J.G. Ballard discussion

I have very similar feelings about science fiction as I do about horror and fantasy; a vast majority of it sucks, but when done right it is such a powerful genre. Of course, I find J.G. Ballard to be a great writer in the field, and I love a number of other writers: Philip K. Dick, Theodore Sturgeon, Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, and Ray Bradbury. There are plenty of other sci-fi writers who have moved me as well, but Ballard is a strong measuring stick. I'm curious about what other genre writers Ballard fans in this group are reading.

In SF I also enjoy Philip K. Dick, Stanisław Lem and the Strugatsky brothers.

I'd really like to get more into Christopher Priest (loved The Affirmation)

Non-SF-wise I'm trying to focus on Kafka and Sartre's fiction ( The Age of Reason is one of the best books I've read).

I've gotten into Angela Carter, who I think was a favorite of Ballard's. She writes very surreal and original fantasy, mostly based on reworkings of old fairy tales and myths, but often with a sci-fi twist.

Kafka is awesome and I've read comments on another thread about how much he influenced Ballard. Stanislaw Lem is also in a class all his own. I have some of Sarte's works on my shelf that I'll have to pull off and read. I've never read Angela Carter but I love when writers successfully pull off the use of myth and fairy tales (I'm thinking of the The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes series by Neil Gaiman).