If you had the ability to transmit information to your past self, but exclusively through fictional novels, which ones would you select?

Okokimup, 7 months ago

The Ash Family by Molly Dektar. But I probably still would have found a way to rationalize that I wasn’t in a cult.

Brad, 7 months ago

I’d be fucked because I never really read books as a kid, either for entertainment or even when they were assigned as school work.

Now, if I could do that with video games or Saturday morning cartoons, I’d be good.

LemmyKnowsBest, 7 months ago

Brave New World

I mean, it was already prophetic. Are you saying I get to add more details to the book? Cool. Artistic liberties.

gregorum, 7 months ago

The hitchhikers guide to buying Apple stock

root, 7 months ago

1984

omnissiah, 7 months ago

And brave new world. Reality is a mix of both depending on where you start, are and go

018118055, 7 months ago

I would send “Stand on Zanzibar” which was published before I was born and still predicted much of the past few decades

FunkyMonk, 7 months ago

Goosebumps, read a bunch of those would be able to fill a few of those 100 pages with anything a time savy mad scientist would want me to send to little me.

ekZepp, 7 months ago

Fuck information. I would send myself the last book of A Song of Ice and Fire.

Mothra, 7 months ago

Hang on, how would this work? Would my younger self see highlighted quotes of importance? Or immediately understand the message through the story morals? If my younger self is expected to understand information about my future without any kind of supernatural aid, it would be pointless

altima_neo, 7 months ago

Also my younger self didn’t read much… So all that information would be ignored.

violetraven, 7 months ago

Choose Your Own Adventure books

altima_neo, 7 months ago

Those were banging

tetris11, 7 months ago

Though to actually be a forewarning of any kind, it would have to be a pretty linear book about bad decisions

atlasraven31, 7 months ago

Yup, those are the paths I chose!

tetris11, 7 months ago

Me too, but every bad decision has a silver lining. Fine, you didn’t date a supermodel and get that 7-figure salary, but you’re also not dating someone who is just dating you for money.

atlasraven31, 7 months ago

Thanks for the pick me up.

bestusername, 7 months ago

Lotto numbers in whatever format was required.

tetris11, 7 months ago

Are these… coordinates? I must find a boat

GrappleHat, 7 months ago

Are these… a lock combo? I must find a safe!

CooperHawkes, 7 months ago

If it needs to be my high school years pretty much anything Stephen King. I remember reading “The Stand” and “It” in high school so those would be my best bet.

Leaning towards “It”. When it gets to THAT part in the caves with the kids I’ll say something like:

“Trust me, what I have to say will be less traumatic than what Mr. King spat out in some weird cocaine high… listen…”

Nobody, 7 months ago

Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. Our conscience is what makes us human and divine.

qyron, 7 months ago

I read that book and ended feeling I’m broken as a human.

The protagonist feels ashamed of being alive and trying to fend for himself, by eliminating objectively harmful individuals.

Bishma, 7 months ago (edited 7 months ago)

Depends on what age me I needed to transmit to. Grade school: The Castle in the Attic or Indian in the Cupboard series. Middle school: Steven King and Tolken. High School: Everything Douglas Adams. College: I only read textbooks

Bldck, 7 months ago

Gosh. I hadn’t thought about Indian in the cupboard in years

gregorum, 7 months ago

Ikr? I read those back in the 80s…

JaymesRS, 7 months ago

I’d rewrite It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.

SwingingTheLamp, 7 months ago

Even if I read the book How It Is Going to Happen Here, I doubt that I could have done much about it.