Young Adult Mature Book Influences

Tragically, born with a permanent injury meant spending four days a week in study hall, while the fifth, a very light physical education commitment needed addressing. As it did waiting for my first middle school period class, book reading took up the forty-five-minute period. Sports related titles including, the quirky Sparky Lyle baseball diary, “The Bronx Zoo”, “Two Minute Warning”, “Black Sunday” were interesting education experiences, while other exciting efforts like “Cathedral”, and “The Fifth Horseman” opened my eyes to international newsworthy thrilling ideas.

From the horror perspective there was “Ghost Story”, “Carrie”, “Christine”, “The Dead Zone”, and “The Stand”. Each one I took away something during those maturing adolescent times that assisted me in surviving professional adult life.

Using the Super Bowl as a backdrop “Two Minute Warning” and “Black Sunday” not only alerted me into developing a critical eye on the National Football League but both dramatic circumstances showed their readers serious dangers to mass attended events while driving home the point ‘if a single person or group decides to terrorize the event you are in for a wild rollercoaster ride’. Hopefully, in the same way the book “Airport” woke up airlines that stronger security measures were needed, these two works will always be a reminder that proper exits, calm action, cooler thinking can soothe a situation where panic creates most damage.

Then there was the plot to “The Fifth Horseman”, once again the paperback said and here is a paraphrase, ‘a small nuclear device is placed somewhere in New York City, and it is up to a New York City Detective to find the bomb’. Featured on the first few pages, a map showing the projected devastation for this ugly reality leaving an unforgettable fact. This chilling data still haunts me especially when the modern technology weapons scare is thrown around in conversational political debate. When September 11, 2001, occurred my first instincts were to get far away from the situation and come back to reflect upon the results. Luckily the 9/11 plan failed.

With President Ronald Reagan’s picture legally displayed inside the principal's office, I visited “Carrie” the bible belt final abusive moment before moving on Stephen King description, which not only revealed possible unbelievable consequences, due to irrational thinking but what happens when spirituality is handled improperly, screaming with an evil bloody bucket glaring stare. Followed by another King effort “The Dead Zone”, the concept entailed ‘if someone touches another person the aggressor sees future events’ with the plot twist, ‘what happens if it is an elected official’. This seemed fictional and entertaining until I found out Nancy Reagan loved The Washington Times formally known as The Washington Star.

Peter Straub’s Ghost Story always will have a special part in my heart and the saga’s promotional message when explaining the elderly coming to terms with their mortality status and mortal sins. Paraphrased it went something like this, “What’s the worst thing you ever done; I do not know but I will tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me, then went on to tell a ghost story”. This supernatural good friend haunting message made me believe in invisible guiding forces scaring the truth from those making dreadful mistakes.

Finally, “The Stand”, the population elimination marathon long winded simple premise really encouraged me to set the ‘write the masterpiece’ author goal. Sorry to say mine the unpublished manuscript, “The Ultimate Conflict” is much shorter than the virus spreading world ending epic. Just like the “The Fifth Horseman” prepared me for the World Trade Center second attack, “The Stand” tapped me on the shoulder saying, “you may want to take Covid 19 seriously”.

In closing, I should make it perfectly clear most works presented here film adaptations were created, which hopefully enforced what the author wanted heard. For me reading taught me creative writing’s powerful platform and with a handful of works available on Amazon, I can sleep easy realizing my society contributions. Despite not being immersed in spinning one tale I still unleash my feelings distributing information, using the short/flash fiction format. Truth be told, it all started with someone else’s books pointing towards peaceful interpretive fiction which brought me closure while establishing a structured life’s base.