If you enjoy reading books by Shehan Karunatilaka then you might also like the following authors:
Salman Rushdie writes imaginative novels that blend history, mythology, and magical realism. His narratives often reflect on cultural identity, migration, and political issues.
In Midnight's Children, Rushdie explores India's transition to independence through the life of a boy born at the exact moment of the country's freedom, mixing fantasy with historical events in a bold and inventive way.
Marlon James is an author known for rich storytelling that combines complex characters with vivid historical settings. His novels often address violence, power struggles, and cultural tensions.
In A Brief History of Seven Killings, James portrays Jamaica's troubled socio-political landscape through multiple narrative voices, centering around the attempted assassination of Bob Marley.
Arundhati Roy writes lyrical novels that blend beautiful prose with sharp social commentary. She examines themes of caste, class disparity, and family bonds within Indian society.
The God of Small Things follows twins Rahel and Estha in a small village in Kerala, capturing how small choices have lasting impacts while shining a harsh light on injustice.
Mohsin Hamid uses clear, concise language to tell stories of migration, displacement, and identity. His novels often reflect on global issues and personal struggles.
Exit West portrays a young couple forced to flee their home due to conflict, using subtle touches of magical realism to describe their immigrant experience with emotional depth and insight.
Aravind Adiga creates engaging and provocative novels focused on corruption, ambition, and social divides in contemporary Indian society. His storytelling style is both humorous and critical.
In The White Tiger, he narrates the darkly humorous story of Balram Halwai, who rises from poverty to become an entrepreneur while confronting India's deep social inequalities.
Michael Ondaatje's writing blends poetic prose with vivid storytelling. He often explores memory, identity, and how history shapes individual lives.
His novel The English Patient intertwines personal stories against the backdrop of war, offering deep moments of reflection and humanity.
Rohinton Mistry creates powerful narratives that depict India's rich cultural tapestry and everyday struggles. His characters face hardship, humor, and hope.
His acclaimed novel A Fine Balance portrays four lives intersecting during 1970s India, revealing resilience in the face of life's challenges and political upheaval.
Nayomi Munaweera captures complex family relationships, displacement, and the emotional impact of conflict. Her clear and vivid writing crafts stories filled with insight and compassion.
Her novel Island of a Thousand Mirrors explores the intertwined lives of two families across Sri Lanka's civil war, reflecting deeply on loss and reconciliation.
Anuk Arudpragasam speaks quietly but powerfully about trauma, loss, and intimate human experiences during crisis. His writing style is thoughtful, precise, and emotionally nuanced.
In The Story of a Brief Marriage, he closely observes a single day in the life of a young man caught in Sri Lanka's civil war, portraying profound humanity amid devastating circumstances.
Romesh Gunesekera writes elegantly about memory, place, and the fragility of human connections. His stories often explore how personal lives intersect with wider forces of history and politics.
His novel Reef gently portrays the coming-of-age of its narrator against the changing tides of Sri Lankan society, highlighting the senses, desires, and dreams of youth.
Amitav Ghosh weaves intricate stories that mix history, culture, and vivid characters. He explores complex narratives that highlight colonialism, migration, and environmental themes with emotional depth and clarity.
His novel, The Shadow Lines, captures shared experiences across borders and generations within South Asia, blending personal stories with historical events in a thoughtful, captivating way.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez infuses his novels with magic realism. This style mixes ordinary life with extraordinary, surreal elements, creating stories rich in imagination and emotional resonance.
In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Marquez tells the multi-generational story of the Buendia family, blending history, politics, and mythology to build a universe that feels both fantastical and deeply human.
Mikhail Bulgakov merges satire, fantasy, and sharp humor into bold, thought-provoking stories that question authority and convention. His novel The Master and Margarita is famous for its darkly humorous critique of Soviet society.
Bulgakov's playful style makes readers both laugh and reflect deeply on freedom, creativity, and the absurdities of political oppression.
Kurt Vonnegut is known for sharp, satirical storytelling that critiques modern society's absurdity and cruelty. He uses dark humor, irony, and science fiction elements to highlight human folly and tragedy.
Slaughterhouse-Five explores the horrors of war, particularly the firebombing of Dresden, through his unique blend of humor and anguish, offering a witty yet profound take on humanity's contradictions.
Joseph Heller is famous for his skill with satire, humor, and bitter irony. He explores themes of the absurdity of war, the cruelty of bureaucracy, and the chaos of human logic.
In his novel Catch-22, Heller presents a satirical look at the absurd logic of military life during World War II, using wit and humor to show the tragicomic nature of war and the madness of institutions.