funny fiction

[Scot]

tom,

do you mind recommending some fiction writers who are a) funny and b) alive/still working?

many thanks,

scot.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Not Tom, obviously, but I find George Saunders and Gary Shteyngart to be alive and very funny.

[Scot]

saunders is great; first thing i ever read by him was "adams," in the new yorker, and the 1.5 pages that story occupied still blow m away.

shteyngart i dig, too, though i've yet to read absurdistan.

[Joe Rogaine]

Deb Olin Unferth


Maria Bamford even did a video spot for her new book called Vacation.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d9t0upbdEY&eurl=&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[Tom Scharpling]

Are you familiar with Charles Portis? He's alive (not working too much these days), but his stuff is as funny as anything. Try DOG OF THE SOUTH for starters.

Tom.

[Scot]

"dog of the south" is maybe one of my favorite books of all time ... so, so, so great.

[dave from knoxville]

George Singleton's likewise great; I would suggest "Why Dogs Chase Cars". I think that the work of George Saunders comes pretty close to warning us what we are turning towards, particularly if you start with Civilwarland in Bad Decline.

[John Junk 2.0]

Civilwarland in Bad Decline.

I love this book.

[dave from knoxville]

Civilwarland in Bad Decline.

I love this book.

I don't know whether the following news is terrifying or somewhat promising: Ben Stiller has optioned it for film.

[Scot]

i'll go with terrifying. i dunno: what makes saunders especially funny and great is the language. the stories are great, too, but it's the words that elevate them. movie just seems like it will fall flat ...

[John Junk 2.0]

Stiller could easily destroy Civilwarland with his "neurotic guy" shtick.

[cutout]

Another vote for George Saunders. Also Stacey Richter's My Date with Satan.

[hugman]

Stiller could easily destroy Civilwarland with his "neurotic guy" shtick.

Just cuz he optioned it don't necessarily mean he'll star in it.  Jaknow?

Also, thanks for this thread. I've been wanting to do more fun reading and this is just the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

[Shaggy 2 Grote]

Also, he's dead, but John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces is pretty awesome.

[yesno]

I didn't think I'd like Christopher Moore but I was wrong.  Funny guy.