Episode · How I Write · 2024-07-03
David Perell & Nat Eliason: books mentioned on How I Write
Want to Tell Better Stories? This Guy Will Teach You How (Nat Eliason | How I Write Podcast)
Nat Eliason recommended Red Rising by Pierce Brown, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Conflict by Margaret Mayo, and Suspense by Joseph Conrad, and discussed Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. David Perell discussed East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Red Rising
Red Rising by Pierce Brown is a fast-paced science fiction novel set in a rigidly stratified dystopian society where a low-caste miner infiltrates the ruling class to exact revenge and spark a rebellion.
Recommended“And one that was actually really helpful was Red Rising. And it's it's super fast-paced, super engaging, very hard to put down.”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S.
Recommended“It needs to have that um Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas feel to it. That was the main inspiration is I sent them that and I said this is like what we want to use as inspiration for the cover.”
Where to get it
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Kitchen Confidential
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain is a candid, bestselling memoir that exposes the gritty, high-pressure underbelly of professional restaurant kitchens while romanticizing the culinary arts.
Recommended“Uh and I mean, obviously kind of inspired by Anthony Bourdain, right? I I read Kitchen Confidential early on when I was trying to find a good style for the book and he really influenced the writing style in a couple ways.”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a sweeping philosophical novel that champions objectivism, laissez-faire capitalism, and individual achievement while depicting a dystopian society collapsing under the weight of excessive government controls.
Discussed“It feels there's so many times when reading Atlas Shrugged where it's really clear that that it's no longer this character talking. It's just her insert.”
Where to get it
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Conflict
Conflict by Margaret Mayo, frequently referenced alongside suspense writing guides, is a practical instruction manual designed to help writers build tension and master narrative structure within their stories.
Recommended“The there's this really good book called Conflict and Suspense and it's part of the elements of fiction writing series which is a wonderful series. highly highly recommend it even for non-fiction writers”
Where to get it
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Suspense
Suspense is a gripping historical novel by Joseph Conrad that explores the political intrigue, revolutionary fervor, and psychological tension surrounding the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte on Elba prior to the Hundred Days.
Recommended“The there's this really good book called Conflict and Suspense and it's part of the elements of fiction writing series which is a wonderful series. highly highly recommend it even for non-fiction writers”
Where to get it
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East of Eden
East of Eden by John Steinbeck is a sprawling, multi-generational masterpiece that adapts the Cain and Abel story into twentieth-century California.
Discussed“And for an example, I want to look at John Steinbeck and his book, his masterpiece, East of Eden.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Like Stephen King wrote Carrie when he was 26, you know, and that was his first book deal, and he got 200 grand for it, which is something like 600 grand in today's dollars, right?”
“And you know, Red Rising is a good example of this, too. Pice Brown wrote it, I think, when he was 27 or 28.”