Good thread topic. I agree on "The Stand" by Stephen King, I'm not a huge King fan but it is a very good book. I just finished "A game of thrones" by George R.R. Martin, I never really got into that genre but I was very impressed with it and will read the rest of the series. All of the old classics are always fun to read: Kafka, Tolstoy, Steinbeck etc. etc. The novels and poetry by the "Beat" generation, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs, and can't forget Thomas Wolfe or Tom wolfe. I also agree that Chuck Palahniuk is good if youre in a twisted mood, and Haruki Murakami is very good. The two I'm suprised I didn't see on here, for current authors, are Tom Robbins and David Foster Wallace, both are amazing writers.