latterdayauthors.com

[Gary McCallister]

Everyone has a favorite novelist (or several). Who are your favorite non-fiction writers? Does anyone have one? Why do you like them?

Especially in the LDS Church, the only non-fiction writers seem to be religious: general authorities or the religion cadre of BYU and the front range. Are there any good non-fiction writers who are LDS that you can think of outside the religion genre?

Any why is it defined as non-fiction? That seems odd. Why isn't fiction defined as non-real? That would seem to be more sensible? Even if we don't get into that, it seems there ought to be a word for fact based writing of all kinds. Faction?
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Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[T. Lynn Adams]

Oh, C.S. Lewis has to top my list! So many of his comments and thoughts in his masterpiece, Mere Christianity, have been assimilated by our culture now. He didn't just write a book, he changed an attitude.

One day I hope we will have a non-fiction book like Mere Christianity based on our faith...(but Mere Mormonism doesn't sound right.) One that changes attitudes toward our beliefs. A mainstream book so powerful, wise and intelligent that people can pick up if they feel intimidated or have distanced themselves from the scriptures and say, 'yeah! That's absolutely right! That is the only way for rational, intelligent people to think'

I'm not saying there aren't bits and pieces of that already out there in the LDS faith, but that is the problem...they are in the LDS faith: written by LDS authors for LDS readers and, maybe, their curious non-LDS friends. We need something that addresses our unique doctrines like Lewis did and is capable of hitting the airwaves and the best seller lists. Something that leaves people's jaws on the grounds in complete awe and respect. Lewis mastered that. I hope I live to see an LDS writer pull off something even greater.

But that's just my three-paragraph opinion.

T. Lynn
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Tombs of Terror, YA adventure fiction
Author's Website: http://tlynnadams.blogspot.com/

My LDS Thoughts http://myldsthoughts.blogspot.com/

"The greatest books have yet to be written, the greatest inventions have yet to be made." -Rex R. Reeve

[Gary McCallister]

After I asked this question, I realized that there are numerous categories in non-fiction, just as there are in fiction. For example, I have really enjopyed David McCullough for his historical books. I especially liked John Adams. In the past I admired Isaac Asimov for his science writing, even though he is most famous for his science fiction.

Interestingly, I am reading a book on Benjamin Franklin and several people claim that in his day he was the best American writer writing.

C. S. Lewis is amazing, and not just Mere Chistianity. He is almost more philosopher than writer, but if his writing was so entertaining and coherent his thought would be less influential. Another Christian, but not LDS, writer that I have nejoyed recently is John Eldredge.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[T. Lynn Adams]

I have to ditto you on Isaac Asimov for his scientic writing. I didn't even know he wrote science fiction! What are some titles?

I find it SOOO funny that I write fiction but HEAVILY browse the non-fiction sections of every bookstore and library around. I love self-improvement books (The Bonds That Make Us Free IS AWESOME); how-to books--especially those pertaining to business, work, home improvement or gardening.

And, while I like Lewis' other works I really struggled with The Screwtape Letters (Yes, I know it's fiction and doesn't belong here but I've started it twice and never finished. The reversal of language in the book is too confusing for my simple brain )

I have also always liked philosophers and their writings but I also always shied away from philosophy classes in college for fear they were borderline evil...you know--Satan's wolf in sheep's clothing. I actually feared they'd brainwash me before I even realized I had a brain! Now I'm wondering what I missed.

T. Lynn
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Tombs of Terror, YA adventure fiction
Author's Website: http://tlynnadams.blogspot.com/

My LDS Thoughts http://myldsthoughts.blogspot.com/

"The greatest books have yet to be written, the greatest inventions have yet to be made." -Rex R. Reeve

[sachiko]

I love CS Lewis, of course. I managed to grow up a heathen in a 6th generation LDS family and CS Lewis was my connection to the gospel as a kid.

