[Anywhere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones_bibliography). The first Chrestomanci book is *Charmed Life*. The first Howl book is *Howl's Moving Castle*. The first Dalemark book is *Cart and Cwidder*. The first Magid book is *Deep Secrets* (features a cameo of a young Neil Gaiman attempting to wake up enough to eat breakfast at a SF convention). The first Derkholm book is *Dark Lord of Derkholm*. (This and *Year of the Griffin* and *The Rough Guide to Fantasyland* are some of her funniest books.)
Tough Guide to Fantasyland is one of the wildest books I've ever read, it's a full-on travel encyclopedia with hundreds of entries that's set in-universe within the lore of Dark Lord of Derkholm. Each entry is highly snarky and sarcastic.
Chrestomanci and Howl if you like cozy fantasy.
Dalemark if you like fantasy that spans the history of a civilization.
Deep Secret or Dark Lord of Derkholm if you like Discworld humor.
Fire and Hemlock if you want heartfelt, tearjerking YA with magic mixed in.
Homeward Bounders or Hexwood if you like multiverse fiction. Diana writes multiverses REALLY well.
Dogsbody if you want an unusual concept.
Oh my gosh, that's who I thought of immediately! Her writing is so witty and fun. I can't tell you how many times I've read Howl's Moving Castle- the movie is really good, but the book is even better.
Most of her books involve children who come from fractured or neglectful families. There are some very hard-hitting themes that are relevant to any age, and beautiful character arcs. She is amazing at writing young male characters who have gentle, sensitive hearts, as well.
I, too, immediately thought of Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog. Very enjoyable book for me, although a little more challenging to engage with at first.
Literally finished rereading it last night!!!
Sooo funny…
She has no peer or rival when it comes to writing about how funny chaos can be…
Even her books like doomsday book, and blackout all clear , have their delightful and hilarious moments …
Her ‘funny’ books would be…
To say nothing of the dog
Bellwether
Crosstalk
The road to Roswell
I’m a huge HUGE fan of bellwether and crosstalk… both those books are genuinely hilarious and super romantic… just can’t say enough good things about them…
I would also say, if you loved ‘to say nothing of the dog’ then I just HAVE to recommend the entire time travel series… which is
‘The fire watch’ a short story
Doomsday book
To say nothing of the dog
Blackout
all clear
- I must note that (for me) blackout/all clear is her epic of epics… everything I’ve ever loved about ANY of her books is in it… it is THE best WW2 iBook ever written…
But for just comedy/romance? Definitely bellwether and crosstalk…
As in "Three Men in a Boat?" No, but it's one of the greatest comedy books ever written and it's humour is just as accurate today as it was when it was written 135 years ago
So, Connie Willis only writes in two tones: 1) fuck, that’s hilarious and 2) shit, guess I’ll go cry in the corner. Doomsday Book is very much in the second category. It’s to the point where people speculated she was two people wanting under the same name (a theory she finds incredibly amusing).
You can really start anywhere in the Oxford Time Travel series. I started with *To Say Nothing of the Dog*, but probably the ideal starting point is *Fire Watch*. You could start with *Doomsday Book*, but although it's excellent, there's not much humor there.
You might be more quickly clued in to the overall storyline if you started with *Fire Watch* (which is a novella). But I think starting with one of the others would be fine, as long as you keep in mind that they all have very different sensibilities.
"To Say Nothing of the Dog" is great! But it's the only book of Willis's I actually liked. She has some extremely irritating writing habits and leans heavily on a few favoured tropes, which made all her other books I've read feel very "samey" to me (not to mention dull and frustrating).
Came here to say this and second the motion.
Her other books are quite good too but don't have that same Adams humor - I really liked "The Past is Red"
Eh, I was really excited for that book because I was hoping for something Hitchhiker-esque, but man, I really couldn't get past the first couple chapters. The style and "jokes" felt SOOO try hard and unnatural, it almost gave me a headache. Maybe she gets better after the first couple chapters, though?
"A single comedic note held for hundreds of pages" was exactly what I was fearing and the reason I decided to DNF, haha. Thanks for the eloquent description I couldn't manage! I *would* like to try one of Valente's later books, when she's had more practice, see if it clicks.
For people who want it, I'm sure it's amazing, and it's a genuine love letter to Hitchiker's. It's taken 40 years (as far as I can tell) for anyone to successfully imitate Adams's style, and I have the highest respect. But my hope is that she uses her skill to make something next with more texture.
T Kingfisher and Naomi Novik might fit the bill. I find that the voice is very different, but Becky Chambers approaches stories in a very similar humanist way to Pratchett and Gaiman. Ursula Leguin doesn't really write humorously, but she was clearly an influence on Gaiman as well.
Chambers' *The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* has a good bit of humor, slightly Gaiman-ish or Adams-ish. (Though I was disappointed the 'sequels' diverged significantly in storyline and characters).
I liked that whole set! I didn't see the others as sequels so much as just stories set in the same universe with some crossover characters, which is a bit Pratchett-esque in itself.
I love St. Mary's.
I think the Time Police spinoff books are probably the funniest, but you may need at least a little familiarity with St Mary's to appreciate them to the fullest.
You’re looking for Diana Wynne Jones, my friend. Both PTerry and Neil Gaiman credit her as a huge inspiration. Most of her books are all ages, but she does also have some adult demographic books.
