As far as novels went, animator Jonathon Saunders liked Genocidal Organ, the 2007 debut novel of science fiction author Project Itoh. The premise is that a homemade nuclear weapon has destroyed Sarajevo. The leading democracies of the world turn into surveillance states. Meanwhile multiple genocides occur in developing countries. Clavis Shepherd has to track down the person he thinks is responsible.
He liked Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, an 1899 novella, in which the character Marlow narrates a voyage up the Congo River to find an ivory trader Kurtz. And Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was another favorite (on which the movie Blade Runner was based). This 1968 novel by Philip K. Dick is set in post-apocalyptic San Francisco. A global nuclear war has wiped out or endangered many species of animals. Owning an animal is a status symbol. Meanwhile Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, has to retire some escaped androids. The theme is of what it is to be human and whether empathy is a solely human ability.
He liked Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. This is a 1993 non-fiction book about formal and technical aspects of comics, and it is written in comics form. Mr Saunders also liked Making Comics by Scott McCloud. The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams was another favorite. And another classic was The Hero with a Thousand Faces, which was a 1949 work of comparative mythology by Joseph Campbell.
My Hero Academia was a favorite anime, as were classics like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. Dragon Ball Z had a big influence on the color palette of Zero-Point.
Morgan Garrett was a voice actor from Attack on Titan. This anime series is about man-eating giants who break through walls protecting humanity. Soldier Eren Jaeger sees one of the titans devour his mother. He vows to kill every titan, and he enlists some friends to help him. Morgan Garrett voices the character Rico Brzenska.
She said she was always trying to learn and improve herself and she liked self-help books. One was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. It’s a 1988 novel about a young Andalusian shepherd who travels to the Pyramids of Egypt after having a dream of finding treasure there. The boy, Santiago, is told that when you want something to happen the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true.

– continued next page
– copyright readersvoice.com