Comments on: Good book that's set in San Francisco?

Question: Good book that's set in San Francisco?

Maia — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:17:23 -0800

What's a good book that takes place in San Francisco?

I love San Francisco, and I'm just looking for a good book to read that's set in the city. Fiction or non-fiction - doesn't matter. I just finished reading Winter's Tale, which was a great book set in NYC, so I'm kind of looking for something similar, with lots of references to the layout and notable features of the city.

Thanks!

By: HerArchitectLover

HerArchitectLover — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:22:13 -0800

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:24:50 -0800

Tales of the City et seq.?

Nina Kiriki Hoffmann has a number of books noticeably set in SF; I think eg A Fistful of Sky.

By: skyper

skyper — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:28:01 -0800

Personally -

I've enjoyed Confessions of Max Tivoli, told from the perspective of a protagonist who ages backwards. It's set in San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century.

Also am fond of She Took My Arm As If She Loved Me by Herbert Gold. Same setting, non-historic, published during late 90s, but good details although emphasis is on the not-so-polished neighborhoods of S.F.

Enjoy!

By: uncleozzy

uncleozzy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:40:29 -0800

I enjoyed Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job. I think some of his other books might use San Francisco as a prop, as well, although I don't recall making the association as strongly.

By: i_am_a_Jedi

i_am_a_Jedi — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:53:01 -0800

9Tail Fox by Jon Courtenay Grimwood

By: thomas j wise

thomas j wise — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:01:03 -0800

The Maltese Falcon.

By: jaimev

jaimev — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:07:01 -0800

Seconding The Maltese Falcon

By: dkippe

dkippe — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:08:08 -0800

Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold. A fiction based on real-life stage magician Charles Carter, set in the '20s.

By: mostlymartha

mostlymartha — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:17:24 -0800

I was coming in to recommend Carter Beats the Devil and dkippe beat me to it. Faboo book, and very evocative of the San Francisco of the past.

By: tomcooke

tomcooke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:17:51 -0800

Another vote for Tales of the City. It's a while since I read the books, but I remember them fondly.

By: santojulieta

santojulieta — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:38:09 -0800

Also by Christopher Moore (and nearly as good), Blood Sucking Fiends and You Suck. Most of the rest of his books are California based also.

By: brain cloud

brain cloud — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:41:44 -0800

Oh the Glory of it All by Sean Wilsey.

By: zippy

zippy — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:51:22 -0800

Kage Baker's "Children of the Company." The second half is set in San Francisco on the eve of the 1906 quake.

By: tomcooke

tomcooke — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:52:17 -0800

Just read your post again: "lots of references to the layout and notable features of the city". From what I remember Tales of the City really delivers on this score.

By: essexjan

essexjan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:05:12 -0800

John Lescroart's books are set in San Francisco and are legal thrillers.

By: gum

gum — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:14:03 -0800

You Can't Win, by Jack Black

The Abortion, by Richard Brautigan

Valencia, by Michelle Tea

By: crios

crios — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:29:36 -0800

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan.

By: kidbritish

kidbritish — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:35:49 -0800

If you're interested in something that's a little bit weird, verging on science-fiction and verging on cyberpunk, but not really either, then I recommend John Shirley's City Come A-Walkin'. The story not only takes place in San Francisco, but the city of San Francisco is actually the main character in the story.

By: thebrokenmuse

thebrokenmuse — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:37:06 -0800

Zodiac!

By: nameless.k

nameless.k — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:52:15 -0800

In most works by Kerouac he gets to San Francisco at one point or another.

By: saladin

saladin — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:57:28 -0800

In addition to The Maltese Falcon, mentioned above, several of Dashiell Hammett's other books and short stories take place in San Francisco. I just finished The Continental Op, which was amazing.

By: mogget

mogget — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:57:32 -0800

The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy.

By: hurdy gurdy girl

hurdy gurdy girl — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:01:04 -0800

Nthing Tales of the City.

I also liked Rupert Holmes' Swing: A Mystery. It's set during the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. The main character is a musician, and the book includes a disc of swing music pertinent to the novel.

Fun fact: Rupert Holmes is the guy who wrote the Escape (The Pina Colada Song). He also wrote the novel that the movie Where the Truth Lies was based on.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:30:51 -0800

The Spellman books by Lisa Lutz take place in SF. They feature a family of PI's, so they run around the city a lot.

By: nax

nax — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:51:59 -0800

Kate Martinelli mysteries by Laurie King

By: Sassyfras

Sassyfras — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:08:52 -0800

I just finished reading Bones of the Barbary Coast by Daniel Hecht. It is set in San Fran - both present day and past. I enjoyed it.

By: yellowlightman

yellowlightman — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:26:49 -0800

Virtual Light by William Gibson takes place largely in a near-future San Francisco (the near-future of 2005, circa 1992). Includes the Bay Bridge turned into a shanty town and Golden Gate Park privatized as an amusement park.

By: dfan

dfan — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 19:29:36 -0800

4thing Tales of the City.

By: jayder

jayder — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:30:34 -0800

Vikram Seth's novel in verse, The Golden Gate.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:21:58 -0800

Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Jack London's Martin Eden (plus many books set in the region).

Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club.

Alistair MacLean's The Golden Gate. (A fun thriller about terrorists taking over the Golden Gate Bridge. It'd make a good movie but The Rock came along and now it'd feel like a ripoff even though it's the other way around.)

San Francisco Noir anthology.

Michelle Richmond's The Year of Fog.

Lists of San Francisco novels and books set in San Francisco, More San Francisco Novels, and a couple more.

By: radioamy

radioamy — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:12:49 -0800

Seconding Heartbreaking Work...

By: arnicae

arnicae — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:31:08 -0800

Exceptional murder mystery author Laurie King sets both contemporary and historical novels in San Francisco.

Locked Rooms is her 8th Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mystery, set in 1924 San Francisco. Wonderful book, can be read aloud but is best enjoyed as part of the series.

Kate Martinelli is a SFPD Detective and the protagonist of A Grave Talent. Great book and again, very reminiscent of SF and the Bay area.

By: mikepop

mikepop — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 05:36:32 -0800

In the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category, try The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld

By: punchdrunkhistory

punchdrunkhistory — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:01:37 -0800

Nthing The Year of Fog and A Dirty Job. I read both of those in quick succession last summer and subsequently spent the remainder of the year longing to visit.

By: laconic titan

laconic titan — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:31:26 -0800

Seconding jayder's post. The Golden Gate is a unique and lovely read.