12 Authors Similar to Haruki Murakami You Should Read

In this post, we’ll look at 12 authors similar to Haruki Murakami, writers who share his blend of surrealism, melancholic introspection and dreamlike storytelling.

Murakami’s novels often transport readers into strange yet familiar worlds where the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur.

Whether it’s his meditative prose, existential themes or deep exploration of loneliness and human connection, his works resonate with many.

From magical realism to existential fiction, these writers like Haruki Murakami offer compelling stories that might just fill the void in your reading list.

12 Authors Similar to Haruki Murakami

1. Yoko Ogawa

Writing Style & Themes: Ogawa crafts haunting narratives that seamlessly blend surrealism with existential themes, exploring memory, identity and loss. 

Notable Books:

• The Memory Police​
• The Housekeeper and the Professor​
• Hotel Iris​

Why Readers Will Love Her: Ogawa’s evocative storytelling delves into the depths of human experience, offering readers a contemplative journey reminiscent of Murakami’s introspective tales.​

Yoko Ogawa’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/42775.Y_ko_Ogawa 

2. Banana Yoshimoto

Writing Style & Themes: Yoshimoto’s narratives delve into themes of love, loss and self-discovery, often with a dreamlike quality that mirrors Murakami’s exploration of human emotions.​

Notable Books:

• Kitchen​
• Asleep​
• Goodbye Tsugumi​

Why Readers Will Love Her: Yoshimoto’s poignant storytelling captures the intricacies of everyday life offering a reflective experience akin to Murakami’s tales.​

Banana Yoshimoto’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/28229.Banana_Yoshimoto 

3. Kazuo Ishiguro

Writing Style & Themes: Ishiguro crafts dreamlike narratives that explore memory, identity and the human condition, echoing Murakami’s atmospheric and introspective style.​

Notable Books:

• The Unconsoled​
• Never Let Me Go​
• The Remains of the Day​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Ishiguro’s profound explorations of human nature and his subtle immersive storytelling resonate with themes central to Murakami’s work.​

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4280.Kazuo_Ishiguro 

4. Kōbō Abe

Writing Style & Themes: Abe’s surreal and psychological narratives delve into identity and freedom, blending reality and fantasy in a manner reminiscent of Murakami’s explorations.​

Notable Books:

• The Woman in the Dunes​
• The Face of Another​
• The Box Man​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Abe’s thought-provoking tales challenge perceptions of reality, offering readers an immersive experience similar to Murakami’s storytelling.​

Kōbō Abe’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6526.K_b_Abe 

5. Hiromi Kawakami

Writing Style & Themes: Kawakami’s prose is simple yet profound, weaving introspective stories that explore human relationships and emotions, much like Murakami’s nuanced character studies.​

Notable Books:

• Strange Weather in Tokyo​
• The Nakano Thrift Shop​
• Manazuru​

Why Readers Will Love Her: Kawakami’s delicate portrayal of everyday interactions and subtle emotional shifts offers a contemplative reading experience akin to Murakami’s work.​

Hiromi Kawakami’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/637929.Hiromi_Kawakami 

6. Tomihiko Morimi

Writing Style & Themes: Morimi’s whimsical and surreal narratives blend reality with fantasy, creating imaginative tales that appeal to fans of Murakami’s genre-defying storytelling.​

Notable Books:

• The Tatami Galaxy​
• Night Is Short, Walk On Girl​
• Penguin Highway​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Morimi’s inventive plots and playful prose offer a fresh fantastical perspective that resonates with readers who appreciate Murakami’s creative narratives.​

Tomihiko Morimi’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5511801.Tomihiko_Morimi 

7. Kenzaburō Ōe

Writing Style & Themes: Ōe’s complex narratives often delve into personal trauma, societal issues and existential questions, echoing Murakami’s profound thematic explorations.​

Notable Books:

• A Personal Matter​
• Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness​
• The Silent Cry​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Ōe’s deep psychological insights and intricate storytelling provide a thought-provoking experience akin to Murakami’s reflective narratives.​

Kenzaburō Ōe’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3439713.Kenzabur_e 

8. David Mitchell

Writing Style & Themes: Mitchell’s genre-defying interconnected stories weave surreal elements with intricate plots often set against Japanese backdrops, reminiscent of Murakami’s narrative style.​

Notable Books:

• Cloud Atlas​
• Number9Dream​
• The Bone Clocks​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Mitchell’s imaginative storytelling and seamless blend of reality and fantasy offer a reading experience that resonates with Murakami enthusiasts.​

David Mitchell’s Website: https://davidmitchellbooks.com 

9. Gabriel García Márquez

Writing Style & Themes: García Márquez masterfully employs magical realism, intertwining the fantastical with the mundane, just like Murakami’s seamless blend of reality and surrealism.​

Notable Books:

• One Hundred Years of Solitude​
• Love in the Time of Cholera​
• Chronicle of a Death Foretold​

Why Readers Will Love Him: García Márquez’s imaginative narratives and profound exploration of human nature echo the depth found in Murakami’s works.​

Gabriel García Márquez’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13450.Gabriel_Garc_a_M_rquez 

10. Jorge Luis Borges

Writing Style & Themes: Borges crafts philosophical and fantastical short stories that delve into labyrinths of time, identity and reality, paralleling Murakami’s metaphysical explorations.​

Notable Books:

• Ficciones​
• The Aleph​
• Labyrinths​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Borges’s intellectual depth and imaginative storytelling provide a cerebral experience akin to the thought-provoking nature of Murakami’s narratives.​

Jorge Luis Borges’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/500.Jorge_Luis_Borges 

11. Franz Kafka

Writing Style & Themes: Kafka’s surreal fiction explores themes of alienation and absurdity, resonating with the existential undertones present in Murakami’s work.​

Notable Books:

• The Metamorphosis​
• The Trial​
• The Castle​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Kafka’s exploration of the human condition through bizarre and unsettling narratives mirrors the enigmatic qualities found in Murakami’s stories.​

Franz Kafka’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5223.Franz_Kafka 

12. Italo Calvino

Writing Style & Themes: Calvino’s imaginative and fantastical novels explore abstract concepts and alternate realities akin to Murakami’s creative storytelling.​

Notable Books:

• Invisible Cities​
• If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler​
• The Baron in the Trees​

Why Readers Will Love Him: Calvino’s inventive narratives and philosophical musings offer a whimsical yet profound reading experience that complements Murakami’s style.​

Italo Calvino’s Goodreads Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/155517.Italo_Calvino 

Final Word on Authors Like Murakami

Exploring the literary landscapes of the above authors like Haruki Murakami reveals a rich tapestry of storytelling that seamlessly blends the surreal with the profound. 

Writers like Yoko Ogawa captivate readers with haunting narratives that delve into existential themes, while Banana Yoshimoto’s introspective tales of love and loss echo Murakami’s emotional depth. 

Venturing beyond Japan, authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges offer magical realism and philosophical fantasies that intertwine the fantastical with the mundane, much like Murakami’s narratives. 

By delving into the works of the above authors similar to Haruki Murakami, readers can continue to explore the boundaries between reality and imagination, uncovering new dimensions of human experience through the written word.