I was looking at my Goodreads profile and discovered something. I have not been reading. The last few months have been pitiful, as also evidenced by my Libby timeline. (I didn’t know this was a thing, but now I have a graph showing my library checkouts.) There is a downward trend on that reading graph, and I aim to fix it during the summer.
The question is, how will I fit more reading into my life, and stay creative and keep writing? (I’m trying to figure that out.)
Now that the final book of the Fairy Doctor series is out, I’m working on new creative projects. Stories mostly, and a bit more social posts to promote the book, too, and some audiobook recording.
As I was digging around my Goodreads, I realized I could add my influences.
Three Authors who are basically Influencers (at least they’re mine)
These are the three authors whose books I love and who I aspire to be someday. I want to write books like them!
Frances Hardinge writes amazing stories.
Each one is unique and clever, and a little bit out of the ordinary. Her stories remind me a lot of my next influence. The Cuckoo’s Song is one I particularly recommend. This book should be a movie, hands down. It’s a fascinating time period, the Roaring Twenties after World War 1, fascinating characters like the jazzy-flapper girl who is also a mechanic and the Architect who is terrifying. The magic is delightful, and the world is full of hidden dangers. It’s a sister story with a twist.
Each book she writes is different from the last. Her library must be fascinating, and if you’re curious, here is her website with all the books she’s published.
Diana Wynne Jones is at the top of this influencer list.
I had heard of her before, but never really got into her books. Then the day arrived when I did. I fell in love with her writing in college. I studied abroad in Wales, and I would treat myself to books (without realizing how difficult it would be to give them up!) I happened to buy a book that changed my reading/writing trajectory: The Merlin Conspiracy. I had never read anything like this book: the alternative world, the characters on a long, life-changing adventure (maybe I sympathized being aboard).
Ever since, I have been slowly reading everything Diana Wynne Jones has ever written. If only I could write the way Diana Wynne Jones writes, with powerful characters who feel real and ordinary, even when they are in a fantasy world. They face challenges and overcome them in unexpected ways. These are fantasy stories that are thoughtful and require you to pay attention. She wrote for children, and she never wrote down; she knew children paid attention to every moment and remembered things far better than most. She rewards the careful reader.
Anne McCaffery is also a big influence on my life as a fantasy reader and writer.
One of her characters, Menolly, is my childhood hero. I mean, who doesn’t want to grow up and own nine fire lizards? Rereading Dragonsong and Dragonsister, which are shorter books, is like stepping into my childhood. The Dragon of Pern books were so popular, but I never limited myself to those. I loved her other space-fantasy romances and her Acorna books. Basically, if Anne McCaffery wrote it, I was going to read it. (Is this a habit of mine? Yes, a little.)
Digging deeper into Goodreads data
As I was entering my favorites, I mean the influencers in my life, I had to find their author numbers. In case you were curious, I’m author number 17760070, a pretty big number as you’d expect. Frances Hardinge is 119830, and Diana Wynne Jones is 4260. That’s a much smaller number. But then I got to Anne McCaffery. She is #26. It’s not a popularity contest or anything; it’s just the number from when an author was added to the database. Anne McCaffery was the 26th author added. Which makes me think one of the developers of the site must be a fan of Anne McCaffery.
Of course, that made me curious enough to look deeper. Was there a first author?
Treasure Hunting on Goodreads
My big breakthrough happened when I found an interview talking about the origins of the Goodreads website. There’s actually a sweet love story between the developer and his wife, and how they traded their favorite books once: Dune and Pride and Prejudice.
The developer is a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy books, so it makes sense that some of the early authors would be from this genre. The earliest record I found was #4, Douglas Adams. Of course, it would be. He is a giant among the fantasy/sci-fi authors of the 20th century.
Although I never found the first author. I did find the first list made.
Best Books Ever. This list is now filled with popular books and authors.
But I imagine it was very different back in the early days. I kept digging through the lists until I found ‘best Science Fiction Fantasy Books’, which appears to be the third list ever made, and more what I expected from a best-ever list. But maybe I’m biased.
Influencers inside the books
Author Influencers aside, I think the characters in books are influencers too, but I call them my childhood heroes.
They live in my imagination and inspire me to be better, braver, and stronger.
It includes characters like Menolly, Aerin, and Harry (strong women who defy expectations), Alia and Lyra (who are both daring and deadly, and best loved during their first books, and not so much in later books). There’s Bilbo, Meg Murray, and Candy Quakenbush, who all go on incredible adventures in the most imaginative worlds.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that I still love books that feature strong women and adventure stories. These are what I try to write, but in my own quirky way, featuring Fairy Doctors and children loved by faeries.
Who are your influencers? A favorite author?