From The Man of La Mancha to He Who Shall Not Be Named: Our Favorite Stories

Hello Readers!

Today we are talking about the stories and writers that shaped us. 

At first, our plan was to each list our top three books and discuss what we love about them. But as we set down to do that, it became clear we couldn't just pick three. We tried. We really did. So instead, we're going to put the spotlight on David's favorite stories and the ones that shaped him. 

Next week we'll do the same thing for Victoria. 

The reason it was so hard to pick just three is because defining "favorite" is tough. What is your favorite? The one that means the most to you? The one that you have the most nostalgia for? The most entertaining? Profound? For David, the great stories he read in his youth influenced what he loved as an adult, so maybe those are his favorites? Novels like Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, which David owns a beautiful illustrated edition of. The themes of isolation and the innate human desire for companionship and purpose really resonated with him. Was it because he was moved from his home to Mexico City as a young boy and felt alone and outcast in a new country with a new language? Or was it just because it's a really, really exciting adventure story? We'll let the therapists decide that one.

There was no TV in David's home growing up, so The Real Housewives of Orange County was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for David. The Masked Singer was The Count of Monte Cristo. NCIS was Les Misérables. Hey, he made do with what he had at the time. Not everyone gets to enjoy Sarah Palin squawking off-key in a bear costume. Some people are forced to read. 

Since David grew up in Mexico and learned the language, he was also able to read the great Spanish stories, in Spanish. Enjoying Cervantes' Don Quixote in its original language is almost reason enough to learn Spanish. Calderon de la Barca and Lope de Vega also had a major impact on him. 

It wasn't until David hit 18 or 19 that he discovered modern Science Fiction. Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, with its intricate world-building and intellectual depth, was something David kept coming back to and re-reading. It also had a lot to do with the level of detail we gave the universe in our novel Ascension, and the themes we explored on the nature of power. 

As an adult, fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were probably the most enjoyable English stories he's ever read. And as we wrote in a previous blog, the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald--with its richness of language and depth of philosophy--were some of the most engaging.

All in all, it's probably the novels of his formative years that hold the most sway over his thinking. And that most likely makes them his favorite. 

It's also important to remind you, dear readers, to read plays too! Some of our best literature comes from our playwrights, and you can read a classic play in two hours or less. Next time you're wondering what book to read next, pick up O'Neil's Long Days Journey Into Night, or Ibsen's A Doll's House, or Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. If you're alone (or want to subtly encourage your roommate to move out), try reading them aloud for extra bonus fun. 

That's all for now. Until next time.

~2authors