Douglas Coupland is one of the few authors whose books I will buy as a matter of course. The first book of his I read was Microserfs, a tale of some twenty somethings working at Microsoft. A great book that engaged me right from the opening chapter.

Coupland has a definate style, that is fresh and witty and full of references and in jokes that will enrich his work (if you get them) but don't detract if you don't.

Most of his work is set in the North West if the US, his homeland, but is now starting to spread a little wider.

I met him at a reading in Sheffield, he's a great character "live" and he did express his relief that Sheffield hadn't been destroyed as in the film Threads....