I became a great lover of science fiction and fantasy as a child. I discovered an old cache of books belonging to my uncle featuring boy inventor Tom Swift. I later became a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs. About the only fantasy back then was Lord of the Rings and I read that several times in High School. It was only in college that I began to read and appreciate other literature. Now I'm a big lover of Twain, Dickens, and Shakespeare. My favorite modern authors are Richard Adams, Amy Tan, Harry Turtledove, and Stephen King.  I teach seventh grade U.S. History in Nevada.