Whether exploring controversial subject matters such as drug abuse and the breakdown of society, or experimenting with unusual and sometimes challenging writing styles, all the books listed below dispense with conventionality and, as a result, have earned themselves a strong cult following. Release the rebel in you and read on...

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

Cocaine Nights by J. G. Ballard

Naked Lunch by William Burroughs

Generation X by Douglas Coupland

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (originally published as non-fiction; the author was later revealed to have fabricated chunks of the text)

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Extract from The Book Club Bible, Michael O’Mara Books, £7.99

Times Recommends

• The Sunday Times 100 best holiday reads
• What will we be reading this summer: the booksellers predict
• Literary festivals: a survivor’s guide