San Francisco Literature and Authors

Being a longtime resident of San Francisco and the Bay Area, I think we should share our love for the literature created in this area.

So what book or work do you think communicates the Bay the best?

For me, Gina Berriault's short-story collection "Women in Their Beds" is what I'd pick. A more guilty selection is Fritz Leiber's great horror novel "Our Lady of Darkness".

But what turns your crank? Jack London? Dashiell Hammett? Philip Dick? Richard Brautigan? Frank Norris? Weldon Kees? Gary Synder?

(let's try to steer the discussion away from Danielle Steel, Armistead Maupin, Amy Tan and Dave Eggers if we can)

Not particularly communicating the Bay Area, but a favorite Bay Area author is Ursula K. LeGuin. (Sorry, touchstone is not working properly, as this author is misspelled in a remarkable number of ways.)