I’ve almost finished this. Taken about 6 months and more than a few tries to get going. It’s amazing and completely mad. Non linear plotting, sub-plots and tangents, florid descriptions, huge amount of characters and a number of different writing styles. Hard work but rewarding.
It’s naturally not a clear distinction, but Ishiguro is not a SF writer simply because he’s not generally thought of as one. There’s plenty of great fiction with SF elements, even straight up SF like for example Children of Men or Handmaid’s Tale but they are not thought of as SF, even tho if they were they written by a generally accepted SF writer, would easily pass for SF.
That’s the thing about SF, it’s very much a genre like crime or fantasy, and people expect certain well established tropes. It’s also why I don’t really read modern SF at all, since there are so many great writers of fiction who use elements of SF but can actually write great prose as well.
I work in a fairly big city library, and once did a 6 month stint in the cataloging department, specifically english fiction and genres. Honestly making the distinction between genres was extremely hard without help from Amazon, Goodreads and Wikipedia. Just by reading the description I would have catalogued half the books differently from the general consensus.
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Bradburys Farenheit 451 is a classic and very relevant in todays climate. I would add H G Wells to the SF list. He came out with thought and ideas of the future way before a lot of writers
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It’s weird that later Ballard is even considered sci-fi by some. I suppose I look at him being the rare author who exists outside of a clear genre. His first few were certainly sci-fi and then dipped back in with Unlimited Dream Company and Hello America sort of mid-career after his first really important phase (Concrete Island, Crash, High-Rise). I’d say his best work is outside of that genre, though UDC is pretty great, the rest of his sci-fi work is my least favorite.
Kingdom Come is another that I think is exceptional. Also would recommend Extreme Metaphors, a collection of interviews.
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Yes Ballards ‘Crash’ is cheesecake.
It’s a shame that that’s the work that launched him to fame as I find it trying really way too hard to be edgy without being as smart as some of his other work.
Hard Boiled is my favorite one because it was the first one I ever read. Back in grad school I took a Japanese Literature course and the professor was really cool and knew his stuff. That’s where I learned about Wabi Sabi, Akira, Tsutomu Nihei, and of course Murakami. Japan and Sweden are both on my bucket list to visit. I haven’t read his earlier stuff yet but I’m planning on it (Wild Sheep Chase, etc.).
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I think Kafka is his best, but I guess that was also the first one I read so it might have a special place because of that. Should read it again, its been over 10 years and I did really like it.
Can you recommend another ? I may give him another shot.
Twilight Zone classic. ‘Time enough at last’. a truly incredible episode starring Burgess Meredith about a man who could never find the time to read. I wont spoil the ending.
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You didnt ask me, but Drowned World if you’re more into classic scifi, super-cannes if you like subversive contemporary mystery. Also Empire of the sun, which is more of a straight biography, nyt a very interesting one as he loved in China as a child during WW2.
Cheers. Ive seen the film Empire of the Sun.
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Oddly its his most well known book despite being his straightest book, almost completely lacking his distinctive style.
Maybe Spielberg ruined it 
I’ve been reading through every since Stephen King book for the last year. Started with The Dark Tower series, went on to The Stand, Pet Sematary, 'Salem’s Lot, The Shining and Cujo. Currently reading Hearts in Atlantis and Insomnia (yep, two at once). Got a long way to go but I am completely gripped by King’s prose.
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Now thats one author whose books are better than dumb mini series or Kubricks glossy homage.(the shining).
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As implied with a reply already, it really depends on what you’re looking for. I think his best work explores the dark potential of humanity in a sort of descent into dystopian lunacy. So I like High-Rise (from the early/mid 70s - a look at what post-WW2 ‘modern living’ could lead to) and then Kingdom Come is his last I believe (very much predicts the rise of fascism and tribalism that hits awfully close to home with our modern reality).
I think his more traditional sci-fi from the 60s is really forgettable and couldn’t possibly recommend it, but I also think most sci-fi is pretty forgettable.
EDIT: I should add that of his sci-fi work, Unlimited Dream Company is my favorite because it’s just so fucking bizarre and surreal. That’d be my top three and each the most interesting work from three distinct eras.
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Only one of his early SF books I think is well worth reading is Drowned World. It has a brilliantly feverish atmosphere and the main character is very subversive, especially compared to his peers at the time. Definitely an early work for him, but one that already shows his greatness as a writer.
Sounds a bit like Man in the High Castle. Im not looking for anything in particular just enjoy reading. 