Books that take you down the weird rabbit hole...

[Rox]

This year, I read House of leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, which was all kinds of awesome. It somehow reminded me a lot about Italo Calvino's If on a winter night a traveler.

I realized I loved those two books because they take you deep down the rabbit hole into a weird universe that does not follow the real-world rules, yet is not downright fantastical neither: it's always on the brink of both. I realized I loved these books because I never knew where the weirdness would take the characters, who would be swept-up into a skewed universe that just engulfs them. They are always left with a sense of unease, never quite grasping the way things work or the way things will develop, just discovering how deep the rabbit hole goes...

Have you read other books like these where the weird universe essentially overtakes the uneasy character who never quite grasps it's inner workings? I'd like to get lost in this kind of book again!

[Kevin]

Check out The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall! His book is as close to HOL as I've found in terms of unique approach. Great read!

[Justin]

After reading House of Leaves, I also read The Raw Shark Texts. Because of those two, I was recommended "S" by Doug Dorst and JJ Abrams. I mean, the creator of Lost? The book is multi-layered, and contains supplementals (postcards, photos, maps drawn on napkins) to further the greatness.S.

[Rox]

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm finding both STAT!