The best cult books to buy for any uber-hip, hard to impress, bookworms you might know (even if it’s just yourself)

Lanark is one of those books that you can read at different points in your life and find something completely new. There are two intertwined narratives: a coming of age tale about a young artist growing up in Glasgow; and a genre-bending depiction of a lifetime in the fictional city of Unthank. These two stories pull you across time and space, taking in Reichian psychology, social commentary, and gnostic illuminism along the way. It’s bewildering in its scope, but drags you steadily in. I studied History of Art at Glasgow University (and briefly met Gray in the city), but even if you’ve never heard of Glasgow, there is so much here to enjoy. It’s quite possible that you’ll never be the same again after reading it.

This is the first volume of a trilogy on psychoactive plants and synthetic drugs. While this is a well-worn path, I’ve never seen it traversed quite like this. Pendell weaves together science, alchemy, illustrations, poetry, and quotations to reveal the spirit behind each molecule he discusses. The sections on stimulants are the longest and most enthusiastic, while the hallucinogens are given the most whimsical prose. It’s a fascinating treatment of a fascinating subject. Some will hate it, but the right person will love it.

Leonora Carrington is one of those amazing, other-worldly, individuals whose life story you can’t quite believe. After an aristocratic upbringing in England, she joined the surrealists in Paris, ran off with Max Ernst, was later sectioned, escaped an asylum, studied Kabbalah, and helped found the women’s liberation movement in Mexico. She is mostly known for her painting but does not receive the recognition she deserves. Her novel The Hearing Trumpet starts off slightly surreal, then takes a hard left turn and becomes increasingly more surreal. I won’t say more for fear of spoiling it, but it’s a beguiling and funny meditation on gender, age, and death. If you don’t know her, this book would be a wonderful intro to her work.

How can you have a list of cult books without William Burroughs? I nearly put some Burroughs on this list, but as this is for hard-to-impress fans of cult books, you’ve probably already read him. I was also tempted to include Hakim Bey’s Temporary Autonomous Zone, but again, you’ve probably already read him (or object to him on reputation alone). Michael Muhammad Knight takes on both these figures while attempting to write the Great American Queer Islamo-Futurist Novel. Contains hip-hop history, gay fiction, and sacrilege – what’s not to like? A blasphemous blend of autobiography and literary experimentation.

A hugely ambitious mix of text and graphic design, in which typography is used in bold and disarming ways. It is also a genuinely compelling sci-fi novel about very, very, big ideas. Filled with meta-narratives, in-jokes, artistic references, and mixed media, it’s an interesting alternative to that other oft-cited cult classic House of Leaves. As someone who has worked as both designer and editor, I was blown away by Hughes’s ability to combine a good story with such avant-garde design. The themes communicated will give you much to contemplate – or ramble on about to any friends you successfully corner. A staggering achievement destined to be a future cult classic.