1984 by George Orwell (bigbigbig influence)
I suspect Orwell wouldn't like the influence that that book has had on society.
^^^^
Especially the sort of people who quote it. Anyway it isn't really a good book tbh, far too preachy and didactic. From what I have read of Orwell he is a much better essayist and journalist than novelist (admittely this is only based on
1984 and
Animal Farm for his novels).
If I gave a list it would be mostly made out of Internet People, Academics, Film Directors and Critics and Authors (especially SF and Fantasy authors). At least out of persons, I guess ideas and ideals related to what might be termed "Radical Romanticism" also. Ideas (especially abstract one to which I can weave my own little dent) inspire me more than people do.
Off the top of my head Stanley Kubrick, Clifford Geertz, Philip K. Dick, Frederik Pohl, Marshal Sahlins and Alfred Bester would certainly feature and I have no shame in the "lowbrow highbrow" nature of this.
