Best humorous american literature books according to redditors

We found 232 Reddit comments discussing the best humorous american literature books. We ranked the 100 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Top Reddit comments about Humorous American Literature:

u/millionbear · 16 pointsr/Showerthoughts

this is actually the plot of a great erotic novel by Nicholson Baker called "The Fermata." a guy finds out that he can stop time and basically just uses it for elaborate masturbation fantasies.

https://www.amazon.com/Fermata-Nicholson-Baker/dp/0679759336

enjoy!

u/tomcatfever · 13 pointsr/dresdenfiles

For general fantasy I've enjoyed Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and The Broken Empire. I listen to Kingkiller Chronicle fairly often due to the amount of commuting I do where I live.

For more urban/fantasy maybe try Lives of Tao, Iron Druid Chronicles, or anything by Neil Gaiman. The anniversary edition of American Gods was really excellent on audio-book. Not sure if the others have audio editions or not.

I've also really enjoyed stuff by Drew Hayes (a webnovelist). His banner series is SuperPowereds. But I though NPCs was a great take on an old fantasy trope. Neither come in audio formats unfortunately.

Good luck.

u/kimmature · 13 pointsr/books

Pretty much anything by Christopher Moore, but The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror always cheers me up.

u/copopeJ · 11 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Christopher Moore's "The Stupidest Angel". Nothing like some good old fashioned Christmas Zombies to get you in the holiday spirit. Also, it has the greatest one sentence chapter in the world.

u/labizau · 11 pointsr/books

How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe is about a man who travels through time looking for his father, the inventor of the first time machine. It's beautifully written and quite affecting.

Edit: The author, Charles Yu, also made a list of his top ten time travel books for The Guardian, which you can find here.

u/Astronoid · 9 pointsr/DoesAnybodyElse

The Fermata
is a book that deals quite interestingly with just that subject.

u/dirtcutter · 8 pointsr/books

It's one of my favorite book covers

u/neszero · 6 pointsr/WTF

This novel may interest you.

Edit: To sum it up: "Baker's ingenious fifth novel, about a 35-year-old temp worker who stops time to act out elaborate sexual fantasies."

u/wesleychuauthor · 6 pointsr/Fantasy

Thanks Todd. I think your link is broken.

Try this link

u/Earthtone_Coalition · 5 pointsr/timetravel

Pretty classic paradox. Reminds me of a highly condensed version of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe.

u/Cdresden · 5 pointsr/printSF

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

Requiem for a Ruler of Worlds by Brian Daley.

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong.

Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny.

Callahan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson.

u/clicketyclack · 5 pointsr/books

I agree. Actually, anything by Christopher Moore is hilarious.

One of the funniest books I've ever read was Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan. http://www.amazon.com/Apathy-Other-Small-Victories-Neilan/dp/0312351747

u/19Styx6 · 5 pointsr/CFB
u/grabthar · 4 pointsr/funny

A while back in a similar thread someone mentioned a book based on the same premise as the 4chan story: The Fermata by Nicholson Baker.

u/[deleted] · 4 pointsr/ForeverAlone

READ THIS BOOK: Apathy and Other Small Victories

Edit: Also, for TV, try Black Books. It's a Britcom about a misanthropic bookstore owner.

u/Too_many_pets · 4 pointsr/booksuggestions

My husband and I both loved Striptease by Carl Hiaasen. The movie was awful, and I didn't care for too many of his other books, but this one was really funny.

u/JMer806 · 3 pointsr/Fantasy

At least some of them are available as Kindle books now, and you can still find used copies floating around. I would say the omnibus is the way to go (in several volumes): Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures Volume 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592221114/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nyZjDbP4FR4VJ

u/hoseramma · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Unconventional, eh? Try Tom Robbins. His writing style is beautiful, and his plots are completely out there. For example, his book Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas is written entirely in second person. After I read all of Vonnegut, he filled the void.

There's this one book called The Bear Went Over the Mountain by William Kotzwinkle that I've always adored. It's about a bear who finds a briefcase that changes his life.

I love Max Barry. I'd recommend Jennifer Government.

u/legalpothead · 3 pointsr/printSF

Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

Tuf Voyaging by GRR Martin.

u/SilverWingsofMorning · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

The Stupidest Angel: A Heart Warming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore

Click Here for the Amazon Link

It's a fun christmas story about what happens when a zombie invasion starts because an Angel shows up 2000 years late to the birth of the baby in the manger and grants a kid a christmas wish.

