Dammit Jack! I finished my run through the Incarnations a couple weeks back. A co-worker got me to try George R.R. Martin's 'Song of Fire and Ice', liking so far(I know a rendition has been TV for awhile, but... I do not do TV other than sports or a sporadic movie). Now, you have to remind me of Pratchett, an author I had wanted to delve deeper into for some time. *grumble* updates library card(again)! Though, in all truth, it has been ages since I meandered Master Lewis' works as well, collected most, but do not think I ever actually got to finish any but the Narnia. Guess those boxes in the closet will opening again soon. Especially, since we finally are getting winter here in the PNW. To much texture to the ground to do anything, but one must when we actually have snow and ice.
EDIT: Was not Prachett the author(or collaberator?) on an novel titled something along 'Good Omens'. An angel and a demon(devil?) trying to stop the apocalypse to keep their jobs on earth? Sorry, Color of magic rings a bell with me, but this novel jumped up the nether reaches as I was hitting post.
Yes, I believe it was with Neil Gaiman, though to be honest... I never read it; I only delved into his Discworld novels... and only got through a third of them.
And, to be totally truthful, I've not really read anything since I started working in the comic book industry back in 1993-1994... because, as a writer, the last thing I wanted to be accused of, was the theft of other individual's imaginations; and, the actual last book that I read, was the last Dark Tower novel in 2004 to finish out a series that I had started in the early 80's.
Even, then, my work is peppered with a variety of influences and ideas that arose while reading, as I was younger... or from scenes, images, ideas and stuff from movies and television. I think, now that I am much older, that it is truly impossible to not be influenced in some way through outside stimuli or from other creative individuals.
That said, I don't think you will ever catch me blatantly taking something from someone else and slapping a little makeup on it and calling it my own... like a certain POPULAR series (and movies) was a rip off from the Japanese series "Battle Royale"; or the multiple "Big Brother" clones we are seeing getting posted and released here and on Patreon.
If anything, I can be accused of, it is from ripping off the bible and world history.
Another thing I can be accused of, heh... and that is, not having enough time... I most seriously lack that in my life, I spend so much of it working on our game or doing work for the (AAA) Asian game studios, that my days are basically wake up at 4 or 5am... sit at the computer and work on the game or for the Asian crew or my NASCAR team (though I will be removing my involvement from that this season) till 6-7pm, make dinner for the wife... spend time with her till I put her to bed at 9 or 10pm, go back to work till 12am, go to bed and get back up at 4-5am and do it all again.... 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
I have discussed with the wife about me taking one or two Saturdays off this year to maybe get back into doing my photography and working with models again... I would like to, maybe, try to do some photos and have some models Cosplay some of the characters from "Wicked Choices" and "Ebon Knights" just for fun and relaxation... I haven't picked up my camera, except to shoot the wild animals that I take care of, since my business partner and best friend died in 2015... but, think it is time to get back in the saddle of doing that to try and relax and have another creative outlet.
For a while, every time I picked it up (the camera) all I could think of was my dad (who got me started doing photography back when I was in 4H in the 70's and died in 2012) and my, aforementioned photography business partner and best friend, Mark who died at 43 of a heart attack in 2015 (due to complications with Diabetes).
But, I'd like to think I was pretty darn good at it... did work for Fredricks of Hollywood, Lover's Lane, Harley Davidson, NASCAR (how I got into being a partial owner of a team) and lots of magazines and big events.
Here's a sample of my model photography from back in the day...
But, yeah... I think I need to have something that will help me to relax when I am not working on the games and to actually get out of the house for more than shoveling driveways or grocery shopping!!
(PS: She would've been my pick to cosplay Lynara... but Marissa no longer models)