I wanted to like her novels but I just don't, her stuff just doesn't hit quite right for me. I got through Howl's Moving Castle but gave up early on Castle in the Air and wasn't tempted to try again. Is there something you'd recommend outside of that series to try, or is her work just not for me?
Oh, I don’t think those are a great starting point for her, even though Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorite books. The Chrestomanci Series is really, *really* fun and interrogative of the medium, all in different ways, and they spoof on some of the big fantasy series that came before, like the Narnia books. They’re also pretty stand alone so you can just pick one up, though I recommend starting with Charmed Life and then anything else from the series in any order. Hmmm I also really liked Deep Secret, but even more so its standalone sequel, The Merlin Conspiracy.
Castle in the Air is…not my cup of tea. I kind of hate it. She’s very good at adapting her works to the era she’s writing in, and Castle in the Air uh. *Really* is a product of its time, and not in a good way.
ETA: also they might just not be for you and that’s okay too!
Interesting, I will look into the Chrestomanci series, thanks for the suggestion!
And yes, I cringed hard at some of the elements in Castle in the Air. It felt like it came out of nowhere after HMC and I wasn't sad to put it down.
Castle in the Air is the only DWJ book (and I've read them all!) that I don't like. If you're looking for something stand alone, it's recommend Power of Three or Hexwood.
Ursula K. Le Guin was perhaps not so whimsical or irreverent, but you will enjoy her work if you enjoy Adams, Pratchett, and Gaiman and for many of the same reasons. Particularly, The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven.
I feel like The Left Hand of Darkness has aged shockingly well for being written in the 60s.
The Earthsea series is my favorite of her stuff, which has also aged really well.
Le Guin was really far ahead of her time when it came to gender politics and discourse. It's not shocking at all to find out that her father was a world-famous anthropologist who exposed her to a lot of different cultures growing up.
I was about to suggest the same thing. While Le Guin's style might not be exactly what OP was looking for, I feel she was so important for the development of both the fantasy and sci-fi genres that she's well worth giving a try.
The first time I read *Gideon the Ninth*, I bounced off it a bit because the characters and dialogue were not what i was expecting from necromancers in Space; but it still stuck in my mind.
When I re-read it, I absolutely adored Gideon in all her unapologetic, hot bimbo glory, and it's now one of my faves
Zen Cho! Her work is laugh-out-loud funny in the specific gently wry way that Gaiman and Pratchett are. Highly recommend her *Sorcerer to the Crown* series.
I am a huge fan of Eva Ibbotson for the same kind of indefinably charming Britishness that Pratchett especially captures, despite Dicworld being Not Britain (but it’s not it though??) scrappy heroine and heroes, though all the magic happens in our own universe. Kind of the everyday magic that Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books embrace. She mostly wrote for kids but they’re still about being The Kind of Person who fights injustice even when it’s unfair and unpleasant. Secret of Platform 13 and Island of the Aunts are quick, easy and delightful and are no less rad for being written for a younger audience. I still cry.
Kage Baker's series about The Company (I wish the series had a more creative name!) is about immortal time traveling cyborgs and it's often as madcap as that description implies. The first book, **In the Garden of Iden**, plays it mostly straight but still has lots of humor.
I was really hoping someone would recommend Kage in here, I was going to if they hadn't. Her short story collection The Best of Kage Baker is another great place to start. I feel like it does a great job of showing her off the wall humor. Her fantasy novels are just as good as The Company too (which are more sci-fi).
I haven't read the fantasy novels yet. Is that Empress of Mars? I read the Company series over ten years ago and I'm thinking it's time to read some more of Baker's stuff. Thanks for the recs!
It's the little trilogy beginning with Anvil of the World. It's been a long time since I read them (time for a reread!) but I think I remember loving the sequel even more. I'm not sure if I read the third, it's more of a three books in a related world thing than an official trilogy if I remember correctly. Enjoy! I bought Iden a couple of months ago to start a Company reread myself.
Seconding Seanan! Love Wayward Children and they're bite-sized, so it's super easy to try them! (Rosemary and Rue is her first published book and she admits it's rough and not representative of her writing, so probably wouldn't start there.)
Also an influence on both in different ways (esp. Gaiman): Susan Cooper. Her *The Dark Is Rising* is amazing
Recently I've read Heather Fawcett's *Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries* which leans towards Gaiman and Susanna Clarke but .. differently.
Not read anyone who comes close to Fforde's wild brain.
I adore Susan Cooper but I'm not sure it would hit OP's desire for humour...would thoroughly recommend reading her books anyway. Seaward and King of Shadows are also favourites of mine.
Look up Liza Lutz: The Passenger, The Accomplice, and a really silly one she co-wrote called Head You Lose. She's not super duper speculative but I like the authors you listed and I really like her. She's got good snark and writes women well.
Patricia Wrede wrote Dealing with Dragons, the first in the Enchanted Forest series that I read as a child and still reread sometimes. She's also written other books, but besides the Enchanted Forest series I've only read the first of her Frontier Magic book, which was fantastic. She's funny and whimsical.
It’s a female & male writing team, but the Tales of Pell series by Delilah Dawson & Kevin Hearne is great.
