Strange books that have influenced you

[Strategia]

In no particular order,

Catch-22
1984
Brave New World
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
Discworld series
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Wheel of Time series (reading now)
Various textbooks for my studies (Een geschiedenis van Rusland. Van Rurik tot Poetin, Classical Mythology, A Short History of the Middle Ages)
1491
John Brunner's novels (incl. The Sheep Look Up, Stand on Zanzibar)
Ender's Game - Speaker for the Dead
Guns, Germs and Steel
The Last Question (short story by Asimov, now there's perspective for you)

 

[obex]

Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

No prizes for guessing that one

 

[lostclause]

snip

An impressive list but how did they influence you? Some are obvious like 1984 but I don't remember Hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy having too great an impact apart from a few laughs.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Fear And Loathing Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

 

[Death916]

Dune.

What a waste of water.

same with me. and the litany against fear. i fear nothing now

 

[-Drifter-]

Speaker for the Dead. I stride to be like Ender in most things, now.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Yeah I read a lot of fantasy...and I mean A LOT. So words like "aye" and abreviations like " 'tis" seem to have worked their way into my everyday speech habits :|.

 

[lostclause]

Yeah I read a lot of fantasy...and I mean A LOT. So words like "aye" and abreviations like " 'tis" seem to have worked their way into my everyday speech habits :|.

Similar thing from watching red dwarf. I now use the word smeg a lot.

 

[philosophicalbastard]

The series of unfortunate events started my love for reading.

 

[Neurowaste]

The Anarchist's Cookbook. There are so many household items that I can never look at the same way again.

Where did you get your copy? I want one and cant find one anywhere.

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged probably had the biggest impact on me.

This, also, Fahrenheit 451, i will never mistreat books again...., 1984, Animal Farm, Guns Germs and Steel, To Kill A Mockingbird and the Communist Manifesto.

 

[caster272]

Orson Scott Card's Ender series
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
The Art of War by Sun Tsu
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z
Brave New World

 

[RavingPenguin]

Sun Tzu's the art of war. Im still mentally preparing battles in my head.

That book is still taught in military academys Im told. The Art of War also happens to be my bible. Bodyklok is also a fan, and could probably quote you the entire book, he always steals the spotlight when I try to quote it.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel

Everything by Max Brooks (I now have several weapons in my closet, an escape plan, and I sleep with a large knife under my pillow)

 

[Dottie]

The Zombie Survival Guide. You start to read it and take it as a joke but by about page 30 you really want to go outside and buy a machete. Just to be safe.

I don't think I've met anyone who'd read it and not made a zombie survival plan.

LOL me too!

 

[masher]

Yep, The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z...it's just so...believable.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

Yep, The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z...it's just so...believable.

I really can't believe that it's genre is supposedly "comedy". Doesn't it seem a bit too realistic for that?

 

[Goldbling]

The Zombie Survival Guide. You start to read it and take it as a joke but by about page 30 you really want to go outside and buy a machete. Just to be safe.

I don't think I've met anyone who'd read it and not made a zombie survival plan.

yea your spot on in that aspect.

 

[KarumaK]

The dictionary.

Has influenced every thought that comes to mind since.

 

[Goldbling]

The Zombie Survival Guide. You start to read it and take it as a joke but by about page 30 you really want to go outside and buy a machete. Just to be safe.

I don't think I've met anyone who'd read it and not made a zombie survival plan.

Someone brought that up before. That's what reminded me of how to survive a robot uprising and hence this thread. Must try and get a copy.

yay! I'm your inspiration!

In the most Heterosexual way possible.

 

[RedRockRun]

Necronomicon by Abdul Alhazred

I tried to check out the copy at Miskatonic University, but it was their only one, so I read it cover to cover over a few weeks.

I'm just not seeing things straight anymore now, and I wish I'd never picked up that damned book. The shadows move oddly now, and I swear I can hear voices when I'm alone. Oh God! Oh merciful Lord! Why did I read that book?