What specific writers (and genres in general) would you list as your influences if asked, and why? For me, here’s the list: Poetry: Folk songs/hymns (I list them as a single genre because they’ve had a lot of influence on each other; these are a big part of my background poetry-wise) Classic poetry in both English and French (because I’m a big believer in tradition) Robert Frost (for his natural speech in poetry, as if he had simply thought in the poetic forms he used) William Wordsworth (for well-structured poems) Georges Brassens (a French poet/singer, the man in my avatar; his work had a strong folk-song-like quality, he wrote some rebellious verse that even got banned by French radio, and he had the same natural speech as Frost, but in French) Susan Jarvis Bryant (for her boldness in writing about modern issues and for her extensive use of poetic techniques such as fixed form, alliteration, and internal rhyme) Brian Yapko (for that same boldness and use of fixed form, and for his talent in writing poetry in another person’s voice) Short stories: Science fiction classics in general (it was science fiction that introduced me to the short story) Mike Resnick (well-developed characters and simple, straightforward writing about things that matter) Joe Vasicek (he writes short science fiction stories about modern issues that other writers won’t touch) (Still reading classic short stories in general to expand this list)
Main influences when I was young: Andre Norton—sci-fi Keith Laumer—mostly sci-fi, usually with a comedic edge, often spoofed a hard boiled or Noir style Fritz Lieber—highly imaginative pulp fantasy series Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Lester Dent—pulp writer for Doc Savage series. Originally from the 30's and 40's, being reprinted by Bantam Paperbacks in the 60's and 70's. Very much in the hard-boiled/Noir style Poe—we all know Poe Lovecraft—See above re Poe In middle age: J G Ballard—New Wave sci fi/fantasy Angela Carter—very literary fantasy I suppose, possibly considered New Wave? Gene Wolfe—New Wave sci-fi and fantasy Paolo Bacigalupe—Sci-fi/fantasy Very recently (since joining this board): Charles Portis—True Grit Mark Twain—Huckleberry Finn These are both for a very particular approach to first person where everything is filtered through the MC/narrator's personality and manner of speaking. These are the ones I can think of right now. Many of them I deliberately emulated for some time, and their influence has stuck. There are doubtless others who contributed to my approach or style more subtly, most of whom I'm probably not consciously aware of.
I find imitating styles fun. So far on this forum, I've written stories imitating Jack Vance (fantasy), Stephen King (horror), Terry Pratchett (humour) and Isaac Asimov (sci-fi). I also do a passable imitation of Stephen Donaldson, although I haven't posted anything like that here. When I'm not consciously imitating though, my own style is probably a amalgam of all of them, except Vance. My "natural" fantasy style is a cross between Vance, Donaldson and Michael Moorcock, but I try not to use it that often, since it's not something that appeals to everyone.
Some of the mentors I had, along with other inspiring people who I got to discuss ideas with, probably Harry Potter because I don't recall reading any other book as many times. And music.
So my goal is to 1) be bold, 2) hit with emotional impact, and 3) amuse the reader with well-timed sarcasm. There's some overlap in my lists. Writers whose boldness, kineticism, and/or lack of restraint I admire Dan Abnett Chuck Palahniuk Richard Mattheson Elmore Leonard Junot Diaz Writers whose descriptive depth combines with emotional impact Jeremy Robert Johnson Clive Barker Nathan Ballingrud Dan Simmons Ted Chiang Writers whose elegance and wry humor I aim for Saki Karen Russell Kevin Wilson Sylvia Plath Mark Twain, but I need to read more of him . . . Writer the most like me in style and who completes all of the above (Eerily so. I feel like I'm reading my own words but realized at a level beyond my skill. It's like seeing into a parallel universe where another me figured it all out.) Patrick Suskind (please write another novel!) And if there's one writer I think is beyond all others, who I would list as the Muhammed Ali "I am the Greatest!", where any other choice is a pale shadow and I wish I had that skill, it would be . . . Spoiler: drumroll Charles Dickens Incomparable. A level of sheer talent and imagination which has never been equaled. Any attempt to replace him with a "new master" ends in shameful failure. He's so far beyond me that I'm not sure I can call him an influence, but it's always nice knowing what the peak of form is.
In some cases here I don't recall the author off the top of my head so will list a series instead. John Ringo Harry Turtledove. Robert Jordan Asimov's, Clarke, Bradbury, Heinlein Tolkien Pirateaba David Weber Eric Flint Pratchett Twain The Orphan X series. Harry Harrison Doris kern Goodwin David Eddings That is the short list. Forgot a couple. Jerry Purnell, nice man had a great conversation with him one evening. Larry Niven
Definitely not a Beatle. lol. He writes Military fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and SciFi. His Black Tide Rising series is the best Zombie series I have seen. The last Centurion, is a modern retelling of Xenophon.
