THE ILLUMINATUS! TRILOGY
An epic that keeps getting better every time you read it. Imagine every single conspiracy coming together into a chaotic and hilarious 3 volume saga all in one book.
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THE SANDMAN Vol. 1 - 10
Written by Neil Gaiman. Covers by Dave McKean. Illustrated by various artists.
Yeah, yeah... this isn't ONE book, but it is many interconnected stories that need to all be read to get the entire picture. One of the greatest series in comic history.
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THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES
The founder of the Philosophical Research Society has collected all the esoteric doctrines from the world's religions and put them all in this giant book. Took me 2 months to read (I got through one 5 page chapter a day!)
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THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN
Written by Florence Perry Heide
Illustrations by Edward Gorey
One of my favorite kids stories. Poor Treehorn starts to shrink and no one notices. Then he turns green.
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THE SPIRITUAL IN ART
This was a group show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art back in the mid- 80's. The catalog is amazing. It is highly reccomended to read while tripping.
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THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
Holden Caufield may be trendy, but as long as old J.D. Salinger is alive (and maybe even after he's dead) they'll never make it into a movie. I like movies, but they tend to ruin the "everyman" quality of the protagonists the minute they cast Leo in them...
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HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
So far, the best book in the Harry Potter series. Took me a week to read its 600+ pages. Hope the movies don't ruin this series, and I hope the books keep getting better.
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INFINITY AND THE MIND
This book taught me many things about the scientific nature of infinity. Like the fact that you can have something infinite that doesn't need to contain EVERYTHING... Like all the odd numbers... It goes on forever, but doesn't contain any 2's. That meant something to me...
If you liked this one, check out...
"The Holographic Universe" by Michael Talbot. Although, his book is much less scientific.
"Prometheus Rising" by Robert Anton Wilson
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THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY
I heard they were making this into a movie and I hope they do it justice. A story about a comic book writing duo of cousins and their creation "The Escapist".
If you liked this one, check out...
Well, he did write "Wonder Boys" too...
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WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE
A collection of short stories. I remember one about being able to trade in your body for an upgrade when the old one is worn out from when I was a kid...
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FINNEGAN'S WAKE
700 pages of references from everywhere. It reads like the longest intellectual stream of consciousness piece ever written.
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MR. NONSENSE
Mr. Nonsense lives in a tree, sleeps in a rowboat bed and goes tobogganing with Mr. Silly. Sounds cool.
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SEX AND ROCKETS
Jack Marvel Whiteside Parsons was a rocket scientist who helped us win World War II and was a high ranking member of the O.T.O.. He was pals with Crowley and had L. Ron Hubbard steal his girlfriend. Do you know how he died? He blew up. Amazing biography and a great read.
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FLASHBACKS
If you don't know anything about Tim, this is the best place to start. He was a great man I was proud to know.
If you like this one, check out...
"High Priest"
"Surfing The Conscious Nets"
Almost anything else Tim has written, especially the classic: "The Psychedelic Experience" by Leary, Metzger, and Alpert.
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FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM
Eco is a linguist and one of the greatest living writers. Every page is brilliant. A compelling story about secret societies and the Knights Templar that has one of the best endings I've ever read.
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THE BEST OF H.P. LOVECRAFT
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WOMEN
This guy makes Henry Miller look like a gentleman. OK, maybe not... but still... Funny and sad and pathetic and brilliant and inexcusable and completely human all at the same time.
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WATCHMEN
Written by Alan Moore
Illustrated by Dave Gibbons
One of the best... comics... ever. God I'm a geek.
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ETIDORHPA
OK, get this... this book was written in the 1800's by John Uri Lloyd as the "true testament" of this wandering guy who was called "I Am The Man". He went underground somewhere and went on this incredible journey until he met Etidorhpa herself. Who is she? Spell it backwards...
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FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS AND OTHER AMERICAN STORIES
Terry Gilliam's movie was really good, but there's nothing like the book...
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THE MAGIC OF OZ
One of Baum's last Oz books. Makes me crazy that people don't know there's more Oz books after the first one. Talk about the tip of the iceberg. I liked this one because they had a magic word, "Pyrzqxgl", that if you said correctly, could turn you into anything you wanted.
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THE PERENNIAL PHILOSOPHY
This inspired my Infinite Connectivism pamphlet I wrote when I was 18. Huxley also wrote "The Doors of Perception" and "Brave New World", but this one was my favorite. Did you know he died the same day as J.F.K.... tripping his head off?!
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