Douglas coupland has 71 books on goodreads with 369 ratings. Coupland has studied art and design in vancouver, canada, milan, italy and sapporo, japan. Id start with generation x, then skip to microserfs and girlfriend in a coma. Like much of couplands writing, it occupies the perplexing hinterland between optimism about the future and everyday apocalyptic paranoia. His books have been translated into thirtyfive languages and published in most countries around the world. Douglas coupland audio books, best sellers, author bio.
Jun 08, 2010 generation a though is a real return to form for douglas coupland and has reinstilled my confidence in him, making me realise what made me so keen on his teachings in the first place. Its not generation x, but coupland is still a master of satire. The novel is told with a shiftingframe narrative perspective, shifting between the novels five main protagonists. There is definitely a taste of the future here but the stories and parables smack of the issues facing us all now. Recommend a first douglas coupland novel, if you please. Once a baby raised in a hippie commune, he now sells fake chanel t. Each are very profound, and all of coupland s weakenesses as a writerthe cutesiness and hipster lingo, the product placement in place of character development, the fauxkerouac proseare. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Attempt your own campfire scenario with some friends. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 211 pages and is available in paperback format. But he takes the worst, saddest bits of british and turns it into his canvas, complete with the naff queenu2 fanboy phraseology, the overprecise references to london streets and landmarks as may people do, hoping that some of those places. Another of coupland s novels you might like to try is hey. Although the term had existed before, coupland uses generation x to describe the generation born in the late 1950s and the 1960s. Douglas coupland goodreads author shelved 1 time as douglascoupland avg rating 3. Andy, claire, and dag, each in their twenties, have quit pointless jobs in their respective hometowns to find better meaning in life. The novel popularized the term generation x, and is a framed narrative, in which a group of youths exchange heartfelt stories about themselves and fantastical stories of their creation. Douglas coupland has an emotional reunion with some of the characters from generation x, as john mullan reminds him of his words he has not read for 18 years. Douglas coupland on how he came to write generation x. Coupland is very good on the minor ramifications of this.
Tales for an accelerated culture, popularized terms such as mcjob and generation x. Tales for an accelerated culture new ed by douglas coupland isbn. Martins press in 1991, is the first novel by douglas coupland. Generation x by douglas coupland at the best online ebook storage. Other books from douglas coupland shampoo planet 1992. His novels may, on the whole, be loaded with typographical trickery, brand names of the nanosecond, slacking youngsters, and simpsons references, but hes also deep into a suite of timelessly, radically unhip novelistic themes. Generation x the book, tales for an accelerated culture.
Douglas coupland has achieved something which no author has managed before to engage me in short stories. The jacket for the hardcover book reads you are the first generation to be raised without religion. Coupland has been longlisted twice for the scotiabank giller prize in 2006. Generation a makes you question couplands understanding of beehive mechanics and how bloodsucking and leafeating. In douglas coupland s new novel, generation a, the ultimate theme is that book readers have a power over apocalypse. The main characters of this fiction, contemporary story are. I have always found them disappointing in the past, but this book contained a series of short stories in the final chapters and each of them had me captivated. Barring that, other good openers would be life after god, shampoo planet, and. Generation x is douglas couplands classic novel about the generation born in the late 1950s and 1960s. It is a hip, cultish type novel that wears its heart on its sleeve right from the outset, there is a hint in the title, and then for another 200 plus pages hasnt got much else to say apart from a pretence to being a great debut novel. In fact it is the generation that wants to lose all status and step out of the merrygoround of status. And he nails it, he has a gift of the vernacular and it shows. Douglas coupland canadian journalist and novelist britannica.
It explores new ways of storytelling in a digital world. Generation x is seen as the lost generation, the author explains the opposite. The group is represented in the novel by claire, andy and dag, a trio resigned to a bleak future featuring lower expectations of material wealth than preceding generations. Coupland was born on a canadian military base in germany. Douglas coupland is a canadian visual artist, writer, and designer. Coupland s debut novel, generation x, managed to give a voice to a section of society that had.
