If you enjoy reading novels by William S. Burroughs then you might also like the following authors:
Allen Ginsberg was an American poet who wrote during the Beat Generation, the same literary circle as William S. Burroughs. His famous book “Howl and Other Poems” caused controversy when first published because of its direct, uncensored look at American life.
In the poem “Howl,” Ginsberg describes the struggles and hopes of young people who rejected mainstream values in the 1950s. He writes about urban despair, mental breakdown, drug use and a search for spiritual experience.
The language is honest and vivid, with bursts of energy that capture the frustration of a misunderstood generation. Readers who like Burroughs’ novels such as “Naked Lunch” may appreciate Ginsberg for his equally fearless exploration of difficult subjects.
Jack Kerouac was an American author who wrote about his experiences on the road and his travels across America. In his novel “On the Road,” Kerouac describes the journey of two friends, Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty.
They drive across the country, meet fascinating characters and explore the jazz clubs and counterculture scenes in cities around America.
Readers of William S. Burroughs may appreciate Kerouac’s honest storytelling, spontaneous style and vivid portrayals of life outside mainstream culture.
Hunter S. Thompson was an American writer known for his wild, first-person approach called Gonzo journalism.
His book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” tells the story of journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo, who travel to Las Vegas on assignment to cover a motorcycle race and search for the American Dream.
On the trip, the characters experience bizarre encounters, drug-induced visions and chaotic escapades across casinos, hotels and highways. Thompson’s storytelling is darkly funny and filled with sharp commentary about American society in the early 1970s.
Readers of William S. Burroughs may appreciate Thompson’s unconventional narrative style and vivid, hallucinatory descriptions.
Charles Bukowski wrote stories about regular people who struggled and didn’t try to hide their faults. His book “Post Office” introduces readers to Henry Chinaski, a mail carrier who deals with unpleasant bosses, boring routines, and lots of drinking.
Chinaski’s honest take on everyday frustrations shows you the funny side of life’s troubles without pretending it’s something it’s not.
People who enjoyed the unusual characters and unfiltered stories in William S. Burroughs’ books would probably connect with Bukowski’s blunt style and realistic view of life.
Kathy Acker was an experimental writer from New York whose style has something in common with William S. Burroughs. In her book “Blood and Guts in High School,” she tells the story of Janey Smith, a rebellious teenager who leaves home and travels through various cities.
This story has bold visuals, diaries, and surreal experiences of Janey in unusual circumstances. Acker’s style is raw, direct, and goes beyond typical storytelling forms.
Readers who appreciate how Burroughs experiments with narrative structure and characters will likely find Acker’s work fresh and surprising.
Thomas Pynchon is an American novelist known for writing strange and chaotic stories. His novels often include wild plots, surreal imagery, and dark humor. Readers who enjoy William S. Burroughs might appreciate Pynchon’s book “The Crying of Lot 49.”
In this short novel, the main character, Oedipa Maas, unexpectedly finds herself involved in a mystery. She tries to understand the clues left behind by a strange underground postal system. Soon it gets hard to tell what’s real and what’s happening only in her head.
The novel is short, funny, and filled with odd characters and conspiracies.
J.G. Ballard is an author readers of William S. Burroughs often enjoy. Ballard has a sharp, bold style that explores the darker side of modern life. A good example is his book “Crash.” It tells the story of characters who become obsessed with car accidents.
The story mixes strange and shocking elements about people who find excitement in disasters. The book challenges the way people think about technology, media and human desires. Ballard’s writing feels unusual and surprising, like Burroughs’ work often does.
Jean Genet was a French author known for books that blend reality with imagination in unusual ways. Readers who appreciate William S. Burroughs may also enjoy Genet’s “Our Lady of the Flowers.”
This novel tells the story of Divine, an intriguing character who navigates life in the streets and the underworld of Paris. Through its vivid storytelling and poetic language, it portrays a hidden side of human experience.
Genet wrote the book while in prison, and this fact adds a unique perspective to how he approaches themes of crime and identity.
Bret Easton Ellis is an author known especially for the novel “American Psycho.” The book’s main character, Patrick Bateman, works on Wall Street in New York City during the 1980s. He lives a wealthy and stylish life, but secretly carries out a string of shocking crimes.
The story captures the dark humor and uneasy side of American success. Fans of William S. Burroughs may see a similar sharpness in Ellis’s writing.
If you enjoy the style of William S. Burroughs, Henry Miller might catch your interest too. Miller is known for writing openly and directly about his own life experiences.
One of his books, “Tropic of Cancer,” follows the adventures of a struggling American writer in 1930s Paris. It’s a semi-autobiographical story filled with explicit moments and observations about everyday reality.
Miller uses gritty details and a raw perspective to describe the city, the people he meets and his personal struggles as a writer. The story doesn’t pull any punches and offers a realistic glimpse at life during that era.
Chuck Palahniuk often writes about unusual characters in strange situations. His style is raw and direct, which readers of William S. Burroughs may find familiar. In “Fight Club,” an unnamed narrator struggles with insomnia and boredom.
He meets Tyler Durden, a mysterious and chaotic friend who convinces him to create a secret club where men fight to feel alive. The club quickly turns into something bigger and darker than the narrator expects.
Palahniuk tells the story in a way that gets right to the point, with sharp sentences and unexpected twists.
Tristan Tzara was a writer and poet known as a founder of the Dada movement. His writing is experimental and challenges traditional storytelling. One of his best-known works is “Seven Dada Manifestos.”
This book gathers his unconventional ideas and playful approach to art, language, and society. Readers who enjoy the unusual style and creative risk of William S. Burroughs may find Tzara’s bold manifesto exciting.
In the manifestos, Tzara uses absurd humor and unexpected juxtapositions to question artistic conventions. Each piece pushes readers to see reality in fresh and surprising ways.
Norman Mailer was an author who explored American culture in a bold and fresh style. In his book “The Naked and the Dead,” Mailer describes war through the experiences of soldiers stationed on a Pacific island during World War II.
The story follows their struggles with fear, conflicts within the group, and reflections on their lives before the war. Mailer’s realistic and direct way of writing presents war honestly and shows how it affects ordinary people.
Fans of William S. Burroughs may appreciate Mailer’s sharp observations about human nature and society.
Anaïs Nin was a French-Cuban author who explored human emotions and relationships in fresh and unusual ways. Her writing is honest, open, and full of vivid detail. In “House of Incest,” Nin tells a surreal story where dreams and reality blend into each other.
The narrator moves through inner landscapes filled with intense images and symbolic moments. The book explores deep emotions, touches on forbidden desires, and pushes the edges of what language can express.
If you enjoyed how William S. Burroughs experiments with reality in his work, Nin’s “House of Incest” offers a similarly unusual and vivid reading experience.
Philip K. Dick is a novelist known for imaginative stories that question reality and identity. If you enjoy William S. Burroughs, you might appreciate “Ubik,” one of Dick’s fascinating novels. In the book, a man named Joe Chip works for a company that blocks psychic spying.
After an assignment goes wrong, Joe’s entire reality begins to crumble, objects age rapidly, and he struggles to tell what is truly happening. Joe’s only hope is a mysterious spray can product labeled “Ubik,” which seems to stop or even reverse the decay around him.
The uncertainty about what’s real and what’s illusion keeps you turning each page until the very end.