Listmania!
Things that will Squeegee your Third Eye
Bill Hicks - Totally [DVD] [1994]Bill Hicks - Totally [DVD] [1994]
Buy new: £5.88 / Used from: £11.99
As Bill popularised the phrase, so 1st credit must go to him. Not his MOST insightful material, but a culmination of the best bits, with the excellent 'Just a Ride' ending...
An Andalusian Dog ( Un chien andalou ) [English subtitles] [DVD]An Andalusian Dog ( Un chien andalou ) [English subtitles] [DVD]
Salvador Dali's only film. Very, very, very odd (esp the eye-slitting scene), but perception altering.
The Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Buy new: £6.88 / Used from: £4.79
Yes, yes - a complete cliche. However, I am frequently surprised by how few people know this album, or the whole Wizard of Oz synchronisation thing...
A Saucerful of SecretsA Saucerful of Secrets by Pink Floyd
Buy new: £4.88 / Used from: £3.00
Introduced 2 me by a stoner m8. Deeply strange audio landscapes, with a touch of Floydian madness.
The Ancestor's TaleThe Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £2.45
In my humble opinion, Dawkins' finest work. Really opens up your perception of evolution & the premise (Evolution as the Canterbury Tales) is, ahem, conciousness raising!
The Meme MachineThe Meme Machine by Susan Blackmore
Buy new: £5.16 / Used from: £3.50
Not a great work of science, but comes with a wonderful idea - that the whole World is made of gene-like viruses, which are selected by their appeal to our brains.
Pale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in SpacePale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan
Buy used from: £12.69
Sequel to cosmos, but more epic and powerful. Sagan opens the mind to the possibilities of the Cosmos (if only our minds were brave enough to take up the challenge...)
2001: A Space Odyssey [1968] [DVD]2001: A Space Odyssey [1968] [DVD]
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £2.96
Speaking of all things space, this is one of the finest movies of our time & a masterpiece on our perception of reality & evolution. Apparently there used to be an 'Acid Tripper's Guide' to the film..
The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (BBC Audiobooks)The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Primary Phase (BBC Audiobooks) by Douglas Adams
Buy new: £7.82 / Used from: £7.50
..But who needs that, when there is Douglas Adams' Magnum Opus. Primary Phase has all the ideas crammed into it & you'll probably need the other 4 phases to recover your composure!
Worldwar: In the Balance (New English library)Worldwar: In the Balance (New English library) by Harry Turtledove
Buy used from: £0.01
Aliens invade Earth in the middle of WW2?? A subject admirably & realistically handled by the master of Alternate History, changing your ideas on the most well-worn of subjects...
The Philadelphia ExperimentThe Philadelphia Experiment by Charles Berlitz
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £1.64
Forget Aliens at Roswell, UFO's etc & try this. Did the US government really create a teleportation device? Probably not, but great story.
Short Works of Murray LeinsterShort Works of Murray Leinster by Murray Leinster
Buy new: £9.74 / Used from: £16.42
A forgotten master of Sci-fi. Wrote 'Lonely planet' & invented the idea of parallel universes, as well as some of the more cerebral ideas of Sci-fi...
The Odyssey (Radio Collection)The Odyssey (Radio Collection) by Homer
Buy new: £10.52 / Used from: £7.95
The original & best work of creative genius. A still epic, surreal adventure incredibly well performed by Tim Mcinnerny & co. On audio CD since the scenery is better in your head! ;)
Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale (Penguin Classics)Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale (Penguin Classics) by Herman Melville
Buy new: £5.86 / Used from: £0.95
Inspired by the former, but so much more. As the cliche goes - it's not the story, it's the way its written...
On the RoadOn the Road by Jack Kerouac
Buy new: £5.70 / Used from: £1.80
Another excellent poetic novel exploring the United States through Jack Kerouac's eyes. Apparently he wrote it in 3 weeks, whilst high on barbiturates...
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) by Hunter S. Thompson
Buy new: £4.49 / Used from: £1.68
Arguably his finest work, and inspired by the above. Mr Thompson shows us the wacky world of Las Vegas through the lens of Gonzo journalism & surreal humour.
A Million Little PiecesA Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Buy new: £4.32 / Used from: £0.01
Can life-long drug addicts be redeemed from their vices? It would seem so. Like reader's 'Crack' in the way he writes...
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Vintage Classics)The Picture of Dorian Gray (Vintage Classics) by Oscar Wilde
Buy new: £3.47 / Used from: £1.01
Wilde's only novel & his darkest work. What is the price of a Man's soul? Expensive it would seem...
The Sophtware SlumpThe Sophtware Slump by Grandaddy
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.99
Do Robots have souls? Jed did & this has to be the finest landscape of sound I've yet found.
Tepid peppermint wonderlandTepid peppermint wonderland by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Buy new: £9.98 / Used from: £8.99
There are two bands whose lyrics I don't understand: Radiohead's & these guys. However, if I were given the gift of understanding just one...
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask [DVD] [1972]Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid To Ask [DVD] [1972]
Buy new: £5.58 / Used from: £1.99
Woody Allen at his surreal, comedic best. Once you've seen a giant breast bouncing through a field then its fair to say you've (almost) seen it all!
The Great Global Warming Swindle [DVD]The Great Global Warming Swindle [DVD]
Buy new: £9.79
Although this documentary has some spurious facts, it is always worth questionning sacred cows to see if they are true...
Who Owns Britain and IrelandWho Owns Britain and Ireland by Kevin Cahill
Buy used from: £41.97
This isn't a patch on Zeitgeist 1 part 3, but it still is amazing to see the World without the wool pulled over our eyes...
Cube: Keep the SecretCube: Keep the Secret by Annie Gottlieb
Buy new: £6.03 / Used from: £3.00
One metaphor to rule them all. It's spellbindingly weird how insightful the cube is & I swear it isn't the Barnum effect...
The Little Book Of Mornington CrescentThe Little Book Of Mornington Crescent by Tim Brooke-Taylor
Buy used from: £0.01
The New Religion of perception alteration. To understand one piece of the game of Mornington Crescent is to have the wisdom of the World in the palm of your hand!