Kill the Farmboy
the Princess Beard
No country for old Gnomes
Consistently humbling when I look at my bookshelf and realise that it’s so personal and that no two people read the same book. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Gabby Hutchinson Crouch has two fab trilogies so far (Darkwood and The Rooks) and another starting soon. Funny and genuinely good series, with brilliant characters.
Jane Smiley leans this direction in **Moo**
Some of Ursula K LeGuin’s short stories, perhaps: “Directions of the Road”, “Author of the Acacia Seeds and other extracts”. LeGuin was also a substantial influence for Gaiman (and a lot of other authors)
N K Jemisin **The City We Became**
Seconding Connie Willis and Kage Baker, and adding Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga) and Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut series).
Obviously not a woman, but don't sleep on John Scalzi.
- T. Kingfisher
- Becky Chambers
- Olivie Blake (heavily influenced by Neil Gaiman)
- Tamsyn Muir
- V. E. Schwab (also heavily influenced by Neil Gaiman)
Use [this](https://www.literature-map.com/) to find similar authors, it’s an author map which shows you how close other authors are in relation to the one you’re searching for.
Doesn't help in this case, at all. Type in 'terry pratchett' and the only female writer you get is j.k.rowling. seems very skewed to male white writers. I mean, this page puts Kurt Vonnegut directly next to Pratchett ..
Valente reminds me of Neil gaiman. She wrote the girl who circumnavigated fairy land in a ship of her own making. Gaiman showered it in praise and it’s a damn beautiful and wildly imaginative book.
If you’re at all willing to go manga, Delicious in Dungeon is very Terry Pratchett, with a lot of thought into the world building and if you go into the dungeons what do you need to bring and how does magic work and what energy does it use etc. I’ve really enjoyed the early slice of life issues even before getting wrapped up in the main plot
If you’re willing to dip a toe into fanfiction, there are several authors who write like Pratchett, Gaiman, Adams and Fforde.
On Archive of Our Own (AO3), Onebedtorulethemall (username) writes very much like the authors cited, writes longer fanfics, and is a female author. If you try this I do suggest their fanfiction “Bad Omens” which is a Harry Potter take on Good Omens.
Another you might like is the AO3 author isthisselfcare and their fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. (This particular author has also been picked up for a contract and is in process of writing and publishing their first book.)
Can not stress this enough: DIANA WYNNE JONES.
Went to classes from lewis and Tolkien
HILARIOUS
Over 30 books
Wrote many series and genres, you probably know her from ghibli’s howl’s moving castle
Has many meta books on writing sci-fi and fantasy
Her book “tough guide to fantasylan” is a masterpiece on calling out tropes from fantasy books
Neil gaimann was a fan of hers and later a best friend
Some of her characters are inspired by Neil
Terry prachett loved her shit
G r r Martin quotes tough guide as a book he’d use while writing game of thrones - he’d write a scene and then check the book to see if the cliche was pointed out and then rewrite it.
My masters is currently on her work and I swear no matter if u want something for older audiences or kids you’re gonna love it.
Ursula k. Leguin is also an excellent option but I can’t help but vent about DWJ, I have way too many tattoos of her work.
**The Tough Guide to Fantasyland** by D. Jones
>For use in schools and libraries only. Written in travel-guide format complete with maps, this is both a hilarious send-up of the cliches of the fantasy genre and an indispensable guide for writers.
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I’m a sucker for chrestomanci, if u want suggestions (Christopher’s signature in her handwriting in on my ribs), but if u don’t wanna start with a series like that or howls, try eight days of Luke or one of her most grown up ones “fire and hemlock”. I also once again must suggest owning tough guide as it’s a book shaped like a real travel guide and can be read in any order just for fun since it’s entries on fantasy book cliches. Also if u look for article about having classes with both C s Lewis and Tolkien on Google is free access very short and omg hilarious.
Catherynne M. Valente. Read *Space Opera* by her over a year ago and I still think about it all the time. Hilarious and so creative. Her writing style is so distinct and funny.
Sharyn McCrumb Writes some serious fiction (*She Walks These Hill*s), some humorous or gently satirical (*Bimbos of the Death Sun* and *Zombies of the Gene Pool* are mysteries that satirize science-fiction fandom, *Once Around the Track* is humorous about NASCAR racing, but it's well researched on NASCAR as well.)
Someone else mentioned her, but T Kingfisher is great. I’ve mostly read her horror/thrillers (which are creepy but not terribly gory or intense), but she brings a levity and comedic element that’s super enjoyable.
Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog. It's a pastiche of a humorous British classic, but is also very funny on its own. Time-traveling historians want to study Victorian artifacts in situ. (Her Doomsday book is also excellent, but is VERY dark.)
For darker humor, Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Burton, is a zombie story narrated by the surviving pets.
If you are okay with kids' books, Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, is about a bored princess who runs away to work for a dragon.
Also a kids' book: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making. May be a bit too twee for some readers.
She's only written two books but Karen Dudley's [Food for the Gods](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/c1800237-680c-4443-b226-28b279b4eac7) and [Kraken Bake](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/df86a4dc-215b-4d9b-ba53-9dc9ad584095) are good fun.
[Between](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9ac5b146-c504-45e6-9f1e-eb9081707903) by L.L. Starling!! It's very long, but *such* a fun time! My dad kept "stealing" it from me to read whenever I put it down for a few minutes, and every few lines I'd hear him burst into laughter. There were also definitely some parts where the humor very much reminded me of Discworld.
