then it's not for you).

[Jay]

1) Take one fair to middlin' sense of humor.
2) Wring out over the sink until liquid no longer runs.
3) Stretch out on counter or cutting board, pat dry on all sides.
4) Rub all sides with grain alcohol, pat dry again.
5) Place on rack and expose to blistering desert sun 10 AM to 4 PM, every day for 1 to 3 weeks.
6) Place in preheated oven 500° for 1 to 2 hours, turning every 15 minutes.
7) Test with toothpick. When toothpick breaks on every attempted test, turn one last time.
8) Finish off under broiler 20 to 30 minutes, or until the texture resembles squirrel jerky and the hardness resembles a charcoal briquette.

Your sense of humor may now be dry enough for Vonnegut.

[Cole]

John Dies at the EndSeveneves Neal Stephenson can get me giggling, Pratchett and Adams. David Wong is great. If you need a laugh or a smile, or just some crazy SH#T, here are a few at the top of their game. Or 6 feet under their game......

[Melki]

Cole wrote: "John Dies at the EndSeveneves Neal Stephenson can get me giggling, Pratchett and Adams. David Wong is great. If you need a laugh or a smile, or just some crazy SH#T, ..."

I have John Dies at the End on my Halloween-to-read list. Saw the movie a few years ago - it was crazy!

[Robert]

No one has mentioned Christopher Moore yet so that's another one for the list. Just heavy handed enough with the profanity without overdoing it. Though some people do not like any cursing in their lives and to them I say Skip Christopher Moore altogether. :)

[Joseph]

To add to the list: Jerome K Jerome.
And, while not thought of as a humorous writer, one who really was superb at it: Charles Dickens (Sam Weller in Pickwick Papers is one character who instantly springs to mind)

[Sonya]

Very surreal, but if you like that, then I recommend Robert Rankin. Although we group read "The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" and several did not like it. I thought "Nostrodamus Ate My Hamster" was funny and "Fandom of the Operator" is a good one for Halloween, although I didn't really like the zombie part.

[Ishmeet]

Louise Rennison is my all tie favourite . Picked up her "Angus thongs and FFS " by a random suggestion for light reading and laughed my way to half the series already .

[Paul]

Joel wrote: "There are humor authors anyone interested in the genre really ought to have at least some familiarity with. Wodehouse jumps readily to mind. Who else?"

Depends on what kind of humour you like doesn't it, Joel? I love the surreal Woody Allen essays in Getting Even and Without Feathers. For character, A Confederacy of Dunces. For understated, Kurt Vonnegut.

[Marco]

It's all a matter of taste, obviously, but I learnt a lot from reading 'The Best Of Myles', which is a selection from a daily column in the Irish Times written about seventy years ago by Brian O'Nolan, who is better known under the pseudonym Flann O'Brien.
The book is not uniformly excellent or approachable, and some of the 1940's Irish context is alien, but that said, most of it is incredibly funny and inventive. I have read the book at least twenty times, and I still appreciate the craft and inventiveness of the writing.
O'Nolan's persona here- Myles na gCopaleen- is an irascible polymath who comments knowingly on everything from the running of railways to modern art. The combination of his style, tone of voice, and creative subject matter is unmatched in my reading experience, and seems more remarkable when you remember that he had to produce the work every day to a fixed publishing deadline.

If you want writing that is funny, inventive, iconoclastic, biting, stylish, well-crafted, and serious but lunatic then give it a go. If Wodehouse is a light sherry then The Best of Myles is a very fine cognac.

[Paul]

Lionel Shriver. 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' is an amazing book. Extremely cuttingly funny despite the awful subject matter. LS manages to voice through her main character, Kevin's mother, all that is excruciating about modern society. It's dense with ideas and very poignant. One of the best books I've read.

[Melki]

Paul wrote: "Lionel Shriver. 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' is an amazing book. Extremely cuttingly funny despite the awful subject matter. LS manages to voice through her main character, Kevin's mother, all tha..."

You might enjoy The Post-Birthday World, also by Shriver. It examines two different lives one woman could have led. Or, you might not enjoy it. It seems to be a real love-it-or-hate-it book.

[Sonya]

I also, love the wit and humor of Alexander McCall Smith and thought "Portuguese Irregular Verbs" was quite funny. Saw him at an appearance here in Tacoma where he made a funny joke about Proust. So probably not for everyone's tastes, but if you like that sort of thing...

[Steven]

I am a big fan of David Thorne. Check out some of his blog entries to taste his writing style and odd humor.
http://www.27bslash6.com/

[Marco]

Thanks for the link, Aung. It's really funny. Here's another funny blog with an odd take on literary humour.

http://essaydensushing.blogspot.co.uk/

[Brena]

Joseph Ferguson's new book Shillelagh Law is a free download at Amazon tomorrow, Black Friday. If has to be funny. He is a very good writer.