Books that I keep coming back to: Any Iain Banks. Not quite sure about his SF but I like his 'mainstream' books such as 'The Wasp Factory'. Early Martin Amis - 'The Rachel Papers' and 'Dead Babies'. Later books such as 'The London Fields' and 'Time's Arrow' also very clever. Michael Moorcock - 'Behold the Man' (time traveller sees if Jesus exists) and 'The War Hound and the World's Pain'. John Crowley (nothing to do with the other Crowley) - 'Engine Summer. Any book by Angela Carter - especially 'The Magic Toy Shop'. John Irving. Charles Dickens - and so on...
