Why would you read a blog post containing a list of writers who influenced me? My aim is to provoke you to think about (perhaps even write down) the list of those who inspired you. It’s a useful exercise. Perhaps the most important part of the exercise is to describe those writers as well—what they mean to you.
Come on, walk along beside me now through the library of my mind. The shelves have all the books I ever read. My apologies for its small size; a busy life interferes with reading, unfortunately. But I’m trying to read more. For the purposes of today’s tour the books have been arranged by author, and we’ll be viewing busts of the more prominent ones. Engraved on the pedestal of each bust are the author’s name and a few words describing his or her works.
Ah, I see you noticed the 30-foot high bronze statue just within the entrance. Kind of hard to miss. Yes, that’s Jules Verne. I’ve read most of his works that have been translated into English. His Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the only book I ever re-read, and I do that every couple of years. That book inspired me both to join the submarine service and to major in naval architecture in college. To me, he represents scientific accuracy, exotic voyages, high drama and adventure, and a glimpse of a time when technology seemed on the verge of making everything possible for the first time in human history.
Over here is the bust of Isaac Asimov. I’ve read only a fraction of his published work but it’s still a lot, both fiction and non-fiction. The words engraved beneath his name are scientific accuracy, easy-to-read writing style, clever ideas, and love of wordplay.
Walking along, we’ve come to Arthur C. Clarke. To me, he too symbolizes scientific accuracy, but also an optimistic view of mankind’s future, and various ways we could deal with aliens of far greater and different intelligences.
That bust there depicts Robert Heinlein. Hard-edged style, a strict morality, a libertarian viewpoint, and success through struggle are the hallmarks of his writing, to me.
Watch your step; this area is not well lit. Here, take my flashlight. That bust you just bumped into is Ray Bradbury. He has the most poetic prose of any author here—a flowing style that seduces you into his stories with the sheer magic and power of the words. Then he often slaps you hard with some dark and twisted surprise.
And that one over there is Ayn Rand. She’s the only woman on the tour; I wish there were more. Her writing is characterized by emotional power, uncompromising philosophy, and a deep belief in human freedom coupled with strict ideas about how to live one’s life.
We’ve come to the bust of Larry Niven. Amazing ideas, compelling characters, and the most well-thought-out aliens of any author in the library.
Here we are in the Children’s section—quite dusty, I know. This next bust looks a little strange, with no discernable features. Maybe you don’t recognize the name, Victor Appleton II. It’s a pseudonym used by many authors. I grew up reading the Tom Swift, Jr. series written by the various “Mr. Appletons.” With fondness I recall the high adventure, the marvelous inventions, and the use of science to solve problems.
One more and I think we’ll wrap up the tour. Clive Cussler’s bust bears the following descriptions on beneath the name on its pedestal—engaging adventures set at sea, a writer with an easy-reading style that really puts his characters through hell.
That’s enough for this trip. Perhaps we’ll continue the tour in a future blog post and examine busts of authors we missed. I should mention you won’t necessarily see the influences of all of these writers in my own stories. Also, I don’t necessarily agree with the viewpoints of all of them—I just enjoy reading their books.
Thanks for stopping by for a tour today. Hope you enjoyed strolling through the mind of–
Poseidon’s Scribe
