Writing Reference: What's on your bookshelf?

[RobJN]

Do any of ya'll collect/use reference materials?

The missus and I -- both writers -- have two shelves full of various writing reference materials: from time period, to plot/structure, crime references, to the occasional writing lifestyle book.

We've got most (if not all) of the "Elements of Fiction Writing" series from Writer's Digest Books, some of the "Science Fiction Writing Series."

Do any of you use these? If not, what do you use? Can you suggest other good reference materials? I'm not looking for a specific genre, really. I haven't bought a 'writing book' in what feels like an age, and wonder if there is anything out recently that would be a good reference, or even just a good "read."

[Starbeam]

I won't be home for about 45 min, but I think I remember most of the stuff I have.  I only have a partial shelf, though partly cause I have a tiny room and can't afford most referency type things.  But I have Stephen King's On Writing, a how-to for Science Fiction by Orson Scott Card, vampire encyclopedia, werewolf encyclopedia, a mythical creatures thing, a book of Roman-Arthurian myths or something like that, a reference sorta thing for medieval/fantasy information, and specific to the WiP are the Bible and Other Bible(Gnostics, Apocrypha, Quran, etc).  Oh, and a behind the science for CSI, Zombie CSI type thing, and Stiffed(about corpses). 

There was a link posted somewhere or other on here about a how to kinda thing, I think Reader's Digest, that JB mentioned during a Q&A or somethink, that I want to get.  And I'm looking for Kindle equivalents to what  I do have so that I can take the reference stuff I'd need with me when I travel without having to lug a lot of very heavy books around.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Three different editions of "Paradise Lost" and two of Dante, Gustaf Davidson's Dictionary of Angels, some largish history references, 1-3 Enoch, Death and Life of Great American Cities, Designing Freedom, Cities and the Wealth of Nations, there used to be a Guns, Germs and Steel there but I gave it to someone and have not got round to replacing it, and a couple of other things I forget off the top of my head.

[BobForPresident]

Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Injuries has been invaluable.

[LizW65]

-The first two volumes of the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (haven't been able to find #3 yet)
-A number of outdated forensic manuals from the 1930's thru 1950's
-Penal Law and Criminal Code for 1936
-Dining With Rector, a guide to Manhattan restaurants from the late 1930's
-Several "oral history" type books about Manhattan in the 1940's
-old street maps from that era

[LizW65]

Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Injuries has been invaluable.

Thanks for recommending this.  I just found a copy on Abebooks for under 2 bucks and ordered it -- it sounds like just what I need (as opposed to asking my doctor things like, "Hey, what would happen if I pushed a guy down five flights of stairs?" and getting a very strange look in return.)

[meg_evonne]

Self-editing for Fiction Writers.... Priceless

[BobForPresident]

Thanks for recommending this.  I just found a copy on Abebooks for under 2 bucks and ordered it -- it sounds like just what I need (as opposed to asking my doctor things like, "Hey, what would happen if I pushed a guy down five flights of stairs?" and getting a very strange look in return.)

It also encourages you to discover creative ways to kill characters. For example, if you need a character to die of puncture wounds, it's much more interesting to have someone push them from a second-story balcony onto a wrought-iron fence then to find them with a knife sticking out of their back on the floor of the conservatory with Colonel Mustard. 

[RobJN]

It also encourages you to discover creative ways to kill characters. For example, if you need a character to die of puncture wounds, it's much more interesting to have someone push them from a second-story balcony onto a wrought-iron fence then to find them with a knife sticking out of their back on the floor of the conservatory with Colonel Mustard. 

I was merely interested in this book upon glancing at the title.


Now I must own a copy.

[RangerSG]

I have a plethora of resources on Biblical studies (my Masters lies in NT studies). Including grammars of Biblical Greek and Hebrew, theologies and commentaries on all the commonly accepted books, and the Apocrypha and other works, and a few books on the Septuagint. Then a bunch of cultural resources on the Biblical age.

For history I have Norman Davies' 1 volume histories on the Isles and Europe, Diarmaid McCullolloch's The Reformation, Latourette's two volume history of Christianity, Cantor's Civilization in the Middle Ages. The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici. Sanford's history of Japan. A one volume biography on Churchill and his own The Second World War.

General literature; The Complete works of Shakespeare, a 1 volume anthology of American Literature, Tennyson's Poetry, and a book of Celtic Myths and Legends.

For writing resources I have The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy; a thesaurus, The American Heritage College Dictionary and my MLA manual to remind me of my English grammar.

[Kris_W]

My top shelf writing books are:
Roget’s International Thesaurus (Absolutely my most used writing book)

The Pessimist’s Guide to History, by Stuart & Doris Flexner (An awesome source of plot twists)

The Book of the Weird (Also published as The Glass Harmonica) by Barbara Ninde Byfield  (A dictionary, sort of, for psudo-medieval fantasy things)

What’s What: A Visual Glossary Of The Physical World by David Fisher & Reginald Bragonier Jr.

And several baby name books picked up cheap at second hand shops - Buy lots, they each have their own bizarre character.

[Jasper]

Writing Science Fiction/Fantasy by Orson Scott Card was a good, info-laden read. Also, Writing the Private Eye Novel had some really great info too, and not just to the mystery field.

[ballplayer72]

Bible, Book of Mormon, Quran.

Various and sundry works of fantasy and science fiction not limited to but including : The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, The vampire earth books by E.E. Knight, The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, The Brothers Leandros series by Rob Thurman, a bunch of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k novels (Eisenhorn, spacewolves, grey knights, gotrek and felix, blackhearts. Gaunts ghosts)

Plus a whollllleeeee lot of sci fi from authors whose names i can't remember off the top of my head. (no more room on the shelves.  everthing is stacked, not but away.  there are books scattered about the room on every availible surface )

Also Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein (an original paperback that is in dreadful condition it was my dads, and the unabriged version) and the Forever War by Jon Haldeman.  Good stuff.

[RangerSG]

Bible, Book of Mormon, Quran.

Various and sundry works of fantasy and science fiction not limited to but including : The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, The vampire earth books by E.E. Knight, The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, The Brothers Leandros series by Rob Thurman, a bunch of Warhammer and Warhammer 40k novels (Eisenhorn, spacewolves, grey knights, gotrek and felix, blackhearts. Gaunts ghosts)

Plus a whollllleeeee lot of sci fi from authors whose names i can't remember off the top of my head. (no more room on the shelves.  everthing is stacked, not but away.  there are books scattered about the room on every availible surface )

Also Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein (an original paperback that is in dreadful condition it was my dads, and the unabriged version) and the Forever War by Jon Haldeman.  Good stuff.

Well now, if we're talking fantasy currently on my shelves...

LoTR, Steven Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age, The Baroque Cycle and Anathem, Steven King's The Dark Tower and The Stand, Martin's ASoIaF, Kay's Tigana, Heard's Otori saga, Glen Cook's The Black Company and The Instrumentalites of the Night, Bakker's Prince of Nothing and the Aspect-Emperor and, of course, Dresden.

Also forgot Shelby Foote's Narrative History of the Civil War in my list yesterday. 

[Uilos]

Let's see...

The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy series
The Golden Compass
The Dune Series, all of them except the incredibly recent
Neil Gaiman, the Sandman series, Stardust and American Gods
Lukyanenko's Nightwatch
Both Butcher Series
Adam Ross's Kingdom Come,
Frank Miller's Sin City
Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and Watchmen
Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit
Shakespeare
Ovid
Homer
George RR Martin


incidentally, I need to start making more space