To begin with...

[AndyBrennan]

Well, this topic is actually the subject of the last message I posted before the old forum fizzled. First of all, let's make a few assumptions before jumping in:

1] We all are fans of SRL and have read his work, or at least all that we plan on reading, so no need to preach to the choir.

2] As fiction fans we have all probably also read the LOTR trilogy.

Of course, this is a broad topic and open to any number of sub-categories. So, let's just start with "general most influential." Okay? I'll start with the basics since I am unfamiliar with everyone's backgrounds.

For me:

1] Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
2] The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
3] Surprised By the Power of the Spirit - Jack Deere
4] Celebration of Discipline - Richard J. Foster


Obviously there is a theme among my choices, but please don't feel restricted to spirituality. If you are unfamiliar with any of these titles, or would just like more insight into why these are important to me, I'd be happy to go into more detail. I'm excited about hearing your thoughts.

...SRL's...?

[Riothamus]

"General most influential," eh? Hmm... this is tougher than I thought. O.k. Top Four Nonfiction (in no particular order,):

1.] The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. More than Heaven and Hell, this book covers the most essential difference between Christianity and all other systems--life and death.
2.] Surprised by Laughter, Terry Lindvall's romp through the comic world of Lewis. Great stuff.
3.] The Rhetoric of Fiction by Wayne Booth. Actually, I'm reading it now, but it basically tears down critical stuff like "Art ignores the Audience," by examining great works of the past.
4.] Charles Di-ck-ens by Chesterton. Even if I hated Di-ck-ens (which I don't,) I would read it to absorb Chesterton's prose. [The Profanity Filter seems to think D-I-C-K-E-N-S is a dirty word. Has our society sunk so far that the name of the West's greatest author is now profane? Alas for the West.... ]

And the bonus:

5.] Thy Kingdom Come by R.J. Rushdoony. An excellent, non-dispensational, reading of Daniel and Revelation.

I could go on, but I'll drop it there

[calixar]

Well, the first real books I read on my own were the Narnia books... I've gone one to get as much C S Lewis as I can lay my hands on (I have 36 books by him, if I'm counting right).

Lewis put me on to Tolkien (31 books, if you count the post-mortem stuff) and George MacDonald (I only have 17 of his, though). Later on, I discovered Charles Williams, not realizing he was one of the Inklings until later. About that same time I started reading G K Chesterton.

I like Arthurian stuff, though mostly just old titles. Most of the newer stuff just doesn't appeal to me.

I was, for a time, a member of the Lewis Carroll Society (though, appropriately, not under my real name).

William Blake has been my favorite poet since high-school.

I used to read a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Doc Savage books when I wanted to not have to think.

[coughboy]

I am guessing that these are the books that have been most influential on my personal life, not just influential in general...so:

Fiction:
Started with Peretti and still love his novels
Ted Dekker, mind blowing
Alcorn's Safely Home
Lewis' Narnia and Space Trilogy series
Agatha Christie....yeah, lots of people are down on her books, but I enjoy them
George MacDonald

Devotional:
Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline
Richard Wurmbrand' In God's Underground and Tortured for Christ
Haralan Popov
Philip Yancey

Some others like Graham Greene, Flannery O'Conner, Tozer, Patricia Hearst (A Tribe Apart), Scott Larson (At-Risk: bringing hope to troubled teens), Suetonius....

Just some of the books and authors that have affected me in profound ways (Lawhead of course is in there, but I inferred from the first post that we need not mention him or JRR)

[Adam]

I will restrict myself to fiction here as to go beyond that will require more thought than I currently have capacity for.

So my favourite authors are:

1.Barbara Kingsolver.
2.George Orwell.
3.Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4.Stephen Lawhead.

I prefer to think in terms of favourite books. This is my top Five:

1.Poisonwoood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver.
2.The Catcher in the Rye - J.D.Salinger.
3.The way of all flesh - Samuel Butler.
4.Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky.
5.Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell.

My favourite Lawhead book – Byzantium.

