#36. "The Stranger" by Albert Camus

In Albert Camus' "The Stranger," who is the actual stranger? The easy answer is that it's the protagonist, but what does that mean given that he's our entry point into this world? Well, it creates the perfect sense of disillusion, making one wonder the significance of life when the protagonist seems to lack a desire of it. He creates an apathetic tone around everything, starting with the death of his mother in the opening sentence. It's jarring, but it's even more odd how little he wallows over the situation. What does "The Stranger" really have to say about her death, or anyone's death for that matter? It's a book that may be short in length, but that only means that its questions and ideals are bigger and expand far beyond the bounded print of the book. 

#35. "Thanos: The Infinity Revelation" by Jim Starlin

In the realm of Marvel Comics, there's nobody who's stronger than Thanos. He's a towering force over the entire galaxy in ways that cannot be matched. While "The Infinity Gauntlet" taught us what his motivations and personal struggles were, "The Infinity Revelation" tries to expand Thanos' story by creating one of the craziest hypothetical in history. What if he and longtime sidekick Adam Warlock had clones, whose damage to the universe was just as incredulous? What if there wasn't? To say the least, it was another ride into the exploration of one man's power, and how it can go horribly wrong. With Jim Starlin once again writing, it at least has enough cohesion behind it to be interesting, but it's a far cry from its more iconic predecessor.

#34. "Silence" by Shusaku Endo

Outside of the bible, it's hard to find literature that embodies the "Test of faith" story with a precision and effectiveness. It always gets muddied in challenges that are either played too much towards the supernatural, or reliant on convenient tropes. For Shusaku Endo's "Silence," he manages to break free of the trend not by making a test of faith that sees the hero in a position of power, but one of thankless struggle - constantly citing the bible as their journey falls further and further into chaos. It's a book where sidetracking with prayers feels important to the text. How could these characters survive such turmoil? For this reason and many more, it's a story that treats faith as a real world thing, embracing it for the devout without making it isolating to the outsiders, wondering what they see in Christianity. It's the perfect example of faith, and it's easy to see why this book has withstood the test of time better than most books that get by on literal wings and prayers.

#33. "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline (Audiobook)

At the time of its release, Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" was hailed as the holy grail of nerd culture. How could it not be in a literal sense? It was about a virtual reality where 80's pop culture ran rampant and was centered to everything in the plot. They even got Wil Wheaton to read the audiobook, that's how rooted in a culture it was. But the question must be: is it more than generic pandering to a demographic that would love to be rewarded for knowing the obscure characters to Ultraman? Well, this is exactly that story in a way that's a bit disappointing. What starts as a story that has the potential to explore the infinite sadness of pop culture ends up embracing it in a way that's just as pandering as an 80's movie, but without half as much investment. 

#32. "The Infinity Gauntlet" by Jim Starlin

Following the exploits of "Thanos' Quest," Jim Starlin decided to take on a concept that is very tempting: what if one person had control over the entire universe? It's tempting, but even harder to pull off for a comic book corporation who has hundreds of heroes that are on pages read weekly, monthly, and annually. How could you possibly kill them all off and still have some merit of continuing the beloved format? Well, "The Infinity Gauntlet" became one of the biggest events in comic book history when the all powerful Thanos decided to take over the world with just a snap of his finger. What's more incredible is that in spite of this, there's something haunting and sympathetic underneath that is more human and vulnerable than one could expect. It is a goofy, overlong story for sure, but it's also one that understands the struggle of wielding power in all its forms. 

#31. "The Thanos Quest" by Jim Starlin

With The Avengers: Infinity War topping the box office, it seems like a good time to revisit what likely inspired the mighty Thanos to take over the world. While there is often more attention paid to "The Infinity Gauntlet" series, "The Thanos Quest" serves as an establishment for what the iconic series will explore. It's the story of one man who goes on a search to find The Infinity Gems. It isn't just a quest to have power, but to have a reason and a purpose. It's a story that's compelling both as an intergalactic journey but also as a look into a powerful character's psyche and the vulnerability that comes with being too much of an intimidating force for many to handle.