The Best Authors No One's Heard of

[Timformation]

Like music, some of the best shit being put to paper never makes it into the public consciousness. Anyone one have any "best kept secret" works they'd like to share?

[Fitty]

Perhaps not that no-one's heard of them, just that no-one's bothered to read them... Heart of Darkness is simply awesome.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is dead is cool, too, but tends to attract a bunch of pseudo's.
The year of living dangerously is, in my opinion, one of the really good examples of Australian literature (although it's interestingly not set in Australia).
The Great Gatsby is another one that all have heard of but not many have read. It's worth the read if you want to have a good think - but then again, even if you don't it's a good story.

[Timformation]

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is dead is cool.

I love that one.

My current vote is "And the Ass Saw the Angel" by Nick Cave (Probably not considered "underground" in Aussie, but I come from a country where Jewel's book made it on the best-seller list, so cut me some slack).

[Thyraeus]

Perhaps not that no-one's heard of them, just that no-one's bothered to read them... Heart of Darkness is simply awesome.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is dead is cool, too, but tends to attract a bunch of pseudo's.
The year of living dangerously is, in my opinion, one of the really good examples of Australian literature (although it's interestingly not set in Australia).
The Great Gatsby is another one that all have heard of but not many have read. It's worth the read if you want to have a good think - but then again, even if you don't it's a good story.

Fitty, My Man,
Are you fucking joking?
Heart of Darkness
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is dead
The year of living dangerously
The Great Gatsby

Are all fucken classics - studied from high school to University! Rep for recomending some good reads (if they float your boat) But they are hardly classified as obscure!

PS- Apocolypse Now is based on heart of Darkness (J.Conrad)

[berserk]

Many, many moons ago, I read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead for HSC.

Would RK Narayanan be considered obscure?
I'd recommend The English Teacher (a story of incredible sadness from the loss of a loved one and hope thereafter) & Swami and Friends (childhood in colonial southern india).

[Enos]

Great Apes - Will Self

or My Idea of Fun by same author

[kleph]

will self is one strange fucking dude. but worth checking out.

[Fitty]

Fitty, My Man,
Are you fucking joking?
Heart of Darkness
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is dead
The year of living dangerously
The Great Gatsby

Are all fucken classics - studied from high school to University! Rep for recomending some good reads (if they float your boat) But they are hardly classified as obscure!

PS- Apocolypse Now is based on heart of Darkness (J.Conrad)

Yup, they are studied in High school and Uni, cos they're fucken awesome. But most people probably haven't read them - only those interested in literature.

[Fitty]

New books that are good

Life of Pi
Curious incident of the dog in the night time

[Girl.]

"Life of Pi" is excellent.. though personally, I think Yann Martel's first book, "Self", was better. It wasn't as polished or sophisticated as "Life of Pi", but I thought it was a much more engaging read.

I wouldn't classify either as obscure though.

My biggest recommendation would be Robert Dessaix. Not many people have heard of him -- but "Night Letters" is one of my favourite books. He tends to write in a fairly elaborate style of prose and incorporates discussions about art, literature, philosophy, travel and politics into his work. "Corfu" and "and so forth" are also worthwhile reads.

[SOC]

will self is one strange fucking dude. but worth checking out.

I've never read any of his books, but Will Self writes film reviews for one of the papers I work for.

Two authors I highly recommend are Jasper Fforde (http://www.jasperfforde.com/) (the Thursday Next novels) and Mike Gayle (http://www.mikegayle.co.uk/). I also enjoyed Mark Haddon (http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/author.htm?authorID=931)'s The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time when I read it a few months back.

[Feryl]

Stephen Lawhead is my all-time favourite author - but I've found not many people have heard of him. My favourite books of his are Byzantium, Empyrion, the Pendragon Cycle and the Song of Albion trilogy.

[Shootz]

I am still fascinated by Doug Coupland. 'Hey, Nostradamus!' is a terrific read, as is 'Shampoo Planet'. He's got a new one coming out very shortly, too, 'Eleanor Rigby'.

[and3w]

Anything by James Lee Burke but especially 'In the electric mist with confederate dead' or 'Dixie city jam'
Not really obscure but Carl Hiasson and Ian Rankin.
Alastair Reynolds
Ken McCloud (British political sci-fi.)

The Ass Saw The Angel is my favourite book full stop! I also like his book King Ink.

[SuCC]

Eiji Yoshikawa?

[Something Fast]

Perhaps not that obscure, but everyone should read some J G Ballard...

[SOC]

Mo Hayder (http://www.randomhouse.ca/mysterybooks/mohayder.html) - British crime/thriller writer. I recently read her first 2 novels, Birdman and The Treatment - and can't wait to read her next (when she finishes writing it).

[and3w]

An Oldie but goldie I am re-reading, and which should be read by everyone for it's prophetic ideas
The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey
On a Sci-Fi bent..Anything by Neal Asher..a fairly new british writer..any one of his books has more original ideas in it than all of (say) Ben Bova's books put together

[Nuisance Value]

Silence by Shusaku Endo
Q by "Luther Blisset"

[rayjayjohnson]

joe buff.

totally awesome submarine technothrillers.

...if that's your thing...

[Nalixor]

I really recommend you guys check out a book called The Gatekeeper by an author named Richard Blackburn, he's not very well known, and the book is published by an obscure publishing company named Zeus Publishing, but it is a -very- good read from a first time author. It can be ordered in at probably any Angus and Robertson in Australia, and probably all the other big book chains too.

Its sort of a young adults adventure type of a story, I wont reveal too much, but it involves time travel back to the middle ages, and is insanely historically accurate. Its a lot of fun to read, and I suggest you all check it out!

Once I find my copy of it, I'll edit this post with the ISBN of the book in case any of you who want to check it out have trouble ordering it in. Its around $20, and its worth every penny.

[Lady V]

An Australian author; Isobelle Carmody. Wrote the Obernewtyn series. Very good semi-sf post apocolyptic (but very very post) story over five books. Have been waiting for about 8 years for the final book, but I am sure it will come out some time... I hope.

[Spades]

Michael Moorcock - some brilliant sci fi stuff that is way less than mainstream - ie portraying germans as good guys - well worth it