The book that changed my life.

There are a lot of books that we read over the course of our life that shape us, mold us and unconsciously make us what we are. In a way, all these books are life-changing. But if I have to talk about one book that had obvious effects on my life then it has to be -

Watchmen

I grew up reading comics and the superhero genre has always been a favorite of mine. I had heard of Watchmen often in the comic reading circles but it was always fringe, controversial or too artsy. I wasn’t ready for the book yet.

Then one day I decided I am going to read it and that was when my life changed.

It changed the way I viewed storytelling

With it’s then groundbreaking portrayal of flawed superheroes and its unconventional yet brilliant use of the comic medium, Watchmen has showed me that storytelling is an art form that is only bound by imaginary rules and if you hone your craft enough and know what works and what doesn’t, you can tell your story however you want to and still leave a tremendous impact on your readers.

It changed the way I viewed the world

They often said that comics came of age with Watchmen. This is because reading Watchmen also fundamentally changes how the readers view the world. It opened hitherto unknown doors of thought and gave me a fresh lens through which to look at the world. It made me realize through its various characters and their view points that nothing is ever as simple as we think it is, the world is a complex place and every view point has its own merits and demerits. I found myself agreeing and disagreeing with each of the characters only to finally realize that no one is completely right or wrong and our worldview needs to constantly be in flux to understand the complex web of emotions and actions around us.

It gave me something to look up to.

The book as it blew my mind also gave me an irresistible urge to create something — to create something equally profound and layered. It will always remain the work whose level of quality I aspire to one day achieve in my own work. It made me want to create something like it and that has always been the mark of a good piece of art for me.

It made me a writer

I always wanted to write but it was Watchmen that gave me the final push and necessary motivation to actually start writing books. The creative urge that it kindled will always remain the core reason why I started writing my first novel and still remains a major influence on my second book. So yes, this is the single most visibly obvious ways in which this book has affected my life. Watchmen made me a writer.

This was originally an answer on  Quora

My new book, a post apocalyptic thriller set in India-> Sinners: The dawn of kalki