The inspiration for 1984, a must for the dystopian society enthusiast

Best read in one sitting, this is a gripping story of an aging fisherman on a lone, epic fishing trip, possibly his last

Set in the North Sea and coastal Germany at the turn of the 20th Century, predating WW1 by over a decade, this is a surprisingly prophetic novel of espionage and intrigue

Nothing to do with terrorism or 9/11, part fact, part fiction, this is the story of how things may have been for jewish families during WW2 had the pro-Nazi Lindberg been elected president

Possibly one of Orwell's best novels, this is the story of a middle-aged nobody in what would now be termed his mid-life crisis. No dystopian novel, but something many older men may well relate to!

An eclectic pick and mix of opinions, polemics and eulogies. Well worth delving into if you like a bit of dry, vitriolic humour

A fascinating yet frustrating novel. Amazing how a simple trial can get so complicated and surreal. Classic Kafka!

Not as dark and depressing as the title may suggest. This is an intriguing story where you really get to understand and even sympathise with the main character, even though he is a murderer!

Set in Vietnam before the USA's official involvement, this is an amazingly prophetic story concerning a typical Greene anti-hero (an English writer) and a meddling US Government employee

Worth reading for the second title, The Third Man. This is the source of the classic Orson Wells' film of the same name, set in post-War Vienna with all the usual complex Greenesque characters

Borges' writing style is hard to classify and his stories, if that's what they are, are difficult to distinguish from factual essays. Fascinating nevetheless

If you like your sci-fi stories to be short, this is just the thing for you. H G Wells was better known for his shorter stories and this book demonstrates why