New meme -- your greatest writing influences!
I was dinking around reorganizing my bookshelves and realized I had the makings for a great meme in front of me, so here it is: all you writerly types, what established authors do you feel are the greatest influences on your own work? What about their writing or ideas do you feel you've internalized and implemented (or would like to internalize and implement)?
It's an SF-and-Fantasy heavy list here . . . so sue me. :P
1) Diane Duane. Her science-savvy fantasy and SF works have been my favorites ever since I found her first "Young Wizards" novel in the same year it was published. She writes with humor, heart, and strong characterizations -- whether dealing with humans, fire elementals, or giant metallic alien centipedes -- and never talks down to her audience, even when writing for "young adults." Her themes are transformation, sacrifice, and the continuing battle between good and evil. Check out her "Young Wizards" website for more information.
2) Lois McMaster Bujold. Whether writing SF or fantasy, Bujold has a keen sense of character and society; her people and cultures are so perfectly and deeply realized, it's hard to think they *aren't* real, somewhere. Her plots are intricate and absorbing, and she makes excellent use of the series format to tell a huge range of story types (her famous "Vor" series covers everything from military SF, to space opera, to murder mystery, to romantic comedy), and to develop larger themes and ideas. Her themes are family and society, coming of age (several ages, actually), parenthood, biology and either "honor" or "the grace of God," depending on which of her characters you're talking to . . . ;) Check out her general/fan website for more info.
3) Tove Jansson (particularly as translated by Thomas Warburton). Officially children's stories, her "Moomintroll" books are possibly even better when read when one is an adult. Her vivid inventiveness and deep understanding of human nature make every book a delight. Without ever going past a G rating, her stories can delight, terrify and uplift. She can also turn your heart inside out and make it cry . . . but with compassion rather than cruelty. Her main themes are the nature of freedom, and of self-discovery. A nice overview of her life is here; her books are readily available on Amazon.com and through other distributors.
4) Brad Bird. What can I say? This is the man who gave us The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, and who has proven time and again that all the flash and dazzle in the world are meaningless without good stories and heartfelt emotions . . . but that when you combine the dazzle and the heart, the results are transporting.
5) Robin McKinley. I firmly believe that reading The Blue Sword at a tender and impressionable age resulted in me wearing armor and swinging swords as an adult. I also love her strong (yet not un-feminine) female characters. and I have *definitely* got her tendency towards Very Long Sentences, stylistically speaking. ;) She's got a lively and outspoken LJ blog and her official website, with excerpts of her latest book, is here.
6) James H. Schmitz. He taught me everything I know about psionics. And someday, I'd still love to write the DW/Witches of Karres crossover novel. XD Here's his Wikipedia entry (yeah, I know, but there are real links at the bottom of the page).
7) Cordwainer Smith. The utter genius who gave us Norstrilia, Shayol, Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons, the Underpeople, Lord Jestocost and sad, beautiful, lost C'mell. His work is weird, wonderful, heartbreaking, terrifying, hilarious . . . and sheer poetry in the bargain. Whenever I Iet go and just write in my purple-poetic mode, I'm channeling Smith, imperfectly. He also loved cats ('nuff said!). Check out his website here -- and if you've never read his work, for D'Joan's sake, find some!
Those are my personal heroes -- certainly not all the authors whose work I enjoy, or whose writing I admire, but the ones I wish I could write like, and whose ideas and styles and worldviews have become so much a part of the inside of my head, it's sometimes hard to tell where their influence ends.
Anyway, whether anyone picks this up or not, it was fun. Now I should like, actually go write some stuff. ;) :D Procrastination, thy name is LJ!
It's an SF-and-Fantasy heavy list here . . . so sue me. :P
1) Diane Duane. Her science-savvy fantasy and SF works have been my favorites ever since I found her first "Young Wizards" novel in the same year it was published. She writes with humor, heart, and strong characterizations -- whether dealing with humans, fire elementals, or giant metallic alien centipedes -- and never talks down to her audience, even when writing for "young adults." Her themes are transformation, sacrifice, and the continuing battle between good and evil. Check out her "Young Wizards" website for more information.
2) Lois McMaster Bujold. Whether writing SF or fantasy, Bujold has a keen sense of character and society; her people and cultures are so perfectly and deeply realized, it's hard to think they *aren't* real, somewhere. Her plots are intricate and absorbing, and she makes excellent use of the series format to tell a huge range of story types (her famous "Vor" series covers everything from military SF, to space opera, to murder mystery, to romantic comedy), and to develop larger themes and ideas. Her themes are family and society, coming of age (several ages, actually), parenthood, biology and either "honor" or "the grace of God," depending on which of her characters you're talking to . . . ;) Check out her general/fan website for more info.
3) Tove Jansson (particularly as translated by Thomas Warburton). Officially children's stories, her "Moomintroll" books are possibly even better when read when one is an adult. Her vivid inventiveness and deep understanding of human nature make every book a delight. Without ever going past a G rating, her stories can delight, terrify and uplift. She can also turn your heart inside out and make it cry . . . but with compassion rather than cruelty. Her main themes are the nature of freedom, and of self-discovery. A nice overview of her life is here; her books are readily available on Amazon.com and through other distributors.
4) Brad Bird. What can I say? This is the man who gave us The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, and who has proven time and again that all the flash and dazzle in the world are meaningless without good stories and heartfelt emotions . . . but that when you combine the dazzle and the heart, the results are transporting.
5) Robin McKinley. I firmly believe that reading The Blue Sword at a tender and impressionable age resulted in me wearing armor and swinging swords as an adult. I also love her strong (yet not un-feminine) female characters. and I have *definitely* got her tendency towards Very Long Sentences, stylistically speaking. ;) She's got a lively and outspoken LJ blog and her official website, with excerpts of her latest book, is here.
6) James H. Schmitz. He taught me everything I know about psionics. And someday, I'd still love to write the DW/Witches of Karres crossover novel. XD Here's his Wikipedia entry (yeah, I know, but there are real links at the bottom of the page).
7) Cordwainer Smith. The utter genius who gave us Norstrilia, Shayol, Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons, the Underpeople, Lord Jestocost and sad, beautiful, lost C'mell. His work is weird, wonderful, heartbreaking, terrifying, hilarious . . . and sheer poetry in the bargain. Whenever I Iet go and just write in my purple-poetic mode, I'm channeling Smith, imperfectly. He also loved cats ('nuff said!). Check out his website here -- and if you've never read his work, for D'Joan's sake, find some!
Those are my personal heroes -- certainly not all the authors whose work I enjoy, or whose writing I admire, but the ones I wish I could write like, and whose ideas and styles and worldviews have become so much a part of the inside of my head, it's sometimes hard to tell where their influence ends.
Anyway, whether anyone picks this up or not, it was fun. Now I should like, actually go write some stuff. ;) :D Procrastination, thy name is LJ!