An interesting comment from Roger earlier today set me thinking about books that I’d use for an oath, and why.
My current choice is the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, aka “The Rubber Bible.” It contains a lot of empirical truth, and the margins of error of that truth. It does not contain philosophy or ethics, but it is the product of a lot of work that followed satisfactory methods. It symbolises objective, reproducible reality in a world that is trying to discard that concept. I find this worthwhile.
My partner immediately said Fellowship of the Ring.
Instinctively I’m thinking of childhood classics or fundamental texts… first choice was The Wind in Willows, because who would dare to do anything to spoil that?
My version of Mr Leakey would be The Box of Delights. Or the Dark Is Rising sequence.
If it had to be a Bible alternative then probably the Tao Te Ching.
For me it would be Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen. But there is a problem with that. It is a 10 books series without a 1 book omnibus version and swearing an oath on my self made ebook version which includes all 10 books doesn’t seem as powerful a gesture.
If I had to pick something, it would probably be “Guards! Guards!” by Terry Pratchett (or maybe “Going Postal”), or "Old Man’s War’ by John Scalzi.
Inspirational works, both. Pratchett is what made me want to be a writer, and Scalzi is the writer I want to write like. Pratchett is too good of a writer for me to want to write like him, it would be like wanting to paint like Picasso.