George Saunders writes imaginative short stories and novels, often blending satire with deep human emotion. His acclaimed works include Tenth of December and Lincoln in the Bardo, known for their originality and distinctive style.
If you enjoy reading books by George Saunders then you might also like the following authors:
Colson Whitehead is an American author known for combining sharp wit, dark humor, and insightful social commentary. Readers who appreciate George Saunders will find Whitehead’s straightforward, yet deeply thought-provoking approach appealing.
A perfect place to start is his book The Underground Railroad, a surreal take on history where the underground escape route for slaves is portrayed as an actual railroad beneath the American South.
The story follows Cora, a young slave who decides to risk escape, facing strange cities and relentless dangers on her journey toward freedom. Whitehead tackles difficult and complex topics with clarity and imagination, offering readers a memorable narrative experience.
David Foster Wallace shares a similar taste for satire and dark humor with author George Saunders. His novel Infinite Jest is known for its wit, creative storytelling, and sharp critique of modern culture.
Set in a slightly futuristic North America, it’s filled with an eccentric mix of characters such as troubled tennis prodigies at an elite academy, recovering addicts in a halfway house, and shadowy operatives of political intrigue.
Wallace cleverly explores issues around entertainment excess, addiction, and loneliness while balancing humor with thoughtful social observation.
If you enjoy the depth, humor, and humanity Saunders brings to his work, then David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest could strike a similar chord.
If you enjoy George Saunders’ blend of sharp satire, dark humor, and subtle commentary on modern life, you might also appreciate Don DeLillo. DeLillo is known for his biting exploration of contemporary culture, technology, and the influence of media.
A good place to start would be his novel White Noise. This book follows Jack Gladney, a professor specializing in Hitler Studies, whose ordinary suburban life gets disrupted after an accident releases a mysterious airborne toxin.
Jack and his family’s anxious response to this surreal crisis brings out themes of consumerism, paranoia, and our confrontation with mortality.
With wit and insight, DeLillo examines how modern society copes with fear and uncertainty—which is something that Saunders’ readers might find especially relatable.
Readers who enjoy George Saunders’ blend of surreal storytelling and insightful character studies may find Haruki Murakami equally intriguing. Murakami is known for creating quirky characters caught in fantastical yet strangely familiar worlds.
In Kafka on the Shore, readers meet Kafka Tamura, a fifteen-year-old who runs away from home to escape a haunting prophecy. At the same time, elderly Nakata, who can talk to cats, embarks on a mysterious journey after a bizarre incident.
Their journeys cross paths, weaving through mysterious libraries, dream-like scenes and unforgettable people, bringing complex themes of fate and identity to life. Murakami pulls you into a strange yet relatable narrative where reality and the surreal seamlessly coexist.
Readers who enjoy George Saunders might appreciate Margaret Atwood’s clever storytelling and sharp social commentary. Atwood often explores complex characters facing strange, altered realities, themes familiar to anyone who likes Saunders’ imaginative fiction.
In her novel The Handmaid’s Tale, she takes readers into a dystopian society called Gilead. There, women are stripped of their identities and rights, forced into strict, disturbing roles.
Through the eyes of Offred, a Handmaid assigned to a powerful official, readers see the quiet terrors and tiny acts of rebellion that make up life in this oppressive new society.
Atwood offers a chilling yet insightful look at power, identity, and survival in the face of control.
Michael Chabon is an American author known for imaginative storytelling, witty prose, and sharp cultural commentary. Readers who appreciate George Saunders’ blend of satire and human insight might enjoy Chabon’s novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
The book, set against the backdrop of World War II, follows two Jewish cousins named Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay. They come together to create comic book heroes while navigating life, creativity, and identity during a turbulent historical era.
Chabon mixes humor, adventure, and heartfelt drama into a story that celebrates friendship, dreams, and the power of storytelling.
Zadie Smith is an insightful British novelist known for sharp wit, deep characters, and a unique look at contemporary society. If you like George Saunders’ satirical take on human behavior, you’ll find Smith’s White Teeth appealing.
The novel brings together two families—one from Bangladesh and one British-Jamaican—in a lively London neighborhood. Through quirky humor, memorable characters, and vivid storytelling, she covers themes of cultural identity, family dynamics, and generational clashes.
These families and their dramas pull readers into London life. Smith shows how everyday moments quickly become absurd, funny, and deeply meaningful.
Readers who appreciate George Saunders’ sharp eye for human flaws and his blend of humor with emotional depth might also enjoy Jennifer Egan. Her novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad, weaves together interconnected stories that span decades.
