In the 1960s, the world was changing rapidly. Rock 'n' roll, student protests and anti-war rallies filled the streets, and writers were creating a new reality on book pages. The old literary canons gave way to experiments: the mystic was next door to chronicle, satire made absurd, and the dark sides of human nature were described without previous limitations. The decade yielded many significant works; this list included ten novels that captured the spirit of time and influenced the further development of the project.

"A Hundred Years of Solitude", by Gabriel García Márquez (1967)

What. The novel describes the journey of the Buendia family from the founding of Macondo to the complete decline of the city. The action takes place in the Colombian countryside, where real events are mixed with miracles. The heroes of several generations repeat the fates of their ancestors, and their inability to love turns life into a cycle of alienation and loneliness. The book is often referred to as the standard of magical realism: it freely introduces myth into everyday life, and fiction is presented as a natural part of life. The story of the Latin American people has been universally read in the novel, understandable to readers outside the continent.

"Kill the Jumper", Harper Lee (1960)

What. In a small town in the American South, during the Great Depression, a black man is accused of violence. The local lawyer Atticus Finch stands up for him, knowing that the trial is unlikely to be fair. For his children, he becomes a model of honesty and resilience; through their perception, the prejudices and cruelty of those around him are revealed. The book appeared in the midst of a civil rights struggle and addressed the theme of racism to a wide audience. The story told through a child’s eyes is vivid and accessible to readers of different generations.

"Master and Margarita", Mikhail Bulgakov (first published 1966-1967)

What. In Moscow, the 1930s, Voland and his retinue appear. They arrange a series of mystical incidents, exposing the cowardice, greed, and trivial nature of the townspeople. In parallel, the story of Master, author of a novel about biblical events, and his beloved Margaret unfolds. The heroes' love goes through trials, including a deal with the devil. The novel was first published in 1966-1967. The unusual combination of biblical chapters, fiction, domestic satire and lyrics did not coincide with the usual forms of Soviet prose, and the appearance of the devil in atheistic Moscow gave reason for a satirical reading.

"Ruloka-22", Joseph Heller (1961)

Wha. Captain Yossarian serves as a bomber in the US Air Force in Italy. Every new combat flight brings him closer to death, so he seeks a way to be released from service. But every time there is a bureaucratic rule in place: A military man who asks not to fly because of madness proves that he is of sound mind, for a normal person wants to live. So, it is fit for flight. The novel departed from the heroic pathos characteristic of military prose and used black humor. The paradox invented by the author turned out to be a precise metaphor for bureaucracy; the term "catch-22" became established in the language as an indication of an impasse.

"Flying over the nest of a cuckoo", Ken Kishi (1962)

Wha. Randle McMurphy, serving his sentence in prison, pretends to be mentally ill and is hospitalized. There, he sees a system that requires patients to be completely subservient. McMurphy openly resists senior nurse Mildred Ratched and gradually engages with other patients. His jokes and independent behavior turn into open confrontation. In the novel, a mental institution is presented as a model of society suppressing any expression of individuality. That is why the book is often linked to counterculture of the 1960s.

"Dune", Frank H. Herbert (1965)

About what. Paul Atreides and his family are given control of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of spice needed for interstellar flights and life extension. The Emperor organizes a betrayal, resulting in the death of Paul’s father. Young man finds refuge among the Fremen, inhabitants of the desert, leads their struggle and confronts ancient prophecy about his destiny. "Dune" expanded the boundaries of science fiction, raising questions of religion, power and ecology. The planet’s detailed ecosystem became a full-fledged part of the plot.

"Collector", John Fowler (1963)

Wha. Frederick Clegg, a humble employee and butterfly collector, wins a large sum of money and decides to do what he wants. He kidnaps Miranda, an art school student, and locks her in the basement of a country house. The kidnapper tries to make her comfortable and hopes that the girl will reciprocate voluntarily, but she perceives it as a prison. The novel consists of two parts: first the story is told by Clegg, then Miranda, so the same event is seen from different sides. Phouls uses this structure to talk about class barriers, culture and obsession.