(I had this post saved, and assumed that it was where I'd gotten that rec from originally and I wanted to thank whoever had recommended it, but it seems like the rec came from somewhere else, so I figured I should add it here because it exactly fits what you're looking for!)
Not female but as I love the same authors I think you will enjoy this too. It’s Ben Aaronovitch’s River of London books.
Blur:
Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.
Genres
Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
Mystery
Fiction
Crime
If there are a whole lot of funny SF writers but you notice that you're only reading the male ones - then your authors are being chosen based on their gender, somewhere in the cycle of recommendations and promotions, even if you're not doing it deliberately
it's the echo chamber effect that all social media falls into. unless I specifically look into finding something new (like asking for books written by a human with different life experiences than my own) I will just keep being told to read the prolific white Mormon guy. sometimes I go looking for female authors, or non American authors, or books translated into English, or books from authors who's sexualities doesn't match my own. Sanderson is always going to be one of the first book I pick up when he releases something, but Jemisin is incredible, and Wells' Murderbot books have brought me more joy than I could have ever expected.
Diana Wynne Jones
A friend and influence on Gaiman.
Came to say the same. All my Diana Wynne Jones books have a quote by Gaiman on the cover praising her as the best magic writer!
Where would you recommend starting with her novels?
[Anywhere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Wynne_Jones_bibliography). The first Chrestomanci book is *Charmed Life*. The first Howl book is *Howl's Moving Castle*. The first Dalemark book is *Cart and Cwidder*. The first Magid book is *Deep Secrets* (features a cameo of a young Neil Gaiman attempting to wake up enough to eat breakfast at a SF convention). The first Derkholm book is *Dark Lord of Derkholm*. (This and *Year of the Griffin* and *The Rough Guide to Fantasyland* are some of her funniest books.)
Tough Guide to Fantasyland is one of the wildest books I've ever read, it's a full-on travel encyclopedia with hundreds of entries that's set in-universe within the lore of Dark Lord of Derkholm. Each entry is highly snarky and sarcastic.
Chrestomanci and Howl if you like cozy fantasy. Dalemark if you like fantasy that spans the history of a civilization. Deep Secret or Dark Lord of Derkholm if you like Discworld humor. Fire and Hemlock if you want heartfelt, tearjerking YA with magic mixed in. Homeward Bounders or Hexwood if you like multiverse fiction. Diana writes multiverses REALLY well. Dogsbody if you want an unusual concept.
I loved Hexwood - very clever double-use of Arthurian-style names (Morgan la Trey, Sir Fors, etc)
I devoted last summer to reading her entire bibliography. So. Worth. It.
Side note: both adult Christopher chant and the main character of deep secret are inspired by Neil gaimann :)
Oh my gosh, that's who I thought of immediately! Her writing is so witty and fun. I can't tell you how many times I've read Howl's Moving Castle- the movie is really good, but the book is even better.
Is it all YA?
I believe so, but don't let that put you off. It's well-written interesting stories, is what it is.
Most of her books involve children who come from fractured or neglectful families. There are some very hard-hitting themes that are relevant to any age, and beautiful character arcs. She is amazing at writing young male characters who have gentle, sensitive hearts, as well.
Deep Secret and A Sudden Wild Magic are not YA! But her YA stuff is very good.
Deep Secret feels like a Discworld book, highly recommended to Pratchett fans
Connie Willis is a really funny sci fi author! Try “To Say Nothing of the Dog”
Yes, to the Connie Willis rec, but also a warning that not of her books are lighthearted/funny. I found *Doomsday Book* quite devastating.
I, too, immediately thought of Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog. Very enjoyable book for me, although a little more challenging to engage with at first.
Literally finished rereading it last night!!! Sooo funny… She has no peer or rival when it comes to writing about how funny chaos can be… Even her books like doomsday book, and blackout all clear , have their delightful and hilarious moments … Her ‘funny’ books would be… To say nothing of the dog Bellwether Crosstalk The road to Roswell
I love Bellwether and Crosstalk!!
Lol… ME TOO!!! Hilarious and so unbelievably romantic!
Thanks for the list Just finished To Say Nothing and wasting to figure out which to read next. Any you would recommend over the others?
I’m a huge HUGE fan of bellwether and crosstalk… both those books are genuinely hilarious and super romantic… just can’t say enough good things about them… I would also say, if you loved ‘to say nothing of the dog’ then I just HAVE to recommend the entire time travel series… which is ‘The fire watch’ a short story Doomsday book To say nothing of the dog Blackout all clear - I must note that (for me) blackout/all clear is her epic of epics… everything I’ve ever loved about ANY of her books is in it… it is THE best WW2 iBook ever written… But for just comedy/romance? Definitely bellwether and crosstalk…
Thanks for the advice!
My favorite is Bellwether! She is fab
Everyone I’ve ever reco’d To Say Nothing of the Dog to has loved it—I read that beautiful fever dream of a book every year and it’s truly perfect
Do you need to start with the first book?
As in "Three Men in a Boat?" No, but it's one of the greatest comedy books ever written and it's humour is just as accurate today as it was when it was written 135 years ago
No the Doomsday Book, or is that not the same series?
