Might be the best book I've ever read. Visit the dark places.

Mr Banks has a very vivid imagination. His first sf is a Culture novel from the other perspective. Actually Excession may be better but start at the beggining.

A kind of sequel to the book above. A disturbing read about the flawed sadist that practically invented the modern blockbuster (think Top Gun) and the people he associated with.

This true survival story is almost unbelievable. Very well written, great imagery and characterisation. It's a whale of a book.

War is funny? It can be in the hands of a skilled author who knows what he is writing about;

The man was a true original. This is his most accessible book, an over the top classic about a search for the American Dream.

I am in awe of Mr Stephenson's writing. Some complain he is overly verbose but they are missing the point. Great characters, plot development and very, very funny.

A fine book, cliched now but only because it was ground breaking. Read Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool Aid Acid Test to find out more about the author.

It's a great precis of the huiman genone, using examples from each of the 23 chromosomes. A companion piece to Dawkins' Selfish Gene.

Fantastic primer for those even slightly interested in codes and cyphers. Written in the historical context so stories are presented with the therory.

A meeting of minds results in a fresh and original novel. Created a whole new sub-genre.

A fantastic thriller, never been surpassed.

Learn about how the universe works written by the layman, for the layman. Bryson also writes good books on language. Curiously I don't rate his travel books.