http://www.listsofbests.com/list/18195 They’re not my favorite books, though many would make that list too. Nor are they representative of what I’ve read - I spent most of my childhood immersed in science fiction; and most of what I read these days is digital; much too, of the writing I consider influential, is in the form of song lyrics. But each book changed how I saw the world. It’s a list as significant for what it leaves out as for what it includes; there’s no Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky, no Salinger or Mailer, no D.H Lawrence or Virginia Wolfe, and there’s (god forbid) no Ernest bleedin’ Hemmingway. It’s an embarrassingly clichéd list, and incomplete, both due to faulty memory and the huge degree of ephemeral journal articles, reports, blog posts and news print excluded by definition. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:17:12 GMT en-us 0 50 40 0 0 http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/961415 <div id="position">1</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/961415"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140283293.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Jack Kerouac</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/535400 <div id="position">2</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/535400"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0143037498.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Jean-Jacques Rousseau</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/3624 <div id="position">3</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/3624"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0142003344.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Steven Pinker</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/499993 <div id="position">4</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/499993"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140126716.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by George Orwell</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/1276107 <div id="position">5</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/1276107"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0755100603.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1084477094_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Brian W. Aldiss</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/214846 <div id="position">6</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/214846"><img src="http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/0755100786.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1056481172_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Brian Wilson Aldiss</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/35282 <div id="position">7</div><div class="place-image-placeholder"><span class="qm">*</span></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Ray Bradbury</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/980638 <div id="position">8</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/980638"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/184195120X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Alasdair Gray</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/19157 <div id="position">9</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/19157"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0679785892.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Hunter S. Thompson</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/6395 <div id="position">10</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/6395"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0312421435.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Naomi Klein</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/24675 <div id="position">11</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/24675"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0805076883.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Noam Chomsky</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2145653 <div id="position">12</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2145653"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/061825756X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Glyn Maxwell</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/3149 <div id="position">13</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/3149"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140424385.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Geoffrey Chaucer</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/309647 <div id="position">14</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/309647"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0679603069.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by John Irving</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/970891 <div id="position">15</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/970891"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0375424024.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V65774993_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Philip K. Dick</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/53327 <div id="position">16</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/53327"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0099477319.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Joseph Heller</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/86110 <div id="position">17</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/86110"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0330319922.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1056432687_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Bret Easton Ellis</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/19135 <div id="position">18</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/19135"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/067978148X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Bret Easton Ellis</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2578 <div id="position">19</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2578"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0140088911.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1132599556_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Martin Amis</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/11190 <div id="position">20</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/11190"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0394726413.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.gif" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Jay Mcinerney</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/962380 <div id="position">21</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/962380"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0441013597.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1122692856_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Frank Herbert</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/378866 <div id="position">22</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/378866"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0745623115.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1058955232_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Anthony Giddens</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/135238 <div id="position">23</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/135238"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0061056944.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Stephen Baxter</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/56405 <div id="position">24</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/56405"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/185715133X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V44184622_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Vladimir Nabokov</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/407544 <div id="position">25</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/407544"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/1596870206.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1123199946_.jpg" /></a></div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/30218 <div id="position">26</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/30218"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1563894459.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Warren Ellis</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/30867 <div id="position">27</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/30867"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/156947012X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1139971012_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Stephen Fry</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/35031 <div id="position">28</div><div class="place-image-placeholder"><span class="qm">*</span></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Oscar Wilde</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/1268427 <div id="position">29</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/1268427"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1419183451.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V59165635_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Jack London</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/124082 <div id="position">30</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/124082"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0385319258.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1113640000_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Richard Bach</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/770711 <div id="position">31</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/770711"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0811201325.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1056494806_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Wilfred Owen</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/50408 <div id="position">32</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/50408"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0393090027.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.gif" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/25087 <div id="position">33</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/25087"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/0811200418.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Lawrence Ferlinghetti</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2180965 <div id="position">34</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2180965"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/052184004X.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Lawrence Graver</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2305165 <div id="position">35</div><div class="place-image-placeholder"><span class="qm">*</span></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by C. J. Cherryh</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/1999609 <div id="position">36</div><div class="place-image-placeholder"><span class="qm">*</span></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Poul Anderson</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/253150 <div id="position">37</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/253150"><img src="http://ec2.images-amazon.com/images/P/1857231589.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1056530417_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Arthur C. Clarke</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/26759 <div id="position">38</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/26759"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0871401185.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V1056502425_.gif" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by Sigmund Freud</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/969341 <div id="position">39</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/969341"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0060530847.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by C. S. Lewis</div> http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2066870 <div id="position">40</div><div class="item-image" style="padding:3px;float:left;"><a href="http://www.allconsuming.net/item/view/2066870"><img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0061125296.01._SCTHUMBZZZ_V65724169_.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 12px;"> by C. S. Lewis</div>