A who's who of cult writers! Each author had facts, resources to search out as well as little fun antedotes.

A definite must have for those of us that love underground authors and want to know about others in that genre.

Another great little guide, this time to authors rather than music artists, which helps expose the reader to writers they may not be familiar with, and find out more about those they already know about.

There's lots of interesting detail and the illustrations break it up nicely. A list of key works is also useful to add extra information.

Like any of these types of books, some people will probably highlight artists who have, arguably, been left out but I think there is a good spread in terms of genres, eras, nationalities, genders and ages.

A good addition to any library literature collection.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

I was quite mesmerized by the title of this book: The Cult Writers. “Cult” is a term I was ignorant to in the context of literature.

What does it mean to be a cult writer?
As far as I understand, the work of the writer includes:
-Romantic elements and hope
-Disappointment, melancholy and depression of any kind.
-The prospect of a better world, a utopia or dystopia
-A means of distraction
-The reader must either love it or hate it, there is no middle ground here.

Well, I have never defined myself as a cult reader but I think I will from now on. I proudly state that I love reading the works of the authors listed as cult writers. I am not sure if it’s a matter to be proud of but I will acknowledge it as such. I loved every single page of this book. It’s a bookworm’s heaven. I have learned so much about the authors that I have already been familiar with and got acquainted with some that I have never heard of. A win for me in every way except that my To-Be-Read list, already laden with hundreds of books, has grown significantly after reading this. So, read with caution or you’ll end up with frustration over many books that must be read.

I have a preference for cult writers, so I was already familiar many of the authors included in this book such as William Burroughs, Jim Thompson and Philip K. Dick. I look forward to reading some of the authors I was not as aware of. I fact, I would like to read the entire series including artists, filmmakers and musicians.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for a ARC of this book.

I thought this book would be ideal for me and that it might generate interest in authors that were previously unknown to me. Which it did. I also really liked that some of my favourite authors were featured in this book. Of course there were others I would have included and others I would not have but overall it was interesting and informative, offering insight into both the Authors lives and works.

Wildly Idiosyncratic, But Fun

This isn't very deep, and at 50 writers it isn't very broad, but the selection is just quirky enough to make the book interesting and fun. You could quibble with who is and isn't included; that sort of gripe is unavoidable. The author assays an explanation of the choices in his Introduction, but doesn't try too hard because the whole idea of "cult writer" is just too slippery for a quick overview. I was happy with the catch all definition of cult writers as genre benders and flagrant form experimenters who addressed transgressive topics, and, as bonus, often lived colorful private lives.

Each writer gets a two page spread that offers a brief bio and a survey of most widely recognized works. There is a thought or two about what makes the writer special or unique, and some comments about where the writer fits in the canon.

Putting aside quibbles, there are three main categories of writers here. Some are in the obvious group - Wolf, Camus, Vonnegut, Burroughs, Rand, Pynchon. Some are in the middling group, (maybe familiar, maybe not). For me that included writers like Bulgakov, Rhys, Coupland, Sagan, Butler. Then you get the ones that are really niche cult figures - Angela Carter, Djuna Barnes, Pauline Reage, Arkady Strugatsky. These were the most fun because that sent me off to find samples of their work, and helped to introduce me to new potential cults I could join. On top of that it was fun to see shout outs to some of my personal favorites, like Eve Babitz and Italo Colvino.

So, good fun. It's an interesting annotated list, and certainly upbeat and cheerful. An engaging diversion.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)