By ‘published’, I mean someone who has put their thoughts down in writing, or who have had their thoughts put down in writing by someone else (eg Socrates (as recorded by Plato), or Dr Johnson, if you’re familiar with his ideas only through Boswell’s Life).
No figures from the Bible, no gods or Gods, no Buddha or Mohammed. But people who have interpreted religions or religous figures are fine. No family members or friends, unless they’ve been published, ie you can find their ideas in libraries.
Only attested (in a generally accepted sense) historical figures. No cartoon characters. Living or dead, I’m looking for people whose thinking has changed your life, or at least greatly influenced you.
I’ll kick off:
CS Lewis (Academic, religious broadcaster and author of devotional and children’s books)
Karl Popper (philosopher and author of The Open Society and Its Enemies)
George Orwell (author of **Homage to Catalonia ** and Animal Farm, and essayist)
Most likely the authors who affected me did so indirectly. The authors of engineering or medical textbooks would probably be the main ones but I don’t know them. If you are referring to affecting me directly I can’t think of many. Martin Seligman because he and Ed Diener started the idea that good moods are tangible, meaningful things that have a reason behind them, but that is it.
And I thought that Dr. Johnson only supplied ‘toys’ to the adult film industry. (I pray that somebody else understands this)
In all seriousness, I don’t think that there is anybody that fits the bill. I have become too cynical in my life to think that any one (or three) published writers have had undo influence on the person that I have become. Hell, Indiana Jones probably has had as much influence as Gandhi, in my life.
Most of the writers who influenced me are fiction writers:
L.M. Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series - she was the one who made me want to be a writer, ever since I was a little kid (but I write mostly non-fiction now)
Latest books by Anne Rice - she basically taught me how not to write, and currently now not to behave when you find out you’ve got people who don’t like your writing
Charles Louis de Secondat Montesquieu - Persian Letters - non-fiction that appears as fiction, sort of a prologue to the Enlightenment, I absolutely loved this book. It talks of personal freedoms regardless of sex or class. This was the first philosophical book I ever read that I really enjoyed.
Julio Cortazar - Blow-Up: And Other Stories - especially the story The Night Face Up. This was an all-out cool read. I’m not sure how much it influenced me, but it definitely shows a very different style of writing, and I still read this book again occasionally, especially The Night Face Up.
Most of the writers who influenced me are fiction writers:
L.M. Montgomery who wrote the Anne of Green Gables series - she was the one who made me want to be a writer, ever since I was a little kid (but I write mostly non-fiction now)
Charles Louis de Secondat Montesquieu - Persian Letters - non-fiction that appears as fiction, sort of a prologue to the Enlightenment, I absolutely loved this book. It talks of personal freedoms regardless of sex or class. This was the first philosophical book I ever read that I really enjoyed.
Julio Cortazar - Blow-Up: And Other Stories - especially the story The Night Face Up. This was an all-out cool read. I’m not sure how much it influenced me, but it definitely shows a very different style of writing, and I still read this book again occasionally, especially The Night Face Up.
(Sorry - forgot it was supposed to be only 3.) :smack:
ARTHUR C. CLARKE took me on many an odyssey with him,showing the perils and beauty of space flight and generously dispensing goose bumps along the way.
CORMAC McCARTHY,for the imagery(and savagery) he projects,and being generally wise.
CARL SAGAN for debunking gods,devils and demons and for making science as interesting as possible to lay-people. Thanks also,Carl,for CONTACT,which for me had it’s share of goosebumps.
I’m now reading(in my bathroom) THE SALMON OF DOUBT by DOUGLAS ADAMS which has:
An introduction to the introduction to the New Edition
Introduction to the New Edition
Editor’s note
Prologue
Introduction
Stuff culled from DA’s computer,much of which I didn’t know about Adams,and is terrifically interesting to me,and I’m not even half way through the book.
I may have to add him to my next list of influential writers.Sorry to get off track there, but digression is(or at least should be)my middle name.
