Thursday, May 20, 2010

Back on the Blog Chain: Standing on the Shoulders of Other Authors

Wow, it's been a month since my last Blog Chain post. I started the last one, so I'm near the end this time. Christine started us off with the question:

“Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?”

Amanda posted before me, and Eric will share his thoughts tomorrow.

I think a couple of people mentioned earlier in this chain how they're influenced by every book and author they've ever read. I feel this way too. I started reading when I was three, so that's a lot of authors! I'll only mention a few of them here.

When I first started reading science fiction and fantasy, I read a lot of the really popular authors, such as Piers Anthony, Anne McCaffery, and Mercedes Lackey. Of the three, I would say Lackey made the longest-lasting impression, especially when it comes to interior monologue. My early novels had a lot of interior monologue, though I'm using less of it now. These days, one of my favorite authors is Patricia McKillip. I really admire her poetic style and her unique angle on story-telling, but to be honest, I don't feel my style is similar enough to hers to claim her as an influence.

These days, I read a fair amount of urban fantasy, and that's influenced the next project I have on my list, an urban fantasy about a pair of shapeshifting sisters. (Charles de Lint's work still defines the genre for me. Some of his novels have a pair of shapeshifting sisters too, though I intend to take my characters in a different direction.) While I read quite a few authors in this genre, I think the most influential one for me has been Carrie Vaughn. I like how her werewolf heroine and her mate still have to deal with mundane problems along with supernatural ones. They're ordinary people thrust into a supernatural world, and it makes them feel more real and easier to empathize with.

I'm sure there are plenty more authors who have influenced me, but that's all I can think of for now. Just as Newton said he saw farther by standing on the shoulders of giants (those who came before him), I stand on the shoulders of other authors. If what I write isn't the classic SF of the Golden Age, it's because the authors I mentioned above, along with many others, helped redefine the genre.

Tune in tomorrow when I answer questions from readers, as I promised in Monday's entry. There's still time to ask me something if you'd like, so please leave a comment in that blog post. Thanks!

9 comments:

Barbara Ann Wright said...

I also really like Charles de Lint. Oddly enough, I blogged about him today, too.... Hmm, must be something in the air. Maybe he's going to tour again soon. ^_^

Eric said...

Wow, your first two listed authors hit me big time, because I enjoyed them both so much when I was younger. Great post, guess I better get going on my own, ?

B.J. Anderson said...

Great list! And some of my favorites as well.

Cole Gibsen said...

I'm not familiar with some of the authors you mentioned - but I'm looking forward to checking them out!

Shannon Morgan said...

I've enjoyed reading how everyone's influences have changed depending on where (or when) they are in life. Carrie Vaughn's protagonists sound interesting.

Christine Fonseca said...

OOhhh I LOVE your list! Charles de Lint is so good!

Michelle H. said...

Mercedes Lackey is a wonderful author. I read her during my teens. I have many of her "Valdemar" and "Vows and Honor" series.

Anonymous said...

Oh, yeah, Charles de Lint is on of my ALL TIME FAV's!!!

Kate Karyus Quinn said...

Oooh Anne McCaffrey - when I found here in my teens I was so excited and she had such a great backlist that it kept me reading for a long long time.

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