The Brothers Karamazov

I have to start off with this because it is the most insane book I have ever read. Nothing comes close. The characterization is out of this world. Everyone feels so real, so human. I aspire to be able to write characters as well as Dostoyevsky does in this magnum opus of his.

“Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love, and having no love, he gives himself up to passions and coarse pleasures in order to occupy and amuse himself, and in his vices reaches complete beastiality, and it all comes from lying continually to others and himself."

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Amusingly, the second thing I have to write of also has 'Brothers' in the title. But this video game is one of the most beautiful works of art I've ever experienced. In it, you control two brothers at the same time who are on a mission to save their dying father, traveling across the world and solving puzzles to continue navigating through it. It's chilling, heartfelt, humorous, and at its core is a brilliant telling of the hero's journey.

Vinland Saga

Whether you read the manga or watch the anime, Vinland Saga is an incredible historical drama revenge story turned spiritual journey wrapped around the reigning period of King Canute in the early 1000s. The main character, Thorfinn, is my #2 favorite fictional character of all time across all mediums. His development is inspiring, as he reaches some of the lowest lows a person can reach, and still tries to climb back up.

"I have no enemies."

The Wheel of Time

Burn me for a flaming darkfriend if I don't include the Wheel of Time on this list (the books, not the TV show). This series has darn near everything and contains my #1 favorite fictional character of all time in its main character, Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn (and incidentally it also has my #2 favorite female character of all time, Nynaeve al'Meara). I could never write a series like this. Not for lack of ability (though maybe also that), but because for the kind of series that it is, with its unbelievable worldbuilding, expansive plotlines, descriptive prose, and epic narrative, it's already the best at its kind, and it would be a miracle to surpass it. Must give major kudos to Brandon Sanderson for finishing the last 3 books of the series too.

"I would not mind you in my head, if you were not so clearly mad."

Journey

Like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, this is a hero's journey game that takes only as long as a movie to complete. And it is gorgeous. There are only 2 games I describe as being a religious experience, and this is one of them (I will mention the other further down). The best part is, the game is so easy I can recommend it to anyone regardless of experience with games.

"♪ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♫."

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I don't think I'll ever get sick of this show. It's full of great characters with fantastic arcs, lots of wisdom, brimming with beautiful artwork and animation, tackles a number of dark topics, and yet the kids can still watch and love it. My book The Voice of a Mute is probably most similar to Avatar in that it's teenagers involved in a war with magic powers trying to stop a big bad evil guy.

"Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in this river, does he know the river's destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on, out of his control. He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean."

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

This recommendation is sort of the odd one out, because it's an autobiography. But! The story of someone's life is still a story, and there are few whose life stories are more interesting than that of Carl Jung. He is, in my mind, one of the most fascinating people to have ever lived, with knowledge and wisdom that many of us can greatly benefit from. So I highly recommend reading or listening to this one.

"My whole being was seeking for something still unknown which might confer meaning upon the banality of life."

Outer Wilds

This is the other game besides Journey which I consider to be a religious experience. It is more difficult to recommend this game to anyone, because in order to play it, one must be capable of navigating in zero-g, 3-dimensional space (in other words, you have to fly a spaceship that can move in all directions). And that's hard. But for those who can manage it, Outer Wilds offers an experience like no other; that of an astronaut archeologist discovering the secrets of a dead alien race within the confines of a small, fully simulated solar system. It also has a great soundtrack.

"There is more to explore here."

Clannad

Good grief, I truly do not want all the shows I'm listing on here to be anime, but... but... I truly have to include this one. This show made me want to be a father even more than I already wanted. Its themes are all about family bonds, and it hits them so hard that no other show or movie has made me cry as much as Clannad did. The animation style is a bit odd at first, but you get used to it. Its story, characters, and message transcend what it's held back by.

"You are our dream! That's what being parents is all about. That's what being a family is all about! If you get discouraged and give up now, then all our dreams die."

The Gulag Archipelago

Whether it's the full collection or the abridged edition, this is something everyone should read and contemplate. This story is about ourselves. It is about the evil within you, and within me. Within us all. We must face it or suffer the consequences. As harrowing as it may be, I believe in order to be complete as a person, or at least more complete, one must be able to face the content of this book without turning away in fear.

"In keeping silent about evil, in burying it so deep within us that no sign of it appears on the surface, we are implanting it, and it will rise up a thousand fold in the future. When we neither punish nor reproach evildoers, we are not simply protecting their trivial old age, we are thereby ripping the foundations of justice from beneath new generations."

Assassin's Creed - Ezio Trilogy

This trilogy, compromising Assassin's Creed 2, AC: Brotherhood, and AC: Revelations (the first game need not be played, really, one could watch a short recap of its story beforehand), is one of my favorite stories, and contains my #3 favorite character of all time: Ezio Auditore. There's so much depth to him and his development, and the sort of themes the games explore through him deeply fascinate me. He also has some of the best dialogue I've ever heard from any game. Certainly not a series for everyone, but its story is still worth mentioning for me. It's also fun to explore the historical locations the games take place in. Florence, Venice, Rome, they're all very well put together!

"To say that nothing is true is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted is to understand that we are the architects of our actions and that we must live with our consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

Little Big Soldier

This is (maybe arbitrarily) my favorite live action movie ever. And the worst part is that out of all the time I spent studying film in college, in all my film classes only one other student had even heard of it. Not even my professors knew it. But man, I just like it. A great Jackie Chan movie. Great action, great humor, and in my opinion his best character performance as well. There's a book I've been wanting to write for a long time inspired by it, though whether it'll see the light of day, I don't yet know.

"You know, when I was little, I caught a wild boar. My father set it free. Do you know why? It was pregnant. Are you pregnant?"