It's a clever little story for christmas.

u/arcsecond · 3 pointsr/printSF

Almost finished with "Too Many Curses" by A. Lee Martinez. He's one of the few fantasy authors I can stomach anymore, the other being Terry Pratchett. I guess I got sick of serious high fantasy and can only really do light-hearted comedy fantasy anymore. It's a nice light read with some enjoyable characters but some just outright silly stuff I could do without. Almost feels like an early work of his that got reworked and published.

I'm also kind of in the middle of "Slow Apocalypse" by John Varley. It was getting a little depressing, so I put it down for a while. I should have expected that from the title though. I live in the region the book is set in and work in The Industry, so a lot of the places and things and people he mentions in the opening are spot on. Maybe that's why I've found it so disturbing so far.

I'm also a couple of pages into "The Steel Tsar" by Michael Moorcock. I've been wanting to read this trilogy for years and am so glad they decided to republish it. I picked up the first two, "Warlord of the Air" and "The Land Leviathan", a couple months ago and enjoyed those very much, especially from a 'history of sf' sort of perspective. You can see the fledgling steampunk/alternate reality setting as they were interpreted in the early 1970s.

u/Remoose · 2 pointsr/AskRedditAfterDark

Nicholas Baker is a true writer. Some might not have the patience for actual skill with their erotica, but The Fermata and Vox are classics.

https://www.amazon.com/Fermata-Vintage-Contemporaries-Nicholson-Baker-ebook/dp/B005GFC0HU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511989727&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=fermata+nicholas+baker

u/wundertunge · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

This isn't a classic, but IMO it should be:

The Fermata centers around a temp named Arno Strine and his sexual escapades as a time-freezing pervert, transcribing temp, erotica ("rot") writer, and sensitive literary aesthete. One of the raunchiest, funniest, deepest, and thoughtful books about the male gaze. I've read it twice and have recommended it to a number of people who love it. Thought provoking, hot, and in the end, kind of sweet and romantic. But deeply philosophical, too.

This book is in my top 5 novels ever, right alongside East of Eden and Brothers Karamazov.

u/markatto · 2 pointsr/reddit.com
u/puadxe · 2 pointsr/reddit.com

The Fermata, for all your rapey fantasy needs

u/vvhy · 2 pointsr/The_Donald

How about just cutting funding for bullshit departments? I went to a public uni renowned for being leftist and took chemistry, computer science, bioinformatics, physics, math courses and politics never came up even once in any of them.

The university-mandated general education course about "changing world perspectives", on the other hand... Well, this should be a good indication.

u/NeurotoxicNihilist · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Wow, what odd timing.

Hiya, I've been trying to improve like most aspects of my life recently. I'm heading to college in a couple months, so why not turn over a new leaf in the process?

I'm trying to get into a better headspace, being less anxious and less angry when it happens. Trying to eat at least a little better and maybe start up on some exercise. Trying to get back to basics and either draw more or read more, or both! Cutting back on soda (which I'm finding more than a little difficult) and just generally trying to live better.

I think a new books like this or this would encourage some more reading hopefully.

/u/Morthy? I think I may have encountered you before on here. How's it going? How's life? I hope you're doing well!

Thanks for the contest Derparita!

u/Neried · 2 pointsr/science

Check out the book 2030 His ideas on what happen with China are rather... off.... but some of what he says has a bit of merit

u/rainfaint · 2 pointsr/books

Apathy And Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan is by far the funniest book I have ever come across. http://www.amazon.com/Apathy-Other-Small-Victories-Neilan/dp/0312351747

u/TacticusThrowaway · 2 pointsr/TumblrInAction

> And how many bears do you see on a regular basis? Do you sit next to them on the bus? Do you work with them? Do you add them on Facebook?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008TSC8AK/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

This is a very weird book. It's like Being There, but with a bear.

u/Calcipher · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Tortilla Curtain or The Brothers Karamazov (linked version is by far my favorite translation). The former deals with race and class relations (in a frequently humorous way), the latter is an absolute classic that deals with more issues that I can list. In the case of The Brothers Karamazov do be sure to pick a good tranlsation as there are some good and very poor ones.

u/Seasonal · 2 pointsr/AskReddit
u/CabbageHands · 2 pointsr/funny

Amazon is your friend.

u/Salaris · 2 pointsr/Fantasy

You might like Too Many Curses by A. Lee Martinez. It focuses on a kobold housekeeper trying to keep her master's (extremely dangerous) castle functional while he's gone.

u/mewfasa · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The whole Ender's Game series is really, really good. I highly suggest reading all of the books. Everyone always compares it to the Hunger Games, but I personally don't think they really compare.

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and I had my dad read it too. It's it's a bit apocalyptic, and of course it's a fictional novel, but the story sounds so plausible it's scary.

