I've just remembered an author who influenced me - to look at the way that writers represent people. I had to read Hemingway for my A level course and can't think of any author who has made me feel so strongly that I never wanted to read any other of his books again. The course book was the one about WW1 - I hated it so much that I can't even remember the title - and for comparison I read 'For Whom The Bell Tolls', which I got half-way through and threw it across the room. To this day I still haven't quite worked out exactly why that man caused such a reaction. I think it might be a female thing!

Amos - thanks for that comment - I have a friend who seems to think that Hawking is required reading for any intelligent person. I think he's wrong