I’ve been doing a lot of heavier reading lately (Cosmere books by Brandon Sanderson) and am looking for some books that are good for a laugh, and can be read through relatively quickly.
Here are some authors I’ve enjoyed recently:
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Piers Morgan
Tolkien
Brandon Sanderson
W. Bruce Cameron
Josiah Bancroft
There’s more, but I don’t have my reading list in front of me.
by mysteriousblue87
15 Comments
Legends and Lattes. Low stakes, cosy fantasy and relatively short.
I think Terry Pratchett is fantastic – very funny and very wise. He died too soon.
Terry Pratchett. Start with Guards! Guars! Witches Abroad, Small Gods, Hogfather, The Thief of Time, or Pyramids.
The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. Followed by The Year of the Griffin.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede.
Robert Asprin’s Myth Adventures, beginning with *Another Fine Myth*. He also wrote the *Phule’s Company* series, which is sci-fi in a similar vein.
Michael Sullivan! His books are lighthearted and funny while also being epic, plot heavy and emotional. First is Theft of Swords, if you’re not up for a huge series : Age of Myth.
Douglas Adam’s – Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or Dirk Gentlys Detective Agency. Both funny solid comedies with sci-fi leanings
John Scalzi is good. Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain are nice and lighthearted.
books by john scalzi are accessible to even casual sci-fi fans and have interesting (sometimes silly) plots.
several of his latest:
kaiju preservation society –
jamie gray is a disgruntled meal delivery person who is offered a job to mainly lift and move things for an animal rights organization, turns out there is a little more to it.
starter villain –
charlie discovers that his estranged uncle was a supervilllain who has passed on his business, complete with volcano Island lair á là dr. no. he’s also inherited his uncle’s enemies,who want to finish what they started.
when the moon hits your eye –
the entire world is thrown into a panic when the moon inexplicably turns into cheese overnight.
according to the afterword, this is the last of three standalone books (kaiju preservation society and starter villain being the first two) that places regular people into frankly wacky circumstances in a contemporary setting.
the ‘science’ is left purposefully vague, but the questions posed are thought provoking, esoteric, and sometimes poignant. there is also a megalomaniac billionaire character who is obsessed with space travel… sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
Princess Bride by William Goldman a little different from the movie but still completely absurd and silly.
Hit up Christopher Moore. All his books are good but I think *Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal* is his best.
Hard Luck Hank, John Dies at the End, Willful Child, The Devils, Dungeon Crawler Carl, and, though grimdark, the First Law is really funny.
I love Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson it’s so funny and zany to me but with pretty solid world-building and historical reference mixed in
Science Fiction: [Dimension of Miracles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimension_of_Miracles)
Fantasy: [Dying Earth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_Earth)
Jasper Fforde and Christopher Moore, and of couse Discworld by SIr Terry Pratchett.
Space Opera by Catherine M Valente. What if Arthur Dent was Freddie Mercury and had to save the planet via the space-Eurovision song contest?
Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz. A bunch of robots illegally take over a noodle shop.
All The Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders. A mad scientist and an ecoterrorist witch fall in love.
And have you read Murderbot or any Andy Weir? They feel too obvious but are worth the hype.