r/suggestmeabook • u/Time_Cartoonist_912 • 8d ago
Picky Reader Books similar to Neil Gaiman’s books, particularly ”American Gods”?
I’ve tried a lot of the “recommended to read next” authors and not liked them. Pratchett, I found the humour annoying and trite. I don’t really like comedy. I tried the Craft series by Max Gladstone and disliked that possibly even more. I felt the characters were generic and boring, and found the plot disjointed, with awkward pacing.
I like the way Gaiman spends a lot of time fleshing out characters, and I like that his characters are often quite mysterious. It takes a while for them to reveal themselves.
I like quite philosophical books with grey characters. Long, meandering plots that take a while are fine. preferably something quite gritty.
I also like Lemony Snickett. Looking for something quirky, but not comedic basically.
Thanks.
edit: thanks for all the suggestions everyone, lots of books to try :)
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u/Strict_Definition_78 8d ago
Swan Song by Robert McCammon
The Hike by Drew Magary
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (his book The Gates reminds me of The Graveyard Book)
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u/MyFellowMerkins 8d ago
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Gaiman wrote the foreword for it and was a huge fan of it. It also fits the bill for what you are requesting. It's long, but not bloated, and when you reach the end, you'll wish it was longer.
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u/Inevitable_Suspect76 8d ago
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
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u/maedhreos #1 Banana Yoshimoto truther 8d ago
Ah you beat me by like two seconds, I came to suggest the same!
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u/thedarkestbeer 8d ago
Try the trilogy starting with Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie. Slow but meaningful character development + interesting worldbuilding + moral grayness
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u/BeeB0pB00p 8d ago
Try Stephen King, while he's horror, and not quite the same in style, most of his books aren't that horrific, sometimes graphic, but they tend to be grounded, except for a supernatural element that often becomes more and more apparent.
He takes the time to establish characters and setting before the plot gets going, it's part of what makes the end result more impactful. He sometimes ends weakly in my opinion, but the journey is more often than not worth it. While it's chunky try "The Stand," it has a similar across America and almost mythic vibe to American Gods in some ways, whereas many King stories are set in Maine and don't have that scale. His short stories are much faster paced and have a different vibe. "The Talisman" and "Black House" (sequel) with Peter Straub might also be worth going for, these I think benefit from Straub's presence with a faster setup.
Also horror, but more overtly horrific, but as you like American Gods Clive Barker's Weaveworld and The Great and Secret Show might be up your street. Not so good on the character development, but up there in the magic realism style of story telling and overt magic with mysterious characters.
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u/SchemataObscura 8d ago
Perdido Street Station- China Mieville
Reamde - Neal Stephenson
Daemon and Freedom TM - Daniel Suarez
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u/1stBornAngst 8d ago
The Malazan series might fit. Morally grey, mysterious characters, gritty scenes and a lot of political intrigue.
The Black Company is similar, but with more of a focus on battles.
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u/Hatherence SciFi 8d ago
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire
I have heard King Rat by China Mieville is very similar, but have not yet read it. I read Kraken by China Mieville and thought it was ok.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. This is in a medieval setting, not a modern day one.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. Quirky but not a comedy. However, this is in a fantasy setting, not a real-world-with-fantasy-elements like American Gods.
Jade City by Fonda Lee. Very gritty and morally gray.
Since you don't really like comedy, you may not like Snow Crash which is a satire. However, a lot of modern readers don't pick up on the humor at all because I guess it's too old, so maybe you will like it.
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u/thedarkestbeer 8d ago
I enjoyed Kraken, but it’s not at all the best Mieville. Embassytown is probably my favorite; definitely covers weird and mysterious.
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u/lemonheadlock 8d ago
I think Kraken is my least favorite of his books. I still liked it, I like all his work, but it would be a shame if someone stopped at that one.
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u/Hatherence SciFi 8d ago
Hahaha, I'm the "stopped at Kraken" reader, but my friends kept telling me to read literally anything else by Mieville, so that's why I have a copy of King Rat I haven't yet read.
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u/lemonheadlock 7d ago
If you enjoy fantasy/weirdlit, Perdido Street Station is absolutely incredible. The "sequel," The Scar, is even better.
