Member: diehardkev

CollectionsYour library (1,645)

Reviews59 reviews

TagsSF (546), Fantasy (369), Crime (122), Fiction (121), ARC (104), Horror (95), Dragonlance (88), Thriller (81), Childrens (80), Film Fiction (75) — see all tags

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About meBOOKS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE;
Whilst I have managed to pin down a handful of novels which have had influence or impact in my life, none compare to the impact one particular series of books has had in the last decade. Back when I first started in bookselling 11 years ago, I had a passing interest in SF/fantasy, mostly toying with Michael Crichton or naff Dragonlance stories. All that changed when the SF Masterworks series appeared. Not only did these introduce myself to treasure chest of the some of the finest fiction ever, but also brought me into a circle of friends whose passion for the genre had begun from reading many of these when they were originally published. The series, including the Fantasy and yellow jacket offspring spawned my love for reading SF and fantasy and take pride of place in my ever growing collection.

Of the above, Sirens of Titan was one of the first I read and is still one of my favourite SF novels ever. For someone with little background in reading SF, in hindsight this was the perfect breakthrough book. Never too heavy going, it was a hilarious yet sweeping story which really hit a chord with me. To be honest I can’t remember an awful lot about the plot, but I do remember it being the first book I laughed out loud to and that’s a memory worth holding on to.

Tales of the Dying Earth. My manager at the time was well versed in roots of the genre, but even he had yet to come across Jack Vance. Devouring it quickly, he thrust it in my direction, recommending it as a must read. Shortly after, I was recovering in hospital from an operation and it was the one book I had with me in recuperation. As a collection of fantasy stories, it outshone all those slightly dodgy D&D novels I had become accustomed to in every possible way. Its black humour resonated in me like nothing else before and was probably what awoke the bitter, twisted spirit that remains in me today..

The Jonah Kit. By the time I picked this up, SF for me was still about adventures amongst the stars or technologies which could change the course of humanity’s future. The Jonah Kit showed to me the philosophical side of SF where our very place in the Universe is questioned. Although deeply pessimistic, some of my own beliefs were paralleled in its story and new ideas put forward. If any single book has had any impact on how I look at the relationship between God and ourselves, it is this.

Lord of the Rings. A cliché perhaps, but few can argue that it hasn’t had some impact on them. It took three attempts to finish, but I’m glad I did because it simply IS the greatest fantasy novel of all time and I will always judge everything against it. I find it simply shocking that virtually nothing has come close in half a century to the depth of thought put into its making. Then again, for Tolkien it was about so much more than making a living from writing stories.

The Blade Itself. Anyone who knows me in this business will know my passion for Abercrombie’s debut series. Not since Lord of the Rings has anything grabbed me, absorbed me into the story and refused to let go. It was my constant hype for this first book that got my name into SFX and a recurring review slot in Interzone. I owe a lot to Joe for that and after reading his website, I salute him for his inspirational writing ethos.

About my libraryMy library is an ongoing effort to catalogue my large and ever growing collection of books. Predominantly Sci Fi, Fantasy and Crime, it will eventually bring together thousands of bestselling, obscure and classic works across the genres. I have had enormous fun tracking down and reading so many of these books and now Librarything has given me the opportunity to share in my passion with a wider readership.

Real nameKevin Stone

LocationUK

Emailshotgunkevgooglemail.com

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Account typepublic, lifetime

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Member sinceApr 9, 2006