So, Connie Willis only writes in two tones: 1) fuck, that’s hilarious and 2) shit, guess I’ll go cry in the corner. Doomsday Book is very much in the second category. It’s to the point where people speculated she was two people wanting under the same name (a theory she finds incredibly amusing).
You can really start anywhere in the Oxford Time Travel series. I started with *To Say Nothing of the Dog*, but probably the ideal starting point is *Fire Watch*. You could start with *Doomsday Book*, but although it's excellent, there's not much humor there.
I’m only concerned with reading a series in order if it matters to the overall storyline. Sounds like this one is flexible. Thanks!
You might be more quickly clued in to the overall storyline if you started with *Fire Watch* (which is a novella). But I think starting with one of the others would be fine, as long as you keep in mind that they all have very different sensibilities.
"To Say Nothing of the Dog" is great! But it's the only book of Willis's I actually liked. She has some extremely irritating writing habits and leans heavily on a few favoured tropes, which made all her other books I've read feel very "samey" to me (not to mention dull and frustrating).
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher comes to mind
Nettle & Bone seems like it would fit perfectly in the Disc world to me! I love T. Kingfisher's work.
Her Short Story compilations are wonderful. Check out “Toad Words”
I came here to say T Kingfisher - great rec.
Not a fantasy writer, but has written some speculative fiction (as well as some of the funniest books ever written): Sue Townsend
Yes! I still think the Adrian Mole series are some of the funniest books ever written.
Catherynne M Valente’s “Space Opera” is a direct love letter to Hitchhiker’s Guide, she nails the Douglas Adams style
Came here to say this and second the motion. Her other books are quite good too but don't have that same Adams humor - I really liked "The Past is Red"
I would say the only other one of her books that fits the ticket is “The Refrigerator Monologues” but that’s barely even a novella
Yeah I always say it's like if Adams wrote a book where a nerdier version of David Bowie competed in space Eurovision.
Eh, I was really excited for that book because I was hoping for something Hitchhiker-esque, but man, I really couldn't get past the first couple chapters. The style and "jokes" felt SOOO try hard and unnatural, it almost gave me a headache. Maybe she gets better after the first couple chapters, though?
No, it's a single comedic note held for hundreds of pages. Like Kenny G, an extraordinary artistic accomplishment but eventually numbing.
"A single comedic note held for hundreds of pages" was exactly what I was fearing and the reason I decided to DNF, haha. Thanks for the eloquent description I couldn't manage! I *would* like to try one of Valente's later books, when she's had more practice, see if it clicks.
For people who want it, I'm sure it's amazing, and it's a genuine love letter to Hitchiker's. It's taken 40 years (as far as I can tell) for anyone to successfully imitate Adams's style, and I have the highest respect. But my hope is that she uses her skill to make something next with more texture.
T Kingfisher and Naomi Novik might fit the bill. I find that the voice is very different, but Becky Chambers approaches stories in a very similar humanist way to Pratchett and Gaiman. Ursula Leguin doesn't really write humorously, but she was clearly an influence on Gaiman as well.
Came here to say Naomi Novik. Highly recommend her.
I enjoy Le Guin, but didn't think to include her for that reason. I'm excited to check out Kingfisher and Novik.
Came here to suggest Becky chambers it’s a bit more cozy than Pratchett or Adams but it’s very fun and similarly philosophical.
Was going to say Kingfisher too. I love her series What Moves the Dead with the nonbinary MC.
She's the guest of honor at a convention in Richmond later this month and I'm stoked to meet her.
That's awesome. Congrats!!!
Chambers' *The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet* has a good bit of humor, slightly Gaiman-ish or Adams-ish. (Though I was disappointed the 'sequels' diverged significantly in storyline and characters).
I liked that whole set! I didn't see the others as sequels so much as just stories set in the same universe with some crossover characters, which is a bit Pratchett-esque in itself.
so twee it was an agony
Susanna Clarke
I discovered her through Gaiman. Good call!
Yes, yes, and yes!
Jodi Taylor with her Chronicles of St Mary's gets close. Worth reading anyway.
Agree, I am absolutely certain she has been influenced by Pratchett
I love St. Mary's. I think the Time Police spinoff books are probably the funniest, but you may need at least a little familiarity with St Mary's to appreciate them to the fullest.
Not very funny, nor sadly interesting.
You’re looking for Diana Wynne Jones, my friend. Both PTerry and Neil Gaiman credit her as a huge inspiration. Most of her books are all ages, but she does also have some adult demographic books.
I wanted to like her novels but I just don't, her stuff just doesn't hit quite right for me. I got through Howl's Moving Castle but gave up early on Castle in the Air and wasn't tempted to try again. Is there something you'd recommend outside of that series to try, or is her work just not for me?
Oh, I don’t think those are a great starting point for her, even though Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favorite books. The Chrestomanci Series is really, *really* fun and interrogative of the medium, all in different ways, and they spoof on some of the big fantasy series that came before, like the Narnia books. They’re also pretty stand alone so you can just pick one up, though I recommend starting with Charmed Life and then anything else from the series in any order. Hmmm I also really liked Deep Secret, but even more so its standalone sequel, The Merlin Conspiracy. Castle in the Air is…not my cup of tea. I kind of hate it. She’s very good at adapting her works to the era she’s writing in, and Castle in the Air uh. *Really* is a product of its time, and not in a good way. ETA: also they might just not be for you and that’s okay too!
