The Books that Made Me

I am going to take a moment and talk about the books that created GLORIOUS LEADER, and made me in to the HERO OF THE REVELATION AND BRINGER OF THE LIBERATION!

The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkien

I read the Hobbit in the fourth grade after watching the animated adaption by Rankin-Bass (1977). The cartoon entranced me. And the book did the same. My love of the fantastic was ignited by the Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings didn’t capture me the same way. It was the Hobbit that started me on the path towards the vast and elaborate mythopoeic endeavor found on this webpage.

Speaker for the Dead By Orson Scott Card

I am not a fan of the odious views held by author Orson Scott Card. But I would be lying if I denied the influence of his masterwork: Speaker for the Dead. This book taught me more about understanding other cultures, and looking past differences to find the human within. I was deeply surprised to discover that the author of this argument for tolerance held such bigoted views. But I am forever grateful for the tolerant perspective this book taught me.

Tao Te Ching By Lao Tzu (Translated by Ursula K. LeGuin)

I called myself a Taoist for a number of years, based upon my reading of the Ursula K. LeGuin translation of the Tao Te Ching. I have read other translations since. And though I always appreciate the Tao Te Ching, but the Ursula K. LeGuin version that I still love best.

Ishmael By Daniel Quinn

Nothing before or since has reshaped my views as profoundly as Daniel Quinn’s Turner Tomorrow Award winning novel. A Socratic dialogue on the nature of modern life and the challenges now facing us as a civilization. Ishmael is hard to explain without simply retelling Ishmael. I can only recommend that you read it.

All-Star Superman By Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

The only graphic novel on my list. Which close friends may find strange. They may also be surprised that I didn’t list one of Grant Morrison’s other works. I considered other Grant Morrison works certainly: Flex Mentallo, Super Gods, The Invisibles, Animal Man. But in the end it is All-Star Superman and the powerful revelation Morrison gives Lex Luthor during the climax that pushed this book over the edge.

The Art of Not Being Governed By James C. Scott

James C. Scott is a great writer, if a little dry. I recommend all of his work. But it was his arguments regarding the region of Asia he names Zomia that hit me the hardest. This book undercuts all civilized notions of the inevitability of progress and human achievement. Read this to have the narrative of civilization challenged.

Honorable Mentions

• One Straw Revolution by Masanabou Fukuoka
• My Ishmael By Daniel Quinn
• Wild Seed By Octavia E Butler
• Flex Mentallo By Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
• Emergency! By Neil Strauss
• The Knowledge By Lewis Dartnell
• Against the Grain By James C. Scott
• Debt: The First 5000 Years By David Graeber