I love books. They make me laugh, cry, love, hate, despise, adore,
take pride, envy, learn, and more. The amount of knowledge I've
gathered from books is something I will be always proud, and I
would be a sadder person if I hadn't met David Brin, JRR Tolkien,
Marion Zimmer Bradley, Tom Clancy, Neal Stephenson, Rachel Pollack,
Vernor Vinge, Stephen Coonts, Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Phillip
K. Dick, Sharon Lee, Anne Rice, Margaret Weis, Agatha Christie,
Frank Gruber, oh, so many authors who with their words have transformed
worlds!
This is a very short bibliography of the books and authors that
made me. I don't even pretend that this is complete, for it could
never be. Many influences upon my existence have been swept away
by the winds of time and memory, their lingering seed blossoming
onto my consciousness. That is their gift, and for all the known
and unknown authors, born and unborn, I give my undying gratitude.
Go to Amazon or your favorite bookstore and look up these authors.
Any book from their hands is worthy of your attention. I'll just
list the few most memorable.
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To Douglas Adams, 1952-2001: So
long, and thanks for all the fish
If you have never read Douglas Adams, you are a Vogon. If you
don't know what a Vogon is, go read "The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". It's absolutely
the most astonishing book you will ever read, and it will explain
to you in no uncertain terms why Altavista's online translator
is called babelfish. If you haven't read
it yet, go read it, now! Don't panic, don't forget your towel,
and 42 to you too. %-)
A Userfriendly tribute, by Illiad
Douglas adams, oh smith of words,
and humour soft yet manic
we thank you much for all the fish,
and advice that we not panic
Space is big, you once had stated
a point we'd not dispute.
But space is not as big as say,
the rib pains you made acute
And so it comes to this dear sir.
But we'll see you again
When we meet for tea and crumpets as
we watch the universe end
To J.R.R. Tolkien: You made the
worlds, you dreamt of gods and mortals, and forever shall we remember
thy gifts of honor, courage and friendship.
There are no words worthy of praise to the works of Tolkien. Indeed,
his words echo through the ages and leave an indelible mark upon
those who read them. "The Hobbit"
and "The Lord of the Rings"
are gifts of this man to mankind, and are rated among the best
works of the 20th century. There are no books like these, and
poor are they who do not have the privilege of reading and living
the adventures of Bilbo and Frodo in Middle-Earth.
To Marion Zimmer-Bradley - 2001:
Writing of Arthur, of Troy and Celts, you opened the door to the
misteries of an era long gone and worthy of remembrance, praise
and, perhaps (who can say) recovery.
"Mists of Avalon",
"Firebrand" and a
host of other books gave me the first glimpse of a world of magic
and mistery, where women had power, commanded, were not just toys
made up for the story. This was the first version of Arthur's
story that I read, so it for me this one always felt more real
than the movies and books that I later came in contact with. Marion
has a way of presenting myths with a truly personal, real touch,
and Firebrand is no exception, being her depiction of the Trojan
story. A must for everyone.
David Brin
I have read (almost, 1 or 2 missing) everything that this man
has ever written. Starting with "The
Uplift War" and "Earth",
going on to the "Practice Effect",
every book is a discovery of something new in the universe. Have
you seen "The Postman", with Kevin Costner? David wrote
it. I heartily recommend this author.
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