Bill Bryson is very readable. I'm reading his History of Nearly Everything right now, or whatever it's called. It's a history of science. I like it a lot.

I enjoyed Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, though I don't totally agree with his political views.

I like Francis Fukuyama if I'm feeling like I want to chew something very gristle-y and meaty.

Rodney Stark is a sociologist who studies Mormons, Moonies and some other religions. He's written a couple of books I've greatly enjoyed, Cities of God and The Age Of Reason. I think it's Cities that talks about the Greco-Roman culture and the nascent Christian culture around 100-400 AD. And the other one addresses the common misconception that science arose in opposition to religion, when it was actually the opposite, historically.

I've read a couple of books by Alston Chase--In A Dark Wood, about the logging industry and spotted owls, and then Playing God In Yellowstone. I find his stuff exhaustively researched and more evenhanded, esp. politically, than I've even been able to find in science/current events writing.

When I was going to community college (I dropped out of high school but the local carebear college let me in anyway) I read a lot of Steven Pinker (The Language Instinct, among others) and Oliver Sacks. Pretty much anything about the brain or brain injury I like.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Oh, oh, wait, Hugh Nibley's stuff--his transcripts from his honors classes on the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price--those are my favoritist books ever, the bestest, and I take them with me even on vacations because there is always something there I missed before.
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Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[sachiko]

I find the more I am trying to write the MORE I must eschew fiction and head for nonfic.

Otherwise I find myself emulating whatever I'm reading. It's like writing turns my brain to tofu and I pick up the flavors of whatever I'm trying to write.

Which is okay if I can keep a handle on it--I suppose theoretically I could try to read some, say, OSC, if I want to impart a certain flavor into my book. But it's hard to control, and usually with my favorite authors, like OSC, if I read one of their books while trying to write it stalls my engine for at least a few days.

The only authors I can read and still keep writing with are Christopher Moore--he writes small, comic, surfer dude and drug-addled books set in California--and Douglas Coupland, who's a Gen-X novelist who wrote Girlfriend in a Coma. For some reason, those two guys spur me on like giving spinach to Popeye.

But give me a new Ender's Game novel, or Discworld, and I'm having to choose between having my mojo or having an involuntary week off, where I read, try to recover from reading

(am I the only one who goes through withdrawels after a good book? I have to keep other books on hand that are like my fake heroin for getting off the real thing....like, estra Connie Willis, or Jan Karon novels)

and fight the urge to hide in the closet because now I have to go and write as well as THESE people! Yiiiiiikes!
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[sachiko]

Amazing Sister T, I read CS Lweis said that he hated writing Screwtape. It totally drained him to have to "go to hell", so to speak, to write that whole book.

Me, I loved it. It perfectly meshed with my natural sense of perversity. Reverse psychology works really well on me too.

Oh! I just thought of someone I've really onjoyed lately. N.T.Wright!!! He's an Anglican priest wno writes about the New Testament, and no, of course not everything jives with our doctrine, but it's pretty darn close, and it's fun to read his take on the New Testament.
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Gary McCallister]

Hold on. You're going to fast. I need to write all these authors and books down for future reference.

I also find myself mimicing who I am reading. However, it seems to fade pretty fast. I can sometimes see it when I rewrite, but mostly the story takes over. I think.

Interesting note about that (pun intended) is that I did with music by accident. My music CD's take a long time to put together. The second one I did I happened to be on a Dire Straights (Mark Knopfler) kick and listened to him almost non-stop for months. Not really non-stop, but in my truck and a lot. Anyway, I later gave a friend a copy. When he saw me later he asked "Are you a 'Dire Straights' guy?" I was blown away and concerned enough that I am now careful about that.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[sachiko]

How funny.

I've noticed my characters tend to sass each other a lot olike OSC characters, except, you know, without the vast Joss Whedonesque wit.
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Gary McCallister]

Don't blame OSC card for your personal sassiness. It ain't right just because he is a public figure.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/