Stephen King: When I was in junior high back in the early ‘80s, I bought my very first novel which was the Signet (anyone remember that?) copy of The Stand. It was the cover that attracted me to the book (that absolutely frightening combination of the Dark Man’s eyes with the crow’s beak), and it was King’s storytelling that got me hooked on The Stand for the entire school year in 7th—or was it 8th?—grade (that’s how long it took me to read that mammoth sucker!) The Stand and Stephen King got me hooked for good on reading. Thanks, Uncle Stevie!
Peter Straub: A couple years after reading The Stand and everything else I could by King, I picked up Straub’s Shadowland when I was in high school and discovered there was someone else out there who could scare the daylights out of me. Shadowland opened my eyes to a new type of horror, and I can’t really put it into words here, so I won’t even try. If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
Dean Koontz: A couple years out of high school, while on vacation in Vermont with my extended family, an aunt and uncle suggested I read one of this guy’s books titled Watchers. I read it, and I discovered still another way of experiencing horror. This is one of the few novels, along with the two mentioned above, that filled me with sadness and joy at the end of the story. Yes, I actually cried at the end of this one. Read it, and you’ll find out why.
Robert R McCammon: I read McCammon’s They Thirst when I was in high school and thought it was a great vampire story, but it wasn’t until I read Boy’s Life as an adult years later that I realized what a truly gifted storyteller McCammon was. Every time I read it, that story fills me with wonder, nostalgia (even though I was born in a completely different decade than the main character), and a deep longing to experience my childhood all over again. Hey, sounds like a great idea for a story. Hmm…
F. Paul Wilson: The Keep is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read.
Orson Scott Card: On the recommendation of a friend, I read Ender’s Game. First science fiction—after avoiding the genre for years—I ever read. Been reading sci-fi ever since.
Lawrence Watt-Evans: Avoided fantasy—especially dragons!—for the longest time. Read Dragon Weather, which I had originally bought for my wife as I thought she would like fantasy. Been reading fantasy ever since.
Robert Ludlum: The Bourne Identity (loved those three-word titles) got me hooked on spy-thrillers (superthrillers, as they were once called).
Tom Clancy: The Hunt for Red October sunk its teeth into me, showing me just how exciting a submarine story could be when done the right way.
Christopher Golden: Strangewood. Wow! Just…wow.
Dan Simmons: Summer of Night—A book to be read, devoured, savored, and treasured. I’ve read it twice, will probably read it at least a half-dozen more times before I die. Love those kids.
Charles L Grant: The Nestling—A bit more subtle than King or McCammon, but no less frightening, and all-together creepy.
I could go on and on (some of you will say that, at this point, I already have), but the above writers have influenced my reading and writing in ways that, in some cases, I’m only now discovering.