You may have noticed I’m trying to get the word out about the current issue of On Spec, which not only has one of my stories, but in which I am the featured author. Being the featured author means there is an interview with me. That interview was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed talking to Roberta Laurie, the interviewer, and it’s fun to see what made it to the page and what didn’t.

One of the things I regret is not preparing for the interview. By prepare, I don’t mean getting my larynx into shape or something. No, I should have expected the one question that really threw me for a loop. I actually subscribe to On Spec, and I should have known there would have been a “top” question.

For me, it was the top ten books. After the interview, I remember thinking “wow, I totally messed that one up.” I figured I got it wrong. Those weren’t my “top ten” books.

Now that I think about it, it’s probably right that those aren’t my top ten books, however I don’t think I could ever give a correct answer to the question.

Right off the bat, I said Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay as my top book. The thing is, while I love Tigana, it is not my favourite book by Mr. Kay—that would be the the Sarantine Mosaic duology, or Lord of Emperors if forced to choose. So why did I say Tigana? I think that book made a bigger impact on me. While I knew Mr. Kay by the time Sailing to Sarantium came along, Tigana was something totally new to me.

I knew Mr. Kay from the Fionavar Tapestry, an amazing work, for certain, but one that fits pretty neatly into the high fantasy tradition. Tigana, however, gave me something totally new. It’s hard to put my finger on it, other than to say this felt like literary fantasy. I hate the term literary when applied to fiction, but it has the right connotations for what I mean. Tigana was simply different. It was something I had never tasted before and I loved it. As much as the Sarantine Mosaic is, to me, Mr. Kay’s finest work, Tigana was the one that had the biggest impact.

Given that Tigana might not have been the right choice, I have to tell you looking back on the list, having Joseph Conrad slide in at number 6 is the biggest oddity. I mean, right there in the interview I’m singing Conrad’s praises. Conrad is the writer I want to be.

Then again, when was the last time I read any Conrad? It would have to be 2002. That book was Arrow of Gold, and when I brought it up in the interview (something that hit the cutting room floor) I seriously had issues recalling the story and the setting. So perhaps, as much as I love Conrad, he has drifted from my memory.

And for the record, my favourite Conrad works would have to be the Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes. I have read Heart of Darkness more than any other of his works, though I’ve read Lord Jim three times. There must have been reason it sprung to mind.

I’m also a little miffed I didn’t include Casino Royale or the Man With the Golden Gun from Ian Fleming. For the Bond novels, these are my favourites, one introducing us to the character, and one all but ushering him out. Forced to choose one, I think I would go with tMWtGG, simply because it is part of a trilogy (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, and tMWtGG) that end the Bond saga at a real high point.