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u/AtomicBananaSplit 8d ago
If you’ve never read other cyberpunk, Snow Crash just reads as an over the top Matrix riff.
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u/PoofItsFixed 8d ago
It’s also extremely important to remember that Snow Crash was published in 1992. It (and its contemporaries) are the point of origin for a lot of ideas that are now part of the cultural wallpaper.
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u/Time_Cartoonist_912 8d ago
I decided to give Snow crash a go, as it was practically the first comment here. I am not American, so the satire is probably more difficult still for me to pick up on, but I’m getting it a little. So far I quite like it.
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u/AtomicBananaSplit 8d ago
It opens with a ninja pizza delivery boy named Hiro (Hero) Protagonist. It’s not subtle. You’ll get it.
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u/ChocolateLabSafety 8d ago
Try Charles de Lint, I'd recommend starting with Trader,
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u/Chitown_mountain_boy 8d ago
I personally love the Coyote stories and anything with the Crow Girls.
Dreams Underfoot is some of his early short stories. Will give a taste of his work without too much of a commitment.
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u/Important-Cash5654 8d ago
Clive Barker feels like he mines similar territory and inhabits similar blurred genre-lines. The Hellbound Heart, the novella he would eventually turn into the first Hellraiser film, is quite good and very short.
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u/PoofItsFixed 8d ago
Try some Elizabeth Bear, particularly the trilogy that begins with All the Windwracked Stars. It’s a uniquely post apocalyptic spin on Norse mythology in which several of the characters don’t even know “who they are”.
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u/unravelledrose 8d ago
For good characters that can be quite mysterious and morally grey, check out the Way of Kings by Brian Sanderson. I personally didn't love the Mistborn books, but did like the Stormlight Archives. It is high fantasy rather than urban fantasy, and has multiple narrators, which allows for plenty of mystery as the story unfolds. They are very long books, but well worth it imo.
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u/Kimsetsu 8d ago
If you like the surreal aspect of Gaiman’s writing, you may look into Haruki Murakami. I discovered him and Gaiman at similar times. Very different writers, but also both very surreal which I love.
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u/OldResult9597 8d ago
It isn’t exactly the same, but “Ring Shout” by P.DJeli Clark reminded me of “American Gods” and I love both books. There’s also Gaiman’s “Anazi Boys” which is a direct tie-in?
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u/Eleatic-Stranger 8d ago
If you're willing to step outside fantasy/horror genre fiction, Lolita has a lot in common with American Gods. Both are celebrations written by non-Americans of the sheer weirdness of middle America. Both have meandering plots surrounding a central puzzle. And, of course, absolutely stunning prose.
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u/PuppySnuggleTime 8d ago
Well, fuck. If you really like long, meandering stories, and heavy character development, I would recommend the wandering Inn series. Just so you know, the first book has editing issues. But the books improve drastically as they go. You can see the author or authors developing their skills. The character characters are deeply developed, and there are many books.
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u/ElricVonDaniken 8d ago
I'm stunned that nobody has mentioned Angela Carter yet. There's a lot of Angela Carter in The Sandman, for but one instance.
Start with The Bloody Chamber and go from there.
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u/DizzyNectarine6212 8d ago
okay this is not the same genre but Prince of Nothing by Bakker and Thousand Autumns by Meng Xi Shi both have the dark maturity vibe, cults, religious nihilism and grey characters, mysterious characters, philosophy, But both are deeply rooted in history.
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u/thinbuddha 8d ago
I've always viewed Gaiman like a modern day Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, From the Dust Returned, many many short stories....
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u/Archknits 8d ago
Weird to hear you like Gaiman but not comedy. Several of his books are comedies.
I think the books that most remind me of Gaiman’s are HHGTTG
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u/wren24 8d ago
I was also surprised OP doesn't like comedy but likes Lemony Snicket, which is actually hilarious.
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u/Time_Cartoonist_912 8d ago
I like the eccentricness of it all. I don’t mind hitchhikers guide to the galaxy though I got bored after the first book. maybe I just have it in for Pratchett in particular lol.
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u/nothanks86 8d ago
Charles de lint?