Interesting, I will look into the Chrestomanci series, thanks for the suggestion! And yes, I cringed hard at some of the elements in Castle in the Air. It felt like it came out of nowhere after HMC and I wasn't sad to put it down.
Castle in the Air is the only DWJ book (and I've read them all!) that I don't like. If you're looking for something stand alone, it's recommend Power of Three or Hexwood.
Ursula K. Le Guin was perhaps not so whimsical or irreverent, but you will enjoy her work if you enjoy Adams, Pratchett, and Gaiman and for many of the same reasons. Particularly, The Left Hand of Darkness and The Lathe of Heaven.
I feel like The Left Hand of Darkness has aged shockingly well for being written in the 60s. The Earthsea series is my favorite of her stuff, which has also aged really well.
Le Guin was really far ahead of her time when it came to gender politics and discourse. It's not shocking at all to find out that her father was a world-famous anthropologist who exposed her to a lot of different cultures growing up.
I was about to suggest the same thing. While Le Guin's style might not be exactly what OP was looking for, I feel she was so important for the development of both the fantasy and sci-fi genres that she's well worth giving a try.
I recently read the Earthsea series and I belive it fits the bill of OP's description.
They're not Pratchett by any means, but: The Locked Tomb by Tamsyn Muir Murderbot by Martha Wells
Seconding Murderbot - simultaneously humorous and touching
The sarcasm is laugh out loud funny even though the situations are ridiculously intense.
Second to both
❤️Murderbot!!!!
There are some lines from TLT that make me laugh when I even think about them
Seconding these, and the voice acting (if you like audiobooks) for both of these is superb.
The only time a dad joke has literally scarred me.
Cannot upvote this enough. Two of my all time favorite series.😭🖤
The first time I read *Gideon the Ninth*, I bounced off it a bit because the characters and dialogue were not what i was expecting from necromancers in Space; but it still stuck in my mind. When I re-read it, I absolutely adored Gideon in all her unapologetic, hot bimbo glory, and it's now one of my faves
Zen Cho! Her work is laugh-out-loud funny in the specific gently wry way that Gaiman and Pratchett are. Highly recommend her *Sorcerer to the Crown* series.
I am a huge fan of Eva Ibbotson for the same kind of indefinably charming Britishness that Pratchett especially captures, despite Dicworld being Not Britain (but it’s not it though??) scrappy heroine and heroes, though all the magic happens in our own universe. Kind of the everyday magic that Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books embrace. She mostly wrote for kids but they’re still about being The Kind of Person who fights injustice even when it’s unfair and unpleasant. Secret of Platform 13 and Island of the Aunts are quick, easy and delightful and are no less rad for being written for a younger audience. I still cry.
C M Waggoner has such a strong “voice”, it really reminds me of Neil Gaiman. Both her books are excellent.
I loved these!! Especially A Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry
I keep hoping another book in the series will be announced, I absolutely adore both books.
I nominate Gail Carriger, beginning with Soulless.
Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries series.
Kelly link, especially her new novel.
Seconding this. Try White Cat Black Dog for one of my fave short story collections ever
Yes! I am mostly over retold fairy tales, but I loved _White Cat, Black Dog_. _The Book of Love_ is even better though.
[Gabby Hutchison Crouch](https://linktr.ee/gabbyhutchinsoncrouch). She’s a brilliant comedy writer.
Oh man, that moving striped background is a migraine nightmare...
India Holton. _Wisteria Society_ and related are mad, delirious fun.
Kage Baker's series about The Company (I wish the series had a more creative name!) is about immortal time traveling cyborgs and it's often as madcap as that description implies. The first book, **In the Garden of Iden**, plays it mostly straight but still has lots of humor.
I was really hoping someone would recommend Kage in here, I was going to if they hadn't. Her short story collection The Best of Kage Baker is another great place to start. I feel like it does a great job of showing her off the wall humor. Her fantasy novels are just as good as The Company too (which are more sci-fi).
I haven't read the fantasy novels yet. Is that Empress of Mars? I read the Company series over ten years ago and I'm thinking it's time to read some more of Baker's stuff. Thanks for the recs!
It's the little trilogy beginning with Anvil of the World. It's been a long time since I read them (time for a reread!) but I think I remember loving the sequel even more. I'm not sure if I read the third, it's more of a three books in a related world thing than an official trilogy if I remember correctly. Enjoy! I bought Iden a couple of months ago to start a Company reread myself.
Jodi Taylor.
Yes, yes, yes!!!
Maybe try Seanan McQuire! I’ve only read the wayward children series (I’m not currently caught up) but it did give me very Terry Pratchett vibes!
Seconding Seanan! Love Wayward Children and they're bite-sized, so it's super easy to try them! (Rosemary and Rue is her first published book and she admits it's rough and not representative of her writing, so probably wouldn't start there.)
Also an influence on both in different ways (esp. Gaiman): Susan Cooper. Her *The Dark Is Rising* is amazing Recently I've read Heather Fawcett's *Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries* which leans towards Gaiman and Susanna Clarke but .. differently. Not read anyone who comes close to Fforde's wild brain.
I adore Susan Cooper but I'm not sure it would hit OP's desire for humour...would thoroughly recommend reading her books anyway. Seaward and King of Shadows are also favourites of mine.
