3 Books

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

This is a difficult question. I have read so many books over the years that, to pick out only 3, seems silly. But I will try to limit myself.

Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. This tome blew my mind. Long-form storytelling. Repeated images. Crazy characters. It made Pynchon my favorite author for years.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. A new favorite author to replace Pynchon when the latter seemed to be failing as a storyteller. Takes of the virtual world, the Metaverse. It seemed like we could live there. And along came Second Life and the WWW!

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. Another longtime favorite author. A demonstration of what seems to be simplistic storytelling that simultaneously reveals a complexity that stems from the collective unconscious. I’ve always wanted to adapt this novel for the stage.