1. The Epic of Gilgamesh by some long dead Sumerian dudes
This is my favorite book because it really is the original epic adventure and pretty much contains examples of all the major universal themes found in mythology.
2. The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler
Best book ever for helping a writer figure out plot structure, characters, and the general story arc. It draws mostly on The Hero of a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, but it's a LOT easier to read and uses examples from movies to explain each element discussed. Awesome book! Every writer needs to read this!
3. A Wizard in Bedlam by Christopher Stasheff
One of my favorite books of all time, and not just because it's written by my dad. It introduces a complex world that mixes sci-fi and fantasy perfectly and best of all it's an epic adventure with great characters and a heavy mixture of symbolism and mythological concepts and ideas. Fantastic book!
4. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
I was surprised to discover that not everyone read this in school or on their own considering it's one of most interesting and linguistically accessible books of prose poetry out there. It contains over two hundred monologues "spoken" by people who have died and now lie buried in the fictional town graveyard of Spoon River. It's a beautiful and thought provoking book, easy to read, and it completely destroys the myth of happiness and joy in "Small Town", America.
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