Really? I mean I enjoyed the book immensely despite a few deviations from the main plot that dragged a little. But I couldn't really relate to the characters, they all seemed highly exaggerated and most of them a little bit crazy.

Dharma Bums
Electric Kool Aid Acid Test
On the Road (esp. The Original Scroll version -- worth re-reading that version if you haven't)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Grapes of Wrath
Of Mice and Men
The Glass Bead Game

Sorry I left out a chunk of paragraph. I black out sometimes.

I started reading the Hegel text, and to be totally honest formalized philosophy doesn't work so well with me, yet the subject matter resonates with me. I figured you might know of some more contemporary works of the same subject matter that are perhaps gentler on the brain cells.

.......I'm pretty f'd in the head so I could totally relate.

hmm... only Hegel really does Hegel. I mean, there's tons of books written about "the absolute," but nobody quite approaches it like Hegel does. Schopenhauer is similar and a lot easier to read, but it's not the same. only Hegel will show you step by step how reality unfolds through self-contradiction, only Hegel will introduce terms that at the beginning of the text don't mean anything and by the end mean everything. he sets up a system which is completely circular and self-referential, and it's not the sort of thing people feel compelled to re-do or expand upon (or understand, for the most part). they kind of step back and either say "christ..." or "obscurantist rubbish!" so... maybe a book on Hegel? still not the same though. there are some absolute idealists who are probably easier to read (that or they just use hegel's terms assuming you already know what they mean) who i haven't read, but i can point you to them. fh bradley, alexandre kojeve, josiah royce...

slavoj zizek is a lot of fun to read but he expects a lot of background knowledge and can be pretty tricky to figure out.

Of course, James Baldwin, my favorite author, is both black and gay, but no sci-fi i'm afraid.

delany is also a post-modernist :p:

(that is, the ultimate outsider)

****ing love that book. You sir are of refined taste.

Some of my favorite non-fiction:

CA's mention of The Illuminatus Trilogy reminded me of this little number by R.A. Wilson:
http://www.insolitamaquina.com/marco...p_image001.jpg

I am a huge Joseph Campbell worshipper. My favorite of his is actually this transcript of a 6 episode PBS interview with him and Bill Moyers:

http://a4.vox.com/6a00c2252183e4604a...a6e4860f-500pi

This seemed to be one of those books that followed me wherever I went last year. Kind of one of those serendipitous things. I finally broke down and read, but wasn't holding my breath despite the amazing Alex Grey cover art. It was absolutely fascinating:
http://aerialcircus.files.wordpress....molecule_0.jpg

I read a lot on shamanism, both ancient and modern. This one is definitely my favorite:

http://www.bearheart.info/thewindismymother.jpg

you must've read huxley, right? spirit molecule also seems to follow me around, a lot of my friends have it but i've only flipped through it. still, i can probably get a more direct source of information on that...