People have already recommended a bunch of books by John Green, but I second those recommendations. He's a wonderful author.

Finally, a coming-of-age book which just so happens to be my all-time favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

I can talk about books all day. I love reading so much

u/jusjerm · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Many people will probably recommend "Hitchhiker's Guide" to you, but I'd like to suggest another series by Adams: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It is somewhat of a science fiction/murder mystery with plenty of British humor thrown in.

My favorite book of all time is Apathy and Other Small Victories

u/bigomess · 2 pointsr/books

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Favorite novel of the year

Just Kids by Patti Smith. Favorite memoir.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu.

u/bruce656 · 2 pointsr/sex
u/YaksAreCool · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan. Fucking hilarious, in a lot of the same ways as JDatE.

u/MeishkaD · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror also you should read Warm Bodies if you haven't already. I thought it was pretty profound for a zombie love story. I am recommending it as I spoke with someone earlier this week who didn't even know it had been a novel first. I already told you earlier that you need to read Swan Song although it is out of print I believe, so you may need to do some digging. (Or ask an internet friend really nicely if they might ship you their copy to borrow) That's all I can think of for now.

u/SammyD1st · 2 pointsr/funny

This fiction book is basically about that premise:

http://www.amazon.com/2030-Real-Story-Happens-America/dp/B0078XOKNK

u/jeffhamrick · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Fermata by Nicholson Baker is the story of a man who has the ability to pause time. The guy is a total pervert and he uses his power to act out elaborate pornographic schemes. Hilarious book - really well written but also pretty raunchy

u/Reddywhipt · 2 pointsr/movies

http://www.amazon.com/The-Fermata-Nicholson-Baker/dp/0679759336

An amazing writer. Maybe not strictly sane, but a hell of a wordsmith.

u/Mizzoufan523 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

A mental fuck could be nice.

http://amzn.com/B004OA62WC

Thank you for the Contest!

u/kevinlanefoster · 1 pointr/printSF

You might like Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits: A Novel by David Wong.

The feel is very similar even if the hacking aspect is all but missing.

u/atetuna · 1 pointr/books
u/LocalAmazonBot · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: http://smile.amazon.com/Make-Love-Bruce-Campbell-Way/dp/031231261X


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|
|Spain|www.amazon.es||
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Germany|www.amazon.de||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||
|Italy|www.amazon.it||
|India|www.amazon.in||
|China|www.amazon.cn||




To help donate money to charity, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/lgodsey · 1 pointr/politics

Is anyone familiar with actor/director Albert Brooks? I am a big fan, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed his newest book 2030. I expected a wry comic tale, but it was serious and takes a hard look at many of these issues and how the young will have to deal with their parent's retirements as the economy fails.

u/makesureimjewish · 1 pointr/WTF
u/johnpseudo · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/crunkjuicer · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I can't tell you what happens in 2021, but I can by 2030:

http://www.amazon.com/2030-Real-Story-Happens-America/dp/0312583729

u/xbk1 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Nicholson Baker has explored this concept in his novel The Fermata

u/Geloni · 1 pointr/AskReddit

For those who chose pausing time i suggest reading The Fermata by Nicholson Baker

u/mldl · 1 pointr/sex

I first read The Fermata twenty-three years ago. It was my introduction to the genre and left a lasting mark on me.

u/derglingrush · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Have you read The Fermata, by Nicholson Baker?

u/a_disco_ball · 1 pointr/AskReddit

there is a book with a similar premise. The Fermata by Nicholson Baker. the pervy narrator stops time and undresses women. fun book.

u/BiscuitWhisker · 1 pointr/AskReddit

It's been written... Though not by Poe.

u/nastylittleman · 1 pointr/comics

Nice comic. The other ones by the same artist are good too. Made me think of this book for some reason.

u/wouldgillettemby · 1 pointr/books

I haven't read it personally, but my friend won't stop raving about Apathy and Other Small Victories

u/runkat426 · 1 pointr/politics

On a lighter note, it'd like to recommend [this book] (https://www.amazon.com/Stupidest-Angel-Heartwarming-Christmas-Terror/dp/0060842350) as a fun read for those interested in Xmas (zombie apocalypse) wars. It's very funny.

u/KimberlyInOhio · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

Speaking of funny and politics in the same book, a lot of Carl Hiaasen's novels, such as Strip Tease are political. And hilarious.

u/yellowcakecone · 1 pointr/AdviceAnimals

You guys should check out The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu if you like the premise in the OP. The sequel is pretty bomb too.

u/dangerd3an · 1 pointr/printSF

From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain, by Minister Faust.

