25 writers...

In between updates on giant pythons, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan's nipples, Bill Crider saw fit to tag me with the "25 Writers Who Have Influenced You" meme. I think I've read more than 25 books in my life, so I'll give it a shot...

List the names of the 25 writers who have influenced you in the "Write Note" box, then post and tag your friends. Author Raymond Benson started this meme -- so tag him, too, when you tag your 25 friends who appreciate fiction and poetry or other writing. My list, of novelists and screenwriters, in no particular order is:

1. J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Arthur C. Clarke
3. Connie Willis
4. Greg Bear
5. Charles de Lint
6. Anne McCaffrey
7. Robert Arthur
8. Patrick O'Brian
9. Joe R. Lansdale
10. Nevil Shute
11. Ian Fleming
12. Greg Egan
13. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
14. Gregory MacDonald
15. Jonathan Carroll
16. Dr. Seuss
17. Clifford Simak
18. Herman Melville
19. Nalo Hopkinson
20. Denny O'Neil
21. Mike Grell
22. Lois McMaster Bujold
23. Lillian Stewart Carl
24. Steven Gould
25. Lester Del Rey

Standard disclaimers apply--authors are in no particular order, nor is this list by any means complete or exhaustive.

My taggees (knowing full well most of these have probably already done this meme, but am too lazy to check) are: Nalo Hopkinson, Maureen McHugh, Jeff VanderMeer, Mary Robinette Kowal, Derek Johnson, Mikal Trimm, Alan Porter, Chris Roberson, Michael Trice, Lee Martindale, Kristine Smith, Kelly Sedinger, Scott McCullar, Jess Nevins, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Michael Burstein, K.D. Wentworth, 17 John Klima, Julia Mandala, Todd Stone, Dwayne McDuffie, Matthew Bey, Jennifer Contino, Mike McIlvain, Rory Harper

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