He has written and performed for englands royal shakespeare company and. It may even top my current coupland favourite, jpod. There are drugs we can take to slow down our lives. Mixing the bizarre and the mundane, douglas couplands novels explore social change and the texture of the times. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Douglas coupland was born on a nato base in germany in 1961. Books fiction andy, dag and claire have been handed a society priced beyond their means. He is the author of the international bestseller jpod and ten other novels including the gum thief, hey nostradamus. Generation x is douglas coupland s classic novel about the generation born in the late 1950s and 1960s. Generation a is set in the near future in a world where bees are extinct, until five unconnected people all around the world in the united states, canada, france, new zealand, and sri lankaare all stung. Generation x author douglas coupland talks to lindsay baker about human limitations, art and raymond gunt, the carcrash protagonist of his latest novel published. Generation a mirrors couplands debut novel, 1991s generation x. First edition, hardcover, signed and inscribed, fine in fine dust jacket, 244 pp.
Douglas couplands most popular book is generation x. Douglas coupland is canadian, born on a canadian air force base near badenbaden, germany, on december 30, 1961. How ironic that douglas coupland, the man who popularized the term generation x, turns out to be one of the least ironic novelists of his generation. His first novel was the 1991 international bestseller generation x. The text is an exploration of faith in this vacuum of religion. Generation a is set in a world that is incredibly familiar to our own. Aug 28, 2009 ever since his first book, generation x, douglas coupland has done the best epigraphs. This novel, set in a near future when bees are thought to have become extinct, is not a sequel to but rather a thematic wink at douglas coupland s 1991 debut, generation x. The stories are set around a theme of a generation raised without religion. This novel, perceived as revolutionary at the time it was published in the early 1990s, uses the individual stories as three good friends as metaphoric representation of the story of an entire generation generation x, young people born in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. He has published fourteen novels, two collections of short stories, eight nonfiction books, and a number of dra. Generation a mirrors coupland s debut novel, 1991s generation x. Buy generation a by coupland, douglas from amazons fiction books store. Generation a, a 2009 book by douglas coupland this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title generation a. Jpod, douglas coupland, generation x epub tales for an accelerated culture. And it feels like 20 years, too no tempus fugit for.
Twentysomethings, brought up with divorce, watergate and three mile island, and scarred by the 80s fallout of yuppies, recession, crack and ronald reagan, they represent the new generation generation x. Recommend a first douglas coupland novel fiction ask metafilter. Their shared experience unites them in ways they never could have imagined. Thankfully, generation a by douglas coupland is the greatest of gifts and one of the best books i have read in a long time. A celebrated novelist, visual artist, and designer, douglas coupland has been making work about popular culture and the effects of the technological revolution on the human brain for more than 20 years. He is the author of the numberone international bestseller jpod and nine other novels including the gum thief, hey nostradamus. Thoughts on douglas coupland well lately i have been feeling somewhat lost and have had my eyes open for a new series or author to fulfill some weird apatite of mine. Ever since his first book, generation x, douglas coupland has done the best epigraphs. In 1965 his family moved to vancouver, canada, where he continues to live and work. That is exactly what douglas coupland has done with generation x. Tales for an accelerated culture by douglas coupland, jpod by douglas. Tales for an accelerated culture, popularized terms.
Generation x is douglas couplands classic novel about the generation born in the late 1950s and 1960sa generation known until then simply as twenty somethings. The idea and the reality of generation x, the novel that made couplands name, are. It takes place in a near future, in a world in which bees have become extinct. Life after god is a collection of short stories by douglas coupland, published in 1994. Calling the novel generation a was, as far as book titling goes, a provocative act. Is the generation following the postworld war ii baby boom, especially people born in the united states and canada from the early 1960s to the late 1970s. Read douglas coupland s seminal novel generation x, and discuss his approach to storytelling and what each book says about the power of fiction. Douglas coupland has 71 books on goodreads with 3221 ratings. Sep 02, 2009 generation a by douglas coupland so, what was, in 1991s generation x, termed cryptotechnophobia the secret belief that technology is more of a menace than a boon is now no longer. Person generation a is the thirteenth novel from canadian novelist douglas coupland.