Egan uses different perspectives and timelines to explore the impact of time on ambition, relationships, and identity. The characters are memorable and flawed, each story adds a new layer to the overall narrative.
In one unforgettable chapter, Egan even experiments with a PowerPoint presentation to tell a moving and unique family story. This novel provides an original look at life’s ups and downs through a creative yet deeply human lens.
Readers who appreciate George Saunders’ sharp wit and thoughtful storytelling may also connect with Jonathan Franzen. Franzen has a talent for exploring family dynamics and societal pressures with clarity and depth.
His novel The Corrections follows the Lambert family as each member deals with personal struggles and disappointments.
The elderly parents, Alfred and Enid, wish to see their adult children come home for one last Christmas together—a gathering complicated by old resentments and the challenges they each face.
Franzen blends humor, empathy, and sharp observations to create a realistic and touching portrait of an American family.
Readers who appreciate George Saunders’ satirical wit and unique storytelling could also enjoy Chuck Palahniuk. Palahniuk is known for his sharp, provocative narratives that look closely at society’s dark corners.
His novel Fight Club follows an unnamed narrator trapped in a dull and meaningless life. After meeting Tyler Durden, a charismatic yet dangerous figure, he becomes involved in an underground fight organization.
As the club’s influence grows, lines between self-discovery, violence, and rebellion blur. Palahniuk expertly captures themes of identity crisis, consumerism, and modern masculinity in a narrative that is both darkly humorous and unsettling.
If you enjoy George Saunders’ sharp exploration of moral decisions and darkly humorous storytelling, Ian McEwan might catch your interest.
McEwan’s novel Atonement tells the story of Briony Tallis, a young girl whose misunderstanding dramatically alters the lives of those around her.
Over the following decades, Briony confronts the weight of that single mistake, questioning whether redemption is ever truly possible. McEwan skillfully examines how innocence and guilt, truth and fiction interact, drawing deep insight from deceptively simple moments.
Like Saunders, McEwan blends humanity with moral complexity in a way that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the final page.
Readers who appreciate George Saunders might find plenty to enjoy in Julian Barnes’s writing. Barnes is a British author acknowledged for thoughtful prose and sharp insights into human nature.
His novel The Sense of an Ending follows Tony Webster, an ordinary man confronted by past relationships and decades-old decisions. Through Tony’s eyes Barnes explores how memory shapes identity and reveals how the past shifts as new truths surface.
The story is compact but powerful, unfolding unexpected twists that leave readers reconsidering their own views of life and personal history.
Fans of Saunders who are interested in deep character studies and clever storytelling will likely appreciate Barnes’s thoughtful approach.
Readers who enjoy George Saunders may appreciate the works of Kazuo Ishiguro, an author known for his subtle and thought-provoking storytelling. His novel Never Let Me Go is a fine example.
Set in an alternate version of England, the story follows the narrator, Kathy H., who reflects on her childhood at a place called Hailsham.
Initially, the school seems idyllic and sheltered, but as Kathy grows older and reconnects with her childhood friends, the disturbing truth about their upbringing becomes clear.
Ishiguro explores themes of memory, identity, and humanity, creating quiet tension beneath everyday moments. Fans of Saunders’ blend of imaginative scenarios and emotional depth might find Never Let Me Go resonates deeply with their tastes.
Readers who enjoy George Saunders may also appreciate Kurt Vonnegut’s sharp blend of humor, satire, and thoughtful storytelling. Vonnegut has a distinct talent for shining a light on humanity’s absurdities with a touch that’s both humane and critical.
His novel Slaughterhouse-Five follows Billy Pilgrim, an accidental soldier who becomes unstuck in time after surviving the firebombing of Dresden during World War II.
Billy jumps uncontrollably through periods of his life—whether he’s a prisoner-of-war in Germany, back with his family in peaceful America, or abducted by aliens to the strange planet Tralfamadore.
The narrative challenges conventional ideas about fate, war, and free will, all with Vonnegut’s famously dry and playful wit.
Roberto Bolaño was a Chilean author known for blending dark humor, surreal situations, and sharp commentary on society—elements fans of George Saunders might appreciate.
His novel The Savage Detectives follows two young poets in Mexico City who set out to find traces of an elusive writer from the 1920s. Their search takes them across continents, featuring a wide array of colorful characters and absurd adventures.
Through Bolaño’s lively dialogues and unexpected twists, the novel explores artistic dreams, rebellion, and the often blurry line between genius and madness.
If you’re into stories that challenge conventions and showcase human quirks and complexities, The Savage Detectives offers an unforgettable literary ride.