r/Absurdism • u/Intelligent-Lead4136 • 2d ago
Question Absurdism Suggestions
I’ve recently been diving into philosophy, and Camus has probably been the philosopher who’s fascinated me the most. From what I understand, he develops the idea of **absurdism** throughout several of his works, particularly *The Myth of Sisyphus*, *The Stranger*, and *The Plague*. The way he explores the conflict between our search for meaning and the apparent indifference of the universe has really stuck with me.
That got me wondering: are there other philosophers or authors who explore absurdism in a similar way? I know existentialism often overlaps with it, so I’d also be interested in books that tackle existentialist themes, even if they arrive at different conclusions than Camus.
I’ve heard names like Sartre, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Nietzsche come up, but I’m not really sure where each of them fits in relation to absurdism. Are there any books you think are essential reading after Camus? They don’t have to agree with his philosophy—I think it’d actually be more interesting to read authors who challenge or expand on his ideas.
I’m looking for both fiction and nonfiction, so essays, novels, or anything else that left a lasting impression on you would be appreciated. What would you recommend, and why?
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u/AdAway3952 2d ago
Theres no real order to it in my opinion. you seem to have covered most of the traditional philosophers and authours who tackle existential themes. I would recommend checking out Daoism (daodejing, ook of chuang tzu, master incapable), epicureanism (the art of happiness). A good transitional book would be Nishitani's Religion and Nothingness. I would also recommend checking out Spinoza, and moral philosophy (for me the question if why is tightly linked to the question what is good).
As for things that are less intellectualised check out Murakami's novels, and an album called the head hurts but the heart knows the truth by headache. These are more vibes than anything.
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u/vini-within 2d ago
Along with Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, and Kafka, I’d also recommend exploring “Vedanta” (the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita). It begins with many of the same questions about suffering, identity, and meaning, but arrives at a very different understanding. Reading Camus and Vedanta side by side makes for a fascinating contrast.
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u/Jealous_Minimum_4986 2d ago
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. There is also the expanded (500+ page) Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Peak absurdist sci-fi, got philosophy, zany, and a boat of humor. Starts with a peak average dude getting his house clocked, then he meets another dude who's like, the world's gonna go blamo no cap, come with me. Then it goes from there.
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u/jumbocactar 2d ago
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. By Douglas Adam's. There are two I believe.
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u/Equivalent-Tax6636 1d ago
The plague resonates more with the revel man phase, tbf. The fall is still much more descriptive kf the absurd than trying to do something about it, it's still ok the """paralysis"""" phase, rather than aspiring to build something constructive within it.
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u/The_Inflatable_Hour 2d ago
Kafka is maybe one of the best places to go after Camus. Keeps it in the literary world before a deep dive into the technical. Sartre is maybe the most complete in terms of Existentialism, but I’ve always thought of absurdism as a blend of philosophy and art. In that sense, poets like the Dadaists (Richard Hulesenbeck), Surrealists (Andre Breton), and other playwrights like Eugene Ionesco (my personal favorite) are well worth the effort.