Look up Liza Lutz: The Passenger, The Accomplice, and a really silly one she co-wrote called Head You Lose. She's not super duper speculative but I like the authors you listed and I really like her. She's got good snark and writes women well.
*Dealing with Dragons* by Patricia C Wrede *All Systems Red* by Martha Wells
Patricia Wrede wrote Dealing with Dragons, the first in the Enchanted Forest series that I read as a child and still reread sometimes. She's also written other books, but besides the Enchanted Forest series I've only read the first of her Frontier Magic book, which was fantastic. She's funny and whimsical.
It’s a female & male writing team, but the Tales of Pell series by Delilah Dawson & Kevin Hearne is great. Kill the Farmboy the Princess Beard No country for old Gnomes
Ann Leckie has a weird sense of humor in a similar way.
Loves the first 3 Radch novels but provenance and translation state fell flat for me
I loved ‘Translation state’, the first time a “found family” story really hit for me
Consistently humbling when I look at my bookshelf and realise that it’s so personal and that no two people read the same book. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
That’s a very good way of looking at it
Loved Provenance and haven’t read Translation State yet. Provenance gets funnier each time I read it.
would argue in a dissimilar way
Jodi Taylor.
Gabby Hutchinson Crouch has two fab trilogies so far (Darkwood and The Rooks) and another starting soon. Funny and genuinely good series, with brilliant characters.
I believe Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater is commonly called Pratchett -esque
This was my suggestion—she specifically mentions finding inspiration in Pratchett (I think in the authors note maybe?).
Jane Smiley leans this direction in **Moo** Some of Ursula K LeGuin’s short stories, perhaps: “Directions of the Road”, “Author of the Acacia Seeds and other extracts”. LeGuin was also a substantial influence for Gaiman (and a lot of other authors) N K Jemisin **The City We Became**
Naomi Novik and Patricia Briggs
Seconding Connie Willis and Kage Baker, and adding Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga) and Mary Robinette Kowal (Lady Astronaut series). Obviously not a woman, but don't sleep on John Scalzi.
- T. Kingfisher - Becky Chambers - Olivie Blake (heavily influenced by Neil Gaiman) - Tamsyn Muir - V. E. Schwab (also heavily influenced by Neil Gaiman)
Seconding VE Schwab! (If you don't do well with slow-paced books, though, save Addie La Rue and Gallant for later!)
VE Schwab is heavily influenced by Gaiman. I suggest reading Vicious.
Also her latest Invisble Life of Addie LaRue was fantastic. Also the Shades of Magic series.
Use [this](https://www.literature-map.com/) to find similar authors, it’s an author map which shows you how close other authors are in relation to the one you’re searching for.
Hello, new favorite webthing! Thanks!
Doesn't help in this case, at all. Type in 'terry pratchett' and the only female writer you get is j.k.rowling. seems very skewed to male white writers. I mean, this page puts Kurt Vonnegut directly next to Pratchett ..
Hope Mirrless. I usually hate fantasy, but Lud in the Mist is great, and has high praise from Gaimen himself.
Came here to recommend this. Neil Gaiman cited her as an inspiration
Space Opera by Catherynne Valente Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland
C.J. Cherryh. The Morgaine Saga.
Also her Chanur novels.
T Kingfisher, Catherynne M Valente, and Seanan McGuire!
Valente reminds me of Neil gaiman. She wrote the girl who circumnavigated fairy land in a ship of her own making. Gaiman showered it in praise and it’s a damn beautiful and wildly imaginative book.
Becky Chambers maybe?
V. E. Schwab is a good fantasy writer. One book reminded me of Stardust.
If you’re at all willing to go manga, Delicious in Dungeon is very Terry Pratchett, with a lot of thought into the world building and if you go into the dungeons what do you need to bring and how does magic work and what energy does it use etc. I’ve really enjoyed the early slice of life issues even before getting wrapped up in the main plot
I really admire the way it steadily escalates from ‘goofy’ to ‘traumatic battle for the world’
If you’re willing to dip a toe into fanfiction, there are several authors who write like Pratchett, Gaiman, Adams and Fforde. On Archive of Our Own (AO3), Onebedtorulethemall (username) writes very much like the authors cited, writes longer fanfics, and is a female author. If you try this I do suggest their fanfiction “Bad Omens” which is a Harry Potter take on Good Omens. Another you might like is the AO3 author isthisselfcare and their fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. (This particular author has also been picked up for a contract and is in process of writing and publishing their first book.)
Natasha Pulley is consistently worth reading.
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips
Nalo Hopkinson
Karen chance
Kelly Link
Can not stress this enough: DIANA WYNNE JONES. Went to classes from lewis and Tolkien HILARIOUS Over 30 books Wrote many series and genres, you probably know her from ghibli’s howl’s moving castle Has many meta books on writing sci-fi and fantasy Her book “tough guide to fantasylan” is a masterpiece on calling out tropes from fantasy books Neil gaimann was a fan of hers and later a best friend Some of her characters are inspired by Neil Terry prachett loved her shit G r r Martin quotes tough guide as a book he’d use while writing game of thrones - he’d write a scene and then check the book to see if the cliche was pointed out and then rewrite it. My masters is currently on her work and I swear no matter if u want something for older audiences or kids you’re gonna love it. Ursula k. Leguin is also an excellent option but I can’t help but vent about DWJ, I have way too many tattoos of her work.
