Hey everyone, Ive been called out to the top-ten-books-thing by Lindsay Curcio, Catalina David and Isabela Ayter. So cool! Here’s the top ten books that have stuck with me throughout my (many) years of reading: 10. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - This was the first novel I’ve ever read and it featured my all-time favorite villain: John Silver, the one-legged pirate. Here’s the story: when I was about 11 years old I was introduced to an anime called Takarajima (Treasure Island). I highly recommend it! The cartoon featured death, violence and a ruggedly-handsome anti-hero in Silver. It changed my life and the character of Silver became (and still is) my role-model (kind of strange, I know). I immediately read the book and, though I’ve enjoyed the cartoon more, the book still stayed with me after all this time. 9. Garden of Rama (or Rama 3) by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee - This was the first science-fiction novel I’ve ever read, given to me by my grand-father - the man who served as a role model for most of my life. A great and complex sci-fi story (I realized only about 200 pages in that this was part 3 of a series) and a novel that, once again, featured the morally ambiguous characters I’ve grown to love. Fun fact: for a brief time (when I was 13) I wanted to tattoo the name Nicole des Jardines on my right proto-biceps. 8. Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - Given to me by my grandfather a few months before he died. Appreciated it for its stunning complexity and the way in which humor became an integral part of an otherwise dark story. Also loved the crazy alchemist character who was an excellent villain. 7. The Commonwealth Saga by Peter F Hamilton - This fantastic space-opera series, (coming in at roughly 276.554 pages) gave me my first taste of “holy shit I started this book in January and finished it in May”. Great story, fun characters, long-ass narrative. Partially served as an inspiration for certain scenes in Mindguard. 6. Der Schwarm (The Swarm) by Frank Schätzing - One of my all-time favorite science fiction novels featuring Sigur Johanssen, one of my all-time favorite science-fiction characters. This novel is the reason I’ve developed a taste for wine and am currently nursing a costly wine-habit. 5. Eine Billion Dollar (A Trillion Dollars) by Andreas Eschbach - I love all of Eschbach’s world-encompassing thrillers but this one takes the cake. Not only a gripping story but a thorough lesson in economy. 4. Segreto Tibet (Secret Tibet) by Fosco Maraini - I love all things Tibet and this awesome travel memoir by Italian photographer Fosco Maraini really took me there. 3. The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis - A stunning and incredibly gutsy novel that not only paints a vivid picture of the world it’s trying to describe but also puts a new spin on an old tale. The character of Judas is awesome and a total badass. 2. Smithsonian’s Human, a definitive visual guide by Robert Winston and Don E. Wilson - because it contains everything you need to know about everything. 1. Dune by Frank Herbert - My all-time favorite novel. No single work of literature has influenced me more as a writer and a human being. Read it in my developmental years and it has helped me develop (mentally). Special mention: Wool by Hugh Howey. This science fiction self-publishing wunderkind has been an influence on everything I’m currently doing with Mindguard. Also, it’s a terrifically fun story. There you have it everyone. I’d like to nominate Alwin Landler, Neil Kernis, Lorette Cherăscu , Andreea Draginov and Alan Frascoia
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 20:11:17 +0000
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