Described as a "self-help book for superheroes struggling with a post-Gotterdammerung lack of supervillains to fight".

u/CptnAlex · 1 pointr/Drugs

Based on your writing style (which is hilarious), I have a feeling you might enjoy this book: Apathy...

u/allalu · 1 pointr/tifu

This is probably the weirdest thing ever but I read this in a book 2 days ago, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits. The writer, "David Wong" (note the quotes) wrote the book John Dies at the End. Anyway, basically this super buff guy called Molech says this after getting his hands cut off.

u/simplystunned · 1 pointr/politics

Sounds like Albert Brooks' 2030. I couldn't get through it, I was too depressed.

http://www.amazon.com/2030-Real-Story-Happens-America/dp/0312583729

u/makeveryonehappy · 1 pointr/funny

I know it's not quite a children's book, but "Apathy and Other Small Victories" by Paul Neilan is by far the funniest book I've ever read.

u/itsMalarky · 1 pointr/books

Hi.

T.C. Boyle is similar to Chuck P but better in MANY ways -- also a bit more literary. He writes a lot of really great fiction, usually with a social message intertwined.

I recommend

  1. Tortilla Curtain (about an Illegal Immigrant and Middle Class guy and how their lives become suddenly intertwined),


  2. A friend of the earth About an aging environmental terrorist
  3. Talk Talk About a deaf woman who gets her identity stolen.




u/paper_cranes1k · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I don't know if it counts as life changing, but Apathy and Other Small Victories depicts a rather different, but hilarious narration of some of the more mundane/depressing parts of one man's life. A fairly short read, but it's one of my favorites.

u/whale_omelette · 1 pointr/books

Not to everyone's taste, but really well written smut: House of Holes, The Fermata and Vox all by Nicholson Baker (who writes non-sexy things pretty dang well, too).

u/sneakynin · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

Apathy and Other Small Victories: A Novel

It is dark and weird. I barely remember the plot, but I know it had me laughing out loud.

Apathy and Other Small Victories: A Novel https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312352190/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oQZ3DbAN6BANT


Also, Steve Martin's The Pleasure of My Own Company. And Frank Portman's King Dork.

u/hustlefinch · 1 pointr/politics

Sounds kinda like "2030: The Real Story of America" by Albert Brooks.

https://www.amazon.com/2030-Real-Story-Happens-America/dp/B0078XOKNK

u/Attacus · 1 pointr/WTF

I highly recommend the book Apathy to everyone. The protagonist makes a living out of sleeping on the can at work and other WTF stuff. It's awesome.

It hits this topic pretty hard... not to mention its the only book that's ever actually made me laugh out loud continuously. For the record. I don't read, ever. Read this book though. You'll thank me.

u/DukeofSpades · 1 pointr/AskReddit

You could stop time and read Nicholson Baker's The Fermata

u/deliciousmeats · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Apathy by Paul Neilan.

It wouldn't be a blockbuster by any means, but it'd be a great film to see in the autumn months for some quick (yet, somehow witty) laughs.

u/jhra · 1 pointr/books

Christopher Moore,
Douglas Coupland,
Max Barry,
Some books that I have, but only the singular novel...
Apathy And Other Small Victories,
The Futurist

hope that helps

u/death-before-decaf · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan. It's a dark comedy that doesn't end in a "happy" way. Short and sweet. Plus it's only like $2 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Apathy-Other-Small-Victories-Neilan/dp/0312352190

u/bitelulz · 1 pointr/todayilearned

This is a common thing in this book (great read, by the way), and it gives a pretty good idea of what it would be like.

u/baccaruda66 · 1 pointr/tifu
u/HickSmith · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Check out Robert Asprin. He had two series that were full of bad puns and more like caper stories than anything serious.

Another Fine Myth and the subsequent Myth series follows a Demon and his apprentice magician.

Phule's Company follows a space legion commander ( Willard Phule) and his rag tag group through some non-traditional missions.

They're good for kids as well as adults. Great fun to read.

u/photogeek42 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

there were a few:
The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd (until I read this I never realized a book could be a work of visual art instead of just a story)(also, get the hard cover for the full effect)
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
I Will Fear No Evil also Heinlein
The Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams (this is what started it all)

u/trippin-balls · 0 pointsr/AskReddit

If you're looking for a simple and fun read, check this book out. It's absolutely hilarious. After reading it you won't learn anything or feel any smarter, but it is definitely worth the read because you'll laugh your ass off.

u/ashadeofgrey · 0 pointsr/Design

This reminds me of The Cheese Monkeys and The Learners, by Chip Kidd.