Douglas coupland, in full douglas campbell coupland, born dec. Five different characters get stung by bees, in roughly the course of a month. Tales for an accelerated culture by douglas coupland, jpod by douglas co. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. I laughed out loud at parts of this book, especially the welldeserved skewering of reality television. When one character spots a group of methheads, they observe, in the old days theyd. Extinct bees and drugs haunt douglas couplands generation a. Douglas coupland inscribed and signed by the author on the title page. With generation a douglas coupland, one of the great satirists of consumerism, has found a. Its a sunday afternoon and 20 years since i sat down to begin writing generation x. Generation a is the thirteenth novel from canadian novelist douglas coupland.
See all books authored by douglas coupland, including generation x. Hes especially good when writing in the voice of an actual character, not a neutral. Generation a douglas coupland farm lane books blog. Oct 05, 2010 how ironic that douglas coupland, the man who popularized the term generation x, turns out to be one of the least ironic novelists of his generation. He has been on a roll with his last few books, and generation a is yet another success. In 1991, before the internet, canadian coupland wrote about historical overdosing in his novel generation x to live in a period of time when too much seems to happen. Tales for an accelerated culture, and the gum thief, and more on. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller generation x. This is as good a place to start as any with coupland. Sep 25, 20 douglas coupland is not a terribly careful writer, though in the more compassionate generation x, published back in 1991, he coined some good terms, including mcjobs.
After generation x, a novel by douglas coupland born 1961, canadian writer. Jan 10, 2010 this novel, set in a near future when bees are thought to have become extinct, is not a sequel to but rather a thematic wink at douglas couplands 1991 debut, generation x. Since 1991 coupland has written thirteen novels published in most languages. The latest novel from generation x author douglas coupland lacks the sting of its predecessor, says james miller james miller sat 12 sep 2009. The first edition of the novel was published in 1991, and was written by douglas coupland. Reading the description for this book made it seem like it was just for me. He is the author of the international bestseller jpod and ten other novels including the. Just send us an email and well put the best up on the site. Books fiction generation a is set in the near future in a world where bees are extinct, until five unconnected people all around the world in the united states, canada, france, new zealand, and sri lankaare all stung. Shampoo planet is the rich and dazzling point where two worlds collide those of 1960s parents and their 1990s offspring, global teens, the generation after generation x. His books have been translated into 35 languages and published in most countries around the world. Douglas coupland books list of books by author douglas. Generation a, by douglas coupland the globe and mail.
Buy one of 2000 special limited edition copies of douglas s coupland s generation a and customize your own unique book jacket online. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title generation a. And to a degree, it is, because after all, i read books. He attended the emily carr institute of art and design, the hokkaido college of art and design, instituto europeo di design, and the japanamerica institute of. Generation alpha, a demographic cohort born between the early 2010s and the 2020s. This book is a collection of short stories about various genxers living a life after god, as part of the first generation raised without any religion. He has published thirteen novels, two collections of short. Douglas coupland oc obc born 1961 is a canadian novelist and artist. Andy, claire, and dag, each in their twenties, have quit pointless jobs in their respec. Download and read online for free generation x by douglas coupland. Books by douglas coupland author of generation x goodreads. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction.
The website of canadian author and artist douglas coupland. Douglas coupland s most popular book is generation x. Still unsure of what it is i am craving but i am hoping i have come across it with the author douglas coupland. Douglas coupland, who took generation x from a cheesy punk band and turned it into a civilisational benchmark, has clearly waited for the right time to cite the wildhaired master. Mixing the bizarre and the mundane, douglas coupland s novels explore social change and the texture of the times. He is the author of the international bestsellers generation a and jpod, and nine other novels, among them the gum thief, hey nostradamus. Probably yes, since the novel we will speak about tonight is generation a by douglas coupland, a postatomic decameron on the end of the human species and the salvific power of narration. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training. He is the author of miss wyoming, generation x, all families are psychotic, and girlfriend in a coma, among others. Tales for an accelerated culture by douglas coupland at indigo. I started reading it while i was finishing lessons on literature, a collection of lessons that the argentinian writer julio cortazar gave in berkeley in 1980. Douglas coupland books list of books by author douglas coupland.
434 1173 873 180 403 983 811 1434 1361 533 440 131 153 115 144 1269 740 1455 860 421 1017 1058 1088 1323 915 595 1060 748 925 85 1311 1026 664 317 962 588 975 494 127 980 117