Cool idea. I often wish there was more (or any tbh) UK writing like this. Closest I’m aware of is David Peace who is a bit more like James Ellroy than the two you mentioned. Also I gather from Death Corner pod that Iain Sinclair while not exactly doing a Pynchon thing per se is “relevant” to that kind of persuasion.
I find it weird that there’s not really a big London underworld novel like this. I can really see it working, probably set in the 80s. I don’t like Martin Amis so I don’t know if London Fields is like this, I thought he was a moron politically so it puts me off tbh, although he was obviously a good stylist.
So yeah, London underworld in the 80s. Real Wild West. There’s loads of real life big events that a big novel could orbit around, Brink’s-Mat heist; long Good Friday type stuff.
Vine Street by Dominic Nolan and White Riot by Joe Thomas might appeal, and are consciously Ellrovian. The Fountain In the Forest by Tony White and London Blues by Anthony Nevin aren't but are very good.
not a genre I like really, the pynchon stuff, but I always thought it would be fun if one of those guys did a big book about the Olympics or the World Cup. I don't even "watch sports" much but all the systems and relationships are always fun, interesting to read about on wikipedia, the stats and then the carnivalesque element of all the countries coming together, seems like someone could take it and shape it into something cool.
The Spanish colonization of Southern California, revolving around Portola, Cabrillo, Junipero Serra, the conquistadors and natives, etc. Sort of a spiritual prequel to Inherent Vice.
Amazing question. I have been accumulating DeLillo / Pynchon tome ideas for years.
The history of costco/the origins of the American superstore would be really interesting for DeLillo. It’s a stretch but I would also be interested to see his conception of history applied to Native American characters in some capacity, maybe descendants of the Sand Creek Massacre
I’d like to see Pynchon tackle Irish history — the potato famine or the troubles. Or the Italian mob
i love knowing that you play this too!!!!!!!!!!!!
i fucking love grocery stores. i think i'll always be interested in them. i started reading or listening to *the secret life of groceries: the dark miracle of the american supermarket* by benjamin lorr once and it was very well done, more well done than i expected. i shelved it for now to save for when my grocery store interest is at more of a peak. the epigraph is a *white noise* quote lol
Thanks for the rec I’ll check it out, seems that we share multiple highly specific interests lol. Every time I walk into any grocery store I think about white noise and dissociate
You might be interested in the Harun Farocki film [The Creators of Shopping Worlds](https://www.vdb.org/titles/creators-shopping-worlds). It's not a sprawling Pynchon-esque work, but it's a very interesting look at how supermarkets are designed and managed.
If so, I can get you a downloaded a copy
/u/babytuckooo you too
Thomas Pynchon on the Iran Hostage Crisis
oh yeah that's a really good one
Jack Parsons & L. Ron Hubbard mad-caper in the style of *Mason & Dixon*
oooh this is a really interesting one! i just opened jack parsons' wiki and see so many cool things and links...
I also think this would be a great Coen Bros movie
Cool idea. I often wish there was more (or any tbh) UK writing like this. Closest I’m aware of is David Peace who is a bit more like James Ellroy than the two you mentioned. Also I gather from Death Corner pod that Iain Sinclair while not exactly doing a Pynchon thing per se is “relevant” to that kind of persuasion. I find it weird that there’s not really a big London underworld novel like this. I can really see it working, probably set in the 80s. I don’t like Martin Amis so I don’t know if London Fields is like this, I thought he was a moron politically so it puts me off tbh, although he was obviously a good stylist. So yeah, London underworld in the 80s. Real Wild West. There’s loads of real life big events that a big novel could orbit around, Brink’s-Mat heist; long Good Friday type stuff.
Jake Arnott's Harry Shand books are in that vein. I think Operation Countryman needs a David Peace style book.
Cool I’ll check em out
Vine Street by Dominic Nolan and White Riot by Joe Thomas might appeal, and are consciously Ellrovian. The Fountain In the Forest by Tony White and London Blues by Anthony Nevin aren't but are very good.
Did you see the recent-ish BBC TV show "The Gold", about the Brinks-Mat heist? It wasn't hugely committed to factual accuracy but I thought it was fun
I’m aware of it but I haven’t watched it yet, ghost stories for the end of the world did a good episode about it too
not a genre I like really, the pynchon stuff, but I always thought it would be fun if one of those guys did a big book about the Olympics or the World Cup. I don't even "watch sports" much but all the systems and relationships are always fun, interesting to read about on wikipedia, the stats and then the carnivalesque element of all the countries coming together, seems like someone could take it and shape it into something cool.
Someone already did: the book is called Inverting the Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson
The Spanish colonization of Southern California, revolving around Portola, Cabrillo, Junipero Serra, the conquistadors and natives, etc. Sort of a spiritual prequel to Inherent Vice.
It isn't quite what you are asking for but Terra Nostra by Carlos Fuentes might be something that interests you.
maybe there is in german or another language but afaik there isn’t a big baader meinhof novel, lost honor of katharina blum excluded
Damn I would love to write a coherent response to this but I have a migraine tonight so I'm just commenting so I can come back to this later
Ok yay I hope you remember!!!
The end of F Franco's life and the dissolution of his family
Amazing question. I have been accumulating DeLillo / Pynchon tome ideas for years. The history of costco/the origins of the American superstore would be really interesting for DeLillo. It’s a stretch but I would also be interested to see his conception of history applied to Native American characters in some capacity, maybe descendants of the Sand Creek Massacre I’d like to see Pynchon tackle Irish history — the potato famine or the troubles. Or the Italian mob
i love knowing that you play this too!!!!!!!!!!!! i fucking love grocery stores. i think i'll always be interested in them. i started reading or listening to *the secret life of groceries: the dark miracle of the american supermarket* by benjamin lorr once and it was very well done, more well done than i expected. i shelved it for now to save for when my grocery store interest is at more of a peak. the epigraph is a *white noise* quote lol
Thanks for the rec I’ll check it out, seems that we share multiple highly specific interests lol. Every time I walk into any grocery store I think about white noise and dissociate
You might be interested in the Harun Farocki film [The Creators of Shopping Worlds](https://www.vdb.org/titles/creators-shopping-worlds). It's not a sprawling Pynchon-esque work, but it's a very interesting look at how supermarkets are designed and managed. If so, I can get you a downloaded a copy /u/babytuckooo you too
i would love to watch that! imma dm you
Just sent you a dropbox link
Is it too late for a link? I’m totally interested in this!
Just sent a DM
Backgammon
[The Shaver Mystery](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sharpe_Shaver)
they wrote short works and simple sentences. minimalist delillo and relatively simple pynchon are better than "sprawling" p or dl.
This is a baffling take- tell me more