Favorite Books.

[AntiHero]

Figured I would open up a bit and share this, and ask what pieces of literature influenced you.

Ender's Game. Ender was different, he was alone, and I learned that you can endure more than you ever thought possible.

Doom. Yes the novelization of a 1st Person shooter. Game me my love of survival horror, and taught me a bit about endurance and self reliance.

I am Legend Baddest fucking vampire novel ever!

Without Remorse Taught me redemption, and that revenge is a very dangerous motivation.

Point of Impact. High powered precision rifles, the smartest country boy in the world, and a good thriller.

[freydis]

Hmmm..... so many!

Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson -- i read this at least once a year.... one of the best!

The Repairman Jack Series, by F. Paul Wilson-- one of the best shady heroes, ever! Jack is the new everyman hero.... killin supernatural baddies with brains and good ol' fashioned firepower.

The Vampiric Charms series, by Kim Harrison-- Always good for a giggle! Showed me that a mystery could be really, really funny....

Anything by Sean Stewart--- the man is a treat to read. I have 3 books of his, and all are great. I recommend Perfect Circle.

These are the first I could think of.... I'll definately post more later.... I read enough, I should be a literary critic.... when I organise my thoughts on the literature I've read, it usually comes out well..... and I've read so very much....

[Scary Guy]

.... I just couldn't resist

[SuZQZ]

LOTR because it took me on a journey I didn't expect to enjoy so much and become so involved in the characters. Provided an escape from the real world turmoils at the time. Re-read it every so often I liked it so much.

"Pride and Prejudice" - Elizabeth's character was so strong and independent in an era where women were supposed to be submissive and docile. She never sold herself short and never settled. Such a strong character. Used the character's name for my daughter's middle name.

"The Prophet" is just so beautiful. Especially the piece on Death.

"Life of Pi" - spirtuality without grinding your face into it.

"Hitchhiker's Guide" series - first books I strictly read for pleasure as a teenager. Taught me that books can be fun and quirky and make you laugh til your sides hurt.

Many, many more as I love to read, but that's it off the top of my head.

[phee]

ENDERS GAME (yes I agree) - Some of the best sci fi ever....

SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD - Sequal to ENDERS GAME.... friggen trip

SNOWCRASH - Cyberpunk at it's finest!

HOUSE MADE OF DAWN - Changed my life and the way I see the world around me...

THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER - Another book that profoundly effected the way I see things

THE "AMBER" SERIES - An monumentally creative sci-fi/fantasy series... action and adventure, and mindbending intrigue

COLDHEART CANYON - OMG how does Clive Barker think of this freaky ass shit???

THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW - see Clive Barker above... in fact, lets just say CLIVE BARKER

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS (as well as other Lovecraft) - Undescribably amazing imagination

[Fierce Critter]

"The Snow Ghosts" aka The Snowstorm, by Beryl Netherclift - a young adult book that dates back to 1973. I re-read this book once a year or so. It takes me away to a comfortable, yet mysterious place that is particularly cozy on a winter's night.

All the Nevada Barr books featuring National Park Ranger/sleuth Anna Pigeon - I used to want to be a national park ranger, and can say I still wouldn't mind it. I live vicariously through Anna Pigeon.

Just about every book I've read has given me something I didn't know before. I've gleaned walking knowlege from Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, Dean Koontz, Nevada Barr, etc.

[Shade Everdark]

Ender's Game - One giant meditation on guilt. Think about it.

The Left Hand of Darkness - Asked the simple yet unanswerable question, "What would we be like if gender didn't get in the way of everything?"

Paradise Lost - Lucifer as tragic anti-hero? Emo, even? No moral absolutes?! No wai!!1one!eleventy!

A Tale of Two Cities - Just because someone can write well does not mean that someone can write a good novel. Note: I hated this novel. So very, very much.

Bartleby the Scrivener - The damnation of inertia.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - The surrealism of the mundane. Also, no one can write hunger into my belly quicker than Murakami Haruki. Also, best straight man ever.

The Tale of Genji - Pimps have feelings too, baby.