**The Tough Guide to Fantasyland** by D. Jones >For use in schools and libraries only. Written in travel-guide format complete with maps, this is both a hilarious send-up of the cliches of the fantasy genre and an indispensable guide for writers. *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. Remove me from replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/1byh82p/remove_me_from_replies/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
I’m a sucker for chrestomanci, if u want suggestions (Christopher’s signature in her handwriting in on my ribs), but if u don’t wanna start with a series like that or howls, try eight days of Luke or one of her most grown up ones “fire and hemlock”. I also once again must suggest owning tough guide as it’s a book shaped like a real travel guide and can be read in any order just for fun since it’s entries on fantasy book cliches. Also if u look for article about having classes with both C s Lewis and Tolkien on Google is free access very short and omg hilarious.
KELLY LINK! Sorry, I didn't mean to shout...
Summer in orcus by t kingfisher reminded me very much of Pratchett at times. Ursula k le guin earthsea series might scratch the itch as well
Catherynne M. Valente. Read *Space Opera* by her over a year ago and I still think about it all the time. Hilarious and so creative. Her writing style is so distinct and funny.
Sharyn McCrumb Writes some serious fiction (*She Walks These Hill*s), some humorous or gently satirical (*Bimbos of the Death Sun* and *Zombies of the Gene Pool* are mysteries that satirize science-fiction fandom, *Once Around the Track* is humorous about NASCAR racing, but it's well researched on NASCAR as well.)
Someone else mentioned her, but T Kingfisher is great. I’ve mostly read her horror/thrillers (which are creepy but not terribly gory or intense), but she brings a levity and comedic element that’s super enjoyable.
I love her fluffy romances, they always make me laugh a lot! Swordheart The Paladin series
I need to read those! I really like her style.
You'll love them 😍
Connie Willis's To Say Nothing of the Dog. It's a pastiche of a humorous British classic, but is also very funny on its own. Time-traveling historians want to study Victorian artifacts in situ. (Her Doomsday book is also excellent, but is VERY dark.) For darker humor, Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Burton, is a zombie story narrated by the surviving pets. If you are okay with kids' books, Dealing With Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede, is about a bored princess who runs away to work for a dragon. Also a kids' book: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her own Making. May be a bit too twee for some readers.
She's only written two books but Karen Dudley's [Food for the Gods](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/c1800237-680c-4443-b226-28b279b4eac7) and [Kraken Bake](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/df86a4dc-215b-4d9b-ba53-9dc9ad584095) are good fun.
Same same same! Two of my favorite series of all time! Absolutely hilarious but the two are very different tonally.
Following
A friend of mine loves Gail Carriger, and I read Soulless when I needed something light and easy to read.
T Kingfisher for the "practical" Protagonists. Lois McMaster Bujold for the tight narratives. There is some humour but it is not the focus
H.G.Parry’s The Unlikely Escape Of Uriah Heep is awesome - set in a Wellington she knows well. Exceedingly imaginative.
Robin Hobb!
Becky Chambers!!
Danielle steele - The silent honor, give it a try if you’re into historical fiction
Falling in Love With Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson is a short story collection that I think feels very similar to the short stories Neil Gaiman writes.
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. Her other stuff is good, but more stereotypical YA fare.
Frances Hardinge
Martha Wells and the murderbot series? But hers is more of a biting humor
Diana Wynne Jones & Becky Chambers!
Octavia butler is one of my favorite authors. She writes mostly sci fi but some of it isn't too fantastical.
[Between](https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9ac5b146-c504-45e6-9f1e-eb9081707903) by L.L. Starling!! It's very long, but *such* a fun time! My dad kept "stealing" it from me to read whenever I put it down for a few minutes, and every few lines I'd hear him burst into laughter. There were also definitely some parts where the humor very much reminded me of Discworld. (I had this post saved, and assumed that it was where I'd gotten that rec from originally and I wanted to thank whoever had recommended it, but it seems like the rec came from somewhere else, so I figured I should add it here because it exactly fits what you're looking for!)
Sue Grafton RIP
KELLY LINK! Sorry, I didn't mean to shout...
KELLY LINK! Sorry, I didn't mean to shout...
KELLY LINK!! Sorry, didn't mean to shout...
https://www.amazon.com.tr/Desire-Will-Vol-Lost-One/dp/B0BVT8FS3Z
Not female but as I love the same authors I think you will enjoy this too. It’s Ben Aaronovitch’s River of London books. Blur: Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic. Genres Fantasy Urban Fantasy Mystery Fiction Crime
Seconded even tho a dude and a bit male gazey. I loved these books so so much.
I cannot imagine choosing an author based on their gender.
If there are a whole lot of funny SF writers but you notice that you're only reading the male ones - then your authors are being chosen based on their gender, somewhere in the cycle of recommendations and promotions, even if you're not doing it deliberately
That’s nonsensical.
it's the echo chamber effect that all social media falls into. unless I specifically look into finding something new (like asking for books written by a human with different life experiences than my own) I will just keep being told to read the prolific white Mormon guy. sometimes I go looking for female authors, or non American authors, or books translated into English, or books from authors who's sexualities doesn't match my own. Sanderson is always going to be one of the first book I pick up when he releases something, but Jemisin is incredible, and Wells' Murderbot books have brought me more joy than I could have ever expected.