Top Ten Books that Inspired Mark Packard
1. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt
Vonnegut
Kurt
Vonnegut is my favorite author, and this is his best book. Billy Pilgrim is an American prisoner of war
held captive underground in a slaughterhouse in Dresden, Germany. The prisoners
wake up one morning to find that the entire city had been incinerated by
firebombs during the night (Vonnegut was there). The trauma caused Billy to become “unstuck in
time,” travelling to and from various parts of his life, unsure of where he
will land. I loved this book so much that I named my main character Billy and
had him struggle his whole life because of the terror he witnessed as a
teenager in a bloody war.
2. “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom”
(short story) by Ted Chiang
I had
been working on my novel for several years when I came across this gem. I had already woven the multiverse and how
choices create new parallel worlds into my book when I read this short story. It inspired me and caused me to tweak the narrative
a bit. The story is about the anxiety
created when people can look into their other lives in parallel worlds and see
how different choices created different outcomes. It’s genius.
3. The Midnight Library by Matt
Haig
This
is another book I read as I was approaching the finish line to my book. The
main character travels to a library in a mysterious place between life and
death and is given the opportunity to open any book and examine other versions
of her life where she made alternate choices. It’s a journey of depression and
despair, but ultimately about discovering that the only path to happiness is to
embrace the life you are living.
4. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
This
is the first book I read about the multi-universe theory of quantum mechanics
and that the possibility exists that we live different lives in other worlds.
To quote from the book, “We all live day to day completely oblivious to the
fact that we’re part of a much larger and stranger reality than we can possibly
imagine.”
5. The Grapes of Wrath by John
Steinbeck.
This
classic vividly describes a painful and harsh part of our history. I wish every
teenager had to read it. The poverty that the Jobe family endured on a dusty
country farm painted a picture that I used for Billy’s world.
6. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I was
inspired by the fantasy world he created—London Underground—and the
interconnection between that world and the ordinary world that the main
character lived in. His fantasy world is filled with monsters and murderers
with religious overtones. It’s a fascinating read.
7. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
A
generational story about two families and how we can choose to overcome the
badness that we might be born with.
8. Of Mice and Men by John
Steinbeck
A painful
story about how our plans go awry. A
gentle giant with a big heart who loves to touch and tend to the animals, and
it leads to his mercy killing.
9. The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to
the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
This
book inspired me because it shows that a writer can extend the boundaries as
far as possible. Nothing but craziness. A depressed robot and a restaurant
where you can watch the end of the universe.
10. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt
Vonnegut
I’m
attracted by misfits. Science fiction
author Kilgore Trout steals the show in this one. At the end he pleads to his
creator, “Make me young again.” I feel
his pain.
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5 comments:
What an excellent list of books! Have read half of them, and most of the rest are sitting on shelves in our house (spouse is a Vonnegut fan). Thanks for sharing!
I love your list and this review is perfect.
Other Vonnegut books that are a must read are Breakfast of Champions and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. When I was in law school, Mr. Vonnegut actually spoke to our class. I was too young then to know that I was in the presence of such genius.
What does literary success look like to you?
To me it's the satisfaction of putting something out there with your name on it and then having someone write a positive review about it, or tell you that they enjoyed it, or give you the greatest compliment of all, "I couldn't put it down." Just knowing that I have enriched their lives and that the message I was trying to convey came across clearly to someone else. That is success to me.
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