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Every book Dan Houser recommended on podcasts
Dan Houser appears on the Lex Fridman Podcast, where conversations explore video game design, narrative storytelling, the history of Rockstar Games, and deeper literary and philosophical themes. Houser reveals himself to be an avid reader and a thoughtful creator deeply influenced by classic literature, Russian novels, and works that capture the full scope of the human experience. He recommends Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, praising it as one of the finest Russian novels, and George Orwell's 1984, which he discovered and came to love during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the discussion, Houser also reflects on several other foundational works that shaped his worldview and creative sensibilities. These include Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which he was obsessed with in his youth; James Jones's The Thin Red Line, which helped him understand the cinematic adaptation; William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair, admired for encompassing all of human life; and Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate.
Books recommended by Dan Houser
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War and Peace
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is a sweeping historical epic that chronicles the lives of several aristocratic families against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars.
Recommended“War and Peace is one of the best novels written in Russian, I would argue.”
Where to get it
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1984
George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 depicts a chilling totalitarian society under the constant surveillance of Big Brother.
Recommended“- Love 1984. Had never listened to it or read it, and then I think I did it on Talking Book”
Where to get it
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a dystopian novel that imagines a futuristic society engineered through biological conditioning, technological control, and the elimination of traditional human emotions.
Critiqued“That's my criticism of Brave New World, it's just poorly written.”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone
Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S.
Discussed“- Plus there's the caricature of the drug world of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. That's an interesting one. - I love the book so much. I was obsessed by it when I was about 17, 18. And I enjoyed the film, but I preferred the book.”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S.
Discussed“- Plus there's the caricature of the drug world of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. That's an interesting one. - I love the book so much. I was obsessed by it when I was about 17, 18. And I enjoyed the film, but I preferred the book.”
Where to get it
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Life and Fate
Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman is a sweeping, epic novel that offers a stunning human portrayal of the Holocaust and the broader moral ramifications of the Soviet era.
Discussed“- I love the bit in Life and Fate when you get...”
Where to get it
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The Thin Red Line
Discussed“The Thin Red Line is another book— ...and movie that shows that. - Yeah, yeah, and I watched the movie years before I read the book, and I didn't understand the movie. And then I read the book, and I read a lot about the editing of the movie, and I understood why I didn't understand the movie”
Where to get it
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Vanity Fair
Discussed“So I think there's something amazing about, you know, Vanity Fair, I used to love the novel, not the magazine. Because same thing, all of life is here.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #484 – Dan Houser: GTA, Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar, Absurd & Future of Gaming | Lex Fridman Podcast | 2025-10-31 | 10 |