[AndyBrennan]

Adam brings up a good sub-topic. We assume that SRL would rank high for us in a favorite authors list, but we could tackle the "favorite SRL book" question. Adam has cast his vote with Byzantium, and I'd have to agree that Byzantium is my favorite single book - it stands on its own. The Song of Albions series really got me hooked, so that has a special place in my heart <sniff>, but I really have to say that the Pendragon Cycle was the most enjoyable. So, to sum up:

Favorite single book: Byzantium (I should read it again)
Favorite series: Pendragon

[Riothamus]

I missed the boat on fiction favorites, so I'll put 'em here before moving on to the new question:

1. Crime and Punishment--absolutely dynamic bit of work.
2. The Mystery of Edwin Drood--eh, really anything by Dic-kens. He was a genius.
3. The Moonstone--methinks there's a pattern developing....
4. Death on the Nile--Agatha Christie at her best was great.
5. He Who Whispers--John Di-ckson Carr at his best was--have I said this before?

As to Lawhead...Hmm.... I'll have to second the Pendragon Cycle--although I've just now begun the Albion trilogy, so that may change. Favorite stand-alone would have to be Patrick, despite some flaws (of course, I havn't read Byzantium, which I have seen spoken highly of elsewhere.)

[Edited for clarity and to get rid of "thingys".]

[Child of Immanuel]

My favorite series is the Song of Albion... favorite single book would have to be Byzantium. I've read Byzantium so much since I got it three years ago that the covers are held on by tape and I just got rid of the crease in the pages.

As of yesterday I have (and have read) all the fiction books!

[LadyofAlbion]

For a Lawhead series I would say Song of Albion. It is his best work! I've lost count how many times I've read it. The Pendragon Cycle would be very close after it. Actually, only the first two books of it are a close second to SoA. As to a stand alone book - Byzantium.

[eldon]

Song of Albion, hands down. I fall into the story every time I read it. He takes me right into the world, as if I was actually there, and I always feel a sense of loss when I'm through.

As for single books, hard to say. I liked Dream Thief. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I really enjoyed Avalon. It had a nice political twist to it. Very enjoyable.

As for devotionals, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. Amazing.

[twyrch]

I would say my top 5 favorite authors would be:

1) J.R.R. Tolkien
2) Terry Brooks
3) J.K. Rowling
4) Stephen Lawhead
5) R.A. Salvatore

I have all of the books written by each of these authors in 1st edition Hard Backs, except for Tolkien's books... but they are all very nice editions nonetheless.

My top 5 favorite book (series) would be:

1) Song of Albion series
2) The Hobbit
3) Lord of the Rings
4) Harry Potter series
5) Shannara Series

[dinadan]

Favorite Authors (in no particular order):

Tolkien
C. S. Lewis
Charles Williams
Stephen Lawhead
Tim Powers
Anne McCaffery
J.K. Rowling
H. P. Lovecraft

Ranking of Lawhead Books* (top 5):

1) Avalon
2) The Silver Hand
3) Merlin
4) Byzantium tied with Patrick**
5) The Paradise War

*I have not yet read the Empyrion or Dragon King books, but that's all
**Byzantium is the better book, although Patrick's character is a lot more likeable than Aidan. Also, the stories are so similar that the only reason Byzantium eeks out ahead is that the story is longer and more complex.

This is all just my opintion, obv...I realize I'm in the minority here by not ranking Byzantium #1

[Child of Immanuel]

Byzantium is my favorite single book... Song of Albion my favorite series.

[Daae]

Favorite Authors:
C.S. Lewis
Lloyd Alexander
Stephen Lawhead (duh)
Jane Austin
Tolkien

Rankings of Stephen Lawhead books (top 5):
1) A tie between Byzantium and Dream Thief
2) Pendragon Cycle
3) Celtic Crusades
4) Patrick
5) Dragon King Trilogy

And I guess I'm in the minority in the fact that I didn't really like the Song of Albion. I thought the first one was good, but parts of the second one irked me, and I really didn't like how the third one ended. It seemed weak some how.

[twyrch]

Daae said:

Favorite Authors:
C.S. Lewis
Lloyd Alexander
Stephen Lawhead (duh)
Jane Austin
Tolkien

Rankings of Stephen Lawhead books (top 5):
1) A tie between Byzantium and Dream Thief
2) Pendragon Cycle
3) Celtic Crusades
4) Patrick
5) Dragon King Trilogy

And I guess I'm in the minority in the fact that I didn't really like the Song of Albion. I thought the first one was good, but parts of the second one irked me, and I really didn't like how the third one ended. It seemed weak some how.

I don't think TEK could have ended any other way to bring true unification and healing to the land of Albion. Llew's sacrifice for Albion, symbolized Christ's sacrifice for us. I think it was well done and a perfect ending...

Having him sitting at his desk, writing TPW brought closure to the Endless Knot that had been formed by his crossing over.

But, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.