The first book in a list of my 10 favourite books (as of today)
I have been following James Altucher’s suggestion of writing down 10 ideas every day. Most recently, I have been using the list of ideas for lists of ideas in Claudia Altucher’s Become An Idea Machine. She wrote the book after watching the changes in her husband’s life as he put his 10 ideas a day plan into action.
Today’s suggested list was to name ten favourite books and specify one thing learned from reading that book. It sounds an easy enough task.
At my age, however, I have read so many books that I have probably forgotten all those that I thought were my favourites. I have certainly forgotten most of the things they taught me or, at least, forgotten which books taught me which things.
As with all those sorts of exercise naming favourites, the best approach tends to be to do it with as little thought as possible. I managed to rip through the task in 20 minutes or so.
If I was to do the same list tomorrow I can imagine the list being different. Maybe not completely different but I’m sure one or two titles would change.
It’s like one of those word puzzles, where you change one letter with each row to end up with something completely different.
I thought it was worth sharing the list I came up with, one book at a time. Why? Given that I’m purging books from the house at a great rate, listing those I consider my favourites will at least protect those from the scything purger — me.
Today’s book, then, is The Asylum World by John Jakes. I’ve had my copy since 1974 and I think it was possibly the first science fiction novel I bought. Given that it is a US paperback I assume I picked it up at some bookstall selling second-hand books rather than bought it in my usual bookshop at the time.
It was the cover that attracted me more than anything, I think. The mirror in the shape of a scream. The back cover blurb doesn’t give much away but the final lines were an added attraction. The book tells of a mission from the Mars colony to the old imperial centre — Earth — to ask for supplies or something. (I need to reread it, obviously.) This is how the blurb on the back ends:
But the visitors from Mars couldn’t get to Newyork after all — it was closed except to official personnel.
Just then a trainload of lunatics passed the barrier. Official personnel?
What on earth was wrong with Earth?
I think I read the book — it’s less than 170 pages — in one sitting and I loved it and it kickstarted my love for quirky science fiction.
What I learned was simple enough: science fiction can blow your mind. It suggested as much on the book’s cover and it was right.
This was a time when I was largely up my own ass reading Ulysses and Lawrence and trying to be smart and literary. So Jakes and this book gave me me some perspective on other ways of writing and entertaining and, yes, educating. The Asylum World is satire as well as being a well crafted and exciting story.
Thank you, John Jakes. This book will not be seeing the inside of a charity shop any time soon.