Hmm. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but off the top of my head: Tolkien David Weber Mass Effect Dragon Age George RR Martin Robert E. Howard Joe Abercrombie Bioshock Lovecraft Brandon Sanderson Tom King Toni Anderson Linnea Sinclair Those are roughly chronological.
Hmm, that's an interesting question. I've certainly read a variety of authors over the years, and I guess each of them have influenced me in some way, but who were the really important ones? Let's start with fiction, which, for me, has thus far meant short stories and flash, primarily (though not exclusively) in the fantasy and horror genres. Tolkien was a clear early influences on my tastes, but while I do write fantasy, I haven't written his type of grand high fantasy with elaborate worldbuilding. Still, I can't leave him off the list. He's too fundamental. Stephen King was another early fave, and he's probably influenced my writing a bit more directly. I devoured his books in my teens. You can draw a line right from his short story collections like Skeleton Crew to my attempts at straight horror. Neil Gaiman is another big one. I love his style and ability to go from light-hearted and amusing to bone-chilling horror in a flash, and I try to do the same when I can. Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett are both huge influences. I love writing humorous fantasy (and occasionally sci-fi), and I particularly love Pratchett's "stealth philosophy" approach to hiding serious ideas underneath ridiculous plots. Both have an "anything is possible" feel that I try to bring to my writing. And though I don't write for the screen, both Monty Python and The Simpsons were a huge influence on my sense of humor, especially my love of mixing high-brow and low-brow comedy. And while we're at it, let's throw Mel Brooks in there, too. EDIT: I just scrolled up and saw someone mentioned Ray Bradbury. D'oh! How could I forget him! I definitely try to live up to the rich lyricism his prose brought to genre writing. Huh. There's an awful lot of Brits on that list. I guess that doesn't surprise me. Anyway, in poetry, it's especially hard to name my influences, since I'm still finding my own style. But I'll say that these three have all contributed. T. S. Eliot, especially for "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" Tennyson, especially for "Ulysses" Robert Frost, though I disagree that free verse is tennis with the net down - it's an entirely different sport, with its own rules (or guidelines)
That’s an interesting thought. My mother prefers writing in free verse, and she writes it well. She says it is, or at least is supposed to be, poetry using all the techniques of imagery and comparison (i.e. metaphor, simile, synecdoche, etc.) but no sound-based techniques (i.e. end/internal rhyme, meter, alliteration, consonance, assonance, etc.). She (along with her influences: William Carlos Williams, Paul Simon, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Joni Mitchell) writes “a stew of images,” to use her phrase, whereas she describes my poems as intricately crafted structures. It makes sense that free verse is a separate game with simpler rules, like checkers compared with chess. In practice, I can’t do free verse very well; without the constraints imposed by form, my attempts end up being like trying to build a sand castle with only dry sand.
I don't know how much my writing reflects the work that inspires me. That's hard to say, but I think the influences of Stephen King, Chuck Palaniuk and Neil Gaiman probably show through above all and for very different reasons, obviously. I'm also a big fan of, and hope to emulate in some small ways, Christopher Moore, Margaret Atwood (mostly her SF,) Kurt Vonnegut, the better works of Philip K. Dick, John Wyndham, Nick Hornby, Jeremy Robinson, Dean Koontz, Brom, John Steinbeck, Thomas Harris, Joe Hill and probably half a dozen I'm forgetting.
When you want some electrical work doing, it's best to start by asking someone who has put "Electrician" on the side of their van And if you need some dental work doing, it's best to go in the building with "Dentist" above the door So whenever I feel like being influenced, I go on Youtube and look for an Influencer The old novels' influence had the subtlety of a brick in a sock. There was no Share button: one had to memorize the 'author' field "That fellow whose vertigo-inducing, all-consuming character povs I keep imitating... El...El... Elias Canetti!" "The one with a different pov in every chapter who Terry Pratchett ripped off too. T.F.Powys!" "The American, noir-y one who cruelly alters what words mean to characters. I am Peter Stillman. That is not my real name. Paul Auster." On it went, with people even swapping lists of meta-data in their dust-covers Influencers' influence is undetectable. It's perfect, and permanent. In the hope they will leave novel diction in my cortex, I've subscribed to the vitriolic James Lee, the provocative SsethTzeentach, and the erudite Lindybeige But I must still fear: TheBackyardScientist, Peter Zeihan, and BatMetal have also found the holes in my eyeballs
