Living in Portland, I got to meet Ursula Le Guin once at a poetry reading. I wish I had the sense to take our picture together, like I did with John Prine, but I did get her autograph. As for science fiction, I can't recommend Jeff Vandermeer enough. His Southern Reach trilogy is brilliant and strange, very well written. The first one (Annihilation) was made into a film, but as is often the case, the book is miles better. Also for something along the lines of On the Beach, Cormac McCarthy's The Road is amazing. The writing...holy shit, the writing, the format, everything to create a sense of plodding and dread through out the story. My god, that man can write.
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