no subject

[claudeb]

People often ask which writers inspired me. That's hard to say after a lifetime of reading, but I can try.

Isaac Asimov taught me about camaraderie, and the value of forgiveness. Also that people can have shared experiences across decades, and continents.

Michael Crighton taught me a different vision of computers, of a world that could have been. Better yet, to keep my humanity amidst technological challenges.

Michael Moorcock taught me that the line between fantasy and sci-fi is blurry at best. That it's all a story, and plausibility is not what makes it real.

There are others. Ursula K. LeGuin, and her constant urge: be true to yourself. William Gibson, and the neon poetry in his cyberpunk. Romanian writers who weren't afraid to be self-conscious, craft their work with purpose and address the reader directly.

Now my friends say I inspired them. That makes me want to go on and do better.

But then, they inspired me, too. I can do no less in return.

Comments

[cmcmck]

It's poets that do it with me.

Who inspired me?

[kantuck]

Oh gods where do I even begin? From the Classic writers to children's writers and of course, the folklorists from time immortal, all influenced me. However, some I can point to and say they guided me in today's works.

Authors like H.G. Wells (Island of Dr. Moreau), David Brin (the Uplift series), Harry Harrison (East of Edan trilogy), Pierre Boulle (Planet of the Apes), which lead to the early movies, AND Tv series I watched. Cordwainer Smith (We the under people) All that leads me to the concept of SF's 'uplift' sub-genre) Where animals could actually talk to humans. Leading to a life-long dream of mine.

The anthropomorphic (IE: Furry) Community has been a HUGE influence on me as well.

Lately, there are four that inspired me and made me want to write better, so I can stand beside them, instead of standing on their shoulders.

Claude LeChet, and John Sanders (IE: Sandwolf), LeLanni, and RiffRat.

I couldn't have done it without them.

- Kan

[fred_mouse]

The English language writers you mention are all familiar to me. Do you have any suggestions on Romanian writers I might be able to find translated works for? Or suggestions of names and I can go hunting for what is available in translation for myself if that would be preferable.

[claudeb]

I doubt any of those I'm thinking of were ever translated to English. Sorry.

[fred_mouse]

Ah well.

[full_metal_ox]

Here’s a complementary question: what creators were your negative influences—i.e., the ones who taught you by horrid cautionary example how not to write? The ones who had you resolving never to be That Person? The ones who had you snapping, “GIVE me that!” in the absolute confidence that you could do a better job?

(If you’re wondering where I popped up all of a sudden, I strayed here from lessonsinescapology.)

[claudeb]

Welcome! There are aspects of my writing that developed as a reaction to what other storytellers do poorly in my opinion, and I wrote at least one fix fic, motivated by my desire to retell a story better. But if I didn't like Brandon Sanderson, for example, I wouldn't have finished reading his books, even in some things in them make me go, "no, just no; there has to be a better way".