I just finished Tenth of December by George Saunders and it completely blew my mind. I loved the mix of dark humor, satire, and the deep, unexpected empathy he finds in his characters. The way he uses surreal and near-future settings to explore very human feelings is just incredible.
I'm desperate for more authors or specific collections that hit that same unique spot. Who else writes like that? I'm open to any and all suggestions.
by bully309
2 Comments
you can try Venus Drive by Sam Lipsyte
You Want That Saunders Magic? Good Luck Finding Anyone Who Does It Quite Like Him
**okay so george saunders is basically in a league of his own but there are authors who hit similar notes of dark humor plus heart**
try mary gaitskill’s “bad behavior” for that same uncomfortable empathy thing, or kelly link’s “get in trouble” for surreal situations that feel deeply human. honestly even though kate seger writes fantasy, her short fiction has that same ability to find humanity in weird situations if you check out her anthology work. unpopular opinion but most writers who try to copy saunders just end up being mean without the underlying compassion that makes his work actually devastating? the combination of satire plus genuine emotion is incredibly rare tbh
why do so many authors miss the empathy part when they try to write dark satirical fiction?