Pete says: “I’ve read three of Chris’s books and loved ’em. Diverse subject matter but all featuring grit and terrific world-building. Chris writes here about the most influential SFF stories for him, growing up…(and I particularly love his comments on Battlefield Earth!)”

What were the top five stories that influenced me and my decision to become a writer? It all started when I was a wee sapling…

I saw Star Wars when it came out in cinemas (yes, I was born in the hipp...