1984 - A man who really did take a lesson from history, and wrote it to its logical extreme as a warning. I wish I could have had a beer or a glass of wine, with Orwell.

Lord of the Rings - He crammed so many ideas into such a small space. Change, war, courage, camaraderie, loyalty, pity, mercy, and the idea that success does not always fit the molds we make for it. The man was a goddamn genius, pure and simple.

[nomi]

Favorite books, there's too many too mention... so how about favorite authors if I like a lot of books by certain authors? Will that be too unruly, no? SWEET.

Orson Scott Card --> Hart's Hope, Enchantment, Ender's series, 7th Son series, Sarah...

Songs of Earth and Power by Greg Bear

Sonja Blue Collection by Nancy A. Collins

The Chestnut Soldier (don't remember the author)

he's just not that into you by greg behrendt and liz tuccillo

the 4 agreements by don miguel ruiz

(There's so much more, I just can't think of them at the moment, I will update this when I can remember them... )

[Head Wreck]

yep, 1984

animal farm too. orewell seemed like my type of person, extremely cynical of both political extremes.

various survival guides. fascinated by them as a kid and spent most of my time in the woods building hides and shelters. some are still there now.

mamoth book of horror stories. this has been out of print for decades (i think the great war, i had an 1890 edition, bound in leather with an embosed bat over a moon on the front), introduced me to Edger Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle at the age of 3 1/2 - 4 years old (one of many influences on why i like the goth scene)

Mabigion. an 19th century romantisation of the celtic mythology in wales, got a few storries horribly wrong, but due to the popularisation of all things celt in the victorian era, got taken as gospel like tartan (a marketing ploy at the time. the scotish wore plain materials, the clans tartans were an invention)

[Scary Guy]

Hope everyone got my reference with the picture above (if not it's relating somewhat to the movie Idiocracy).

However this is a book thread and not a movie thread. So to stay on topic...

http://sfw.7chan.org/lit/res/15.html (do not surf here from work, just trust me, NSFW, no nudity or bad language, just the domain name is not something you want popping up).

This thread is EPIC!

[Troy Spiral (13)]

I'll just have to limit myself harshly or ill go on forever. I'd put this short-short list all on a must-read-learn-from rather than a "i enjoyed them" list.

Flatland, Future Shock, Hamlet, Macbeth, Interview With A Vampire, 1984, Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy , A Clockwork Orange, Neuromancer, 1984, Anthem, Enders game, I am Legend, snow crash etc etc probably would make it on a longer "great reads" list.

451 Fahrenheit by Ray Bradbury

Dont be afraid to "feel dumb", ask questions, a lot of questions. Random mind-numbing activity for the sake of "fun" is not to be embraced, leads to ignorance, fear, hatred then finally violence. The unexamined life is not worth living.

Mans Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl

You think your life sucks? Not like this it doesn't. Deal. Direct from Auschwitz by a guy that lived through it and has paid his dues. (and how to deal.)

The Diary Of Anne Frank (Definitive Edition)

Not the version you read in Jr. High. She flirts with homosexuality and all sorts of things daddy Frank squashed while he was alive. Incredibly insightful for such a young girl. Really you need to read this before you die. Again, life sucks? Sorry, not like this it doesn't.

The Gospel of John (The Bible)

The "deep" summary of the other gospels. Central thesis of the most influential collection of books in human history. Must read, a few times if possible. (I'd suggest the NIV or NWT versions) If you never read anything else in the bible, drag yourself through this.

Atheist Universe by Brian Mills

Fuuuuuuuck. Painfully strong logic/evidence/reason based arguments. Only thing i can come up with to refute this book is emotional / instinctual based writings. Read this one twice as well.

The Heart Of Buddhas Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh

We are one. There are no "others".

How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Granddaddy of all modern "self help" books. Mom told you to "be nice" well heres how. Specificly. Forget your "common sense" ideas. Read this, learn. If everyone on the planet was forced to read this prisons would be near empty (and DGN wouldn't need play nice rules). Hes pretty brash and old-fashioned , but his points remain valid.