Like Father, Like Son…

In honor of Father’s Day, here are four pairs of fathers and sons who have both made their mark as modern authors.

	Kingsley & Martin Amis Kingsley Amis was a prolific British novelist, poet, and critic who was as famous for his love of women and English pubs as he was for his comedic novels. If you want a taste of his work, try Lucky Jim, a classic academic satire. Martin Amis is still writing today, with a new book out this month, titled The Pregnant Widow. Amis often uses black humor to highlight the alienation and emptiness that he sees accompanying modern life. Time’s Arrow and London Fields are two of his best-known works.
	William F. & Christopher Buckley William F. Buckley is well-known as the founder of The National Review, but is perhaps lesser known as a novelist. Getting It Right is a coming of age story set against the early years of the modern conservative movement, while Nuremberg: The Reckoning is a fictional account of the Nuremberg trials. His son Christopher is one of the best satirists of modern politics and culture writing today. For a cringe-inducing laugh at our modern world, try Thank You For Smoking or Boomsday.
	Stephen King & Joe Hill Stephen King, one of America’s best known novelists, has recently branched out into a career as pop culture commentator (check out his monthly column in Entertainment Weekly) and memoirist (his book On Writing is part autobiography, part advice to young writers). His son, Joe Hill, is touted as one of the freshest new voices in the horror genre. His books 20th Century Ghosts, Heart-Shaped Box, and Horns have all been critical and commercial successes.
	David & Nic Sheff Award-winning journalist David Sheff shares his struggle to help his meth-addicted son in his 2008 book Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction. His son, Nic, writes of that very meth addiction, as well as his struggle to get clean, in Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines. These two books give a rare and moving glimpse into the effects that drug abuse has on the addict and the entire family.