Richard Robinson’s Shelves
What books are currently on your nightstand?
My
nightstand is actually a small bookcase, as the stacks on the
nightstand and dresser got a little unmanageable. In that bookcase just
now are about 25 books, including Old Mars edited by Martin & Dozois, The Python Pit by George F. Worts, The Gift of Rain, by Tan Twan Ing, Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday, Silver Totem of Shame by R.J. Harlick, Behind That Curtain by Earl Derr Biggers and The Dragons of Ordinary Farm
by Tad Williams and Deborah Beale. That’s just a sampling. It’s about
half mystery and half science fiction - fantasy with a few other things -
like the Ing - tossed in.
Who is your favorite novelist of all time?
The
answer might depend on what day I’m asked, but I usually answer that
question by naming Lawrence Durrell. Tolkein is also strong contender,
as are Agatha Christie, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond Chandler, Robert
Heinlein, Poul Anderson and many others.
What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?
Hard
to say what might surprise someone. I’ve got a lot of pulp reprints,
such as three volumes of stories about The Green Lama by Kendell Foster
Crossen, science fiction paperbacks I bought in the late Fifties and
lovingly read and preserved, a set of the Pogo books by Walt Kelly,
hardcover editions of all of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, books
about American muscle cars, mystery reference books including Hubin and
many others, books on architecture, gardening, lots of things. Mostly
it’s mystery and SFF.
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Another
question with too many answers. Maybe…Sherlock Holmes, or Lew Archer,
Nero Wolfe, Miss Marple, Nicholas van Rijn, Inspector Gramache, Honor
Harrington, Joe Leaphorn, too many to pick one.
What book do you return to?
There are many. I reread The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien every three or four years. I’ve read the Alexandria Quartet (Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive and Cleo)
twice times and I’ll read it again. I re-read Chandler, Christie,
Heinlein, David Eddings and I reread a lot of poetry, including
Tennyson, Longfellow, Blake, Whitman, many others.
Bio: Grew
up in Southern California in the Fifties and Sixties, attended the
University of Arizona and Otis Art Institute, read science fiction as a
boy and still do, added mystery fiction in college. I listen to mostly
jazz and classical music, joined the mystery apa DAPA-Em and published The Perp until 2009, moved to Portland, Oregon the following year. Married, have three cats. I read a lot.
9 comments:
I love those bookshelves!! Fabulous! And your taste in books, too, Richard :-). Thanks for continuing this series, Patti.
Nice library, Rick. I wish I could narrow down my favorites to a few.
Jeff M.
A book lover's paradise. I suspect, this is just a part of Richard's library apart from the ones on his nightstand.
Love those shelves! Custom-made?
Poul Anderson. An underappreciated writer for sure.
Margot, Thanks.
Jeff, as you know, every day the list is different.
Prashant, you are correct. That room just has mystery and SFF paperbacks. The hardcover mystery is upstairs and the hardcover SFF in yet another room, as is the general fiction and non-fiction.
Deb, yes, I had a carpenter come in an make them to my spec. They are oak veneer, all adjustable.
Charles, you're right.
Thank you, Patti.
Thanks for sharing your gorgeous shelves with us.
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