Over the years, I have had the opportunity to share some of my Top/Favorite Lists of Things including inspirations in various categories: books, movies, music, etc. So many different kinds of genres have influenced me over the years. I’m thrilled to share these with you. Though I would note here that influential doesn’t necessarily mean favorite. One of my all time favorite movies is Beauty and the Beast, but it is far from one of the most influential on me over my lifetime.

In alphabetical order … as of 05/2023 …

TOP INFLUENTIAL
LITERATURE—FICTION

1. The Alchemist—Paulo Coelho
2. Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night—(trans.) J.C. Mardrus 
3. The Call of Cthulhu [and everything else by the man]—H.P. Lovecraft 
4. The Child Thief—Brom
5. The Crow—James O’Barr 
6. Dune—Frank Herbert 
7. ElfQuest [Vol 1-4, etc]—Wendy & Richard Pini
8. Foucault’s Pendulum—Umberto Eco 
9. The Fountainhead [and Atlas Shrugged]—Ayn Rand
10. The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook—Franklin W Dixon
11. House of Leaves—Mark Z. Danielewski 
12. Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah—Richard Bach 
13. Imajica—Clive Barker 
14. Lord of the Rings/Silmarillion [especially the Appendices]—J.R.R. Tolkien 
15. Parable of the Sower—Octavia E. Butler 
16. Sacrament—Clive Barker 
17. Shadowland—Peter Straub
18. Valis—Philip K. Dick 
19. Weaveworld—Clive Barker
20. The Witching Hour—Anne Rice 

TOP INFLUENTIAL
LITERATURE—NONFICTION

1. The Art of War—Sun Tzu
2. Book of the Law—(rec.) Aleister Crowley
3. Chaos: Making a New Science—James Gleick
4. Dianetics—L. Ron Hubbard
5. How to Be a Perfect Stranger—Stuart Matlins
6. Integral Spirituality—Ken Wilber
7. Liber Null & Psychonaut and Liber Kaos—Peter J. Carroll
8. Magick: Book VI—Aleister Crowley
9. Meditations on the Tarot—Anonymous (Valentin Tomberg)
10. Mere Christianity—C.S. Lewis
11. Merlin: The Prophetic Vision and the Mystic Life—R.J. Stewart
12. Morals and Dogma—Albert Pike
13. Pagan Christianity?—Frank Viola
14. The Phenomenon of Man—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
15. Sex, Ecology, and Spirituality—Ken Wilber
16. Systematic Theology—Paul Tillich
17. Tao of Pooh—Benjamin Hoff
18. Teilhard’s Mass: Approaches to “The Mass on the World”—Thomas King
19. The Uses of Enchantment—Bruno Bettelheim
20. The Zohar: Pritzker Edition [12 vols.]—Various Editors

TOP INFLUENTIAL
MUSIC/BANDS—ALL GENRES

This is a difficult category to assess. At best, I can offer the top influential music that was meaningful through some of the highest and lowest milestones in my life. 

1. Alan Parsons Project—Tales Of Mystery And Imagination album
2. Bonnie Tyler—”Total Eclipse of the Heart”
3. Clannad—”I Will Find You”
4. Cocteau Twins—Treasure album, among others
5. The Cure—”Burn”
6. Damn Yankees—”High Enough” and “Come Again”
7. Def Leppard—”Rock of Ages,” “Photograph,” “Foolin’,” “Bringin’ on a Heartbreak,” and “Love Bites”
8. Demon Hunter—”The Last One Alive” and “I Will Fail You”
9. Disturbed—”The Sound of Silence” (cover)
10. Journey—Frontiers album
11. Lia Ford (with Ozzy Ozborne)—”Close My Eyes Forever”
12. Maggie’s Dream—Maggie’s Dream album
13. Pat Benatar—Crimes of Passion album and “Invincible”
14. Pop Evil—”Torn To Pieces”
15. Queensryche—Rage for Order, Operation: Mindcrime, and Empire albums
16. Rick Springfield—Tao album
17. Snow Patrol—”Chasing Cars”
18. This Mortal Coil—Filigree & Shadow album, among others
19. Wham—”Careless Whispers”
20. Whitesnake—Whitesnake and Slip of the Tongue albums