I love the works of Vladimir Nabokov, Roger Zelazny, William Faulkner, and Philip K. Dick. All of them are dead, sadly. If you could meld The Sound and the Fury, Jack of Shadows, Lolita and A Scanner Darkly into one novel, you'd have something close to the ideal work of fiction for a person with my tastes.

Of the more recent names in the literary world, I read Tim Powers, Iain Banks and Alice Walker. I am also guilty of being a Jay Mckinerney fan. I love fantasy author Mervyn Peake, but have been attempting to finish the Gormenghast series for years. Each time I read a page, I am amazed for a few days. Then I put the book away for a few more months. Still, phenomenal style and vision.