I have a problem, and my problem is reference books. I would say I collect them, but that’s not quite true – I hoard them. Thanks to my mother, a former reference librarian, I grew up in a house packed with obscure reference books, and clearly I have inherited the obsession. I am one of those people who could never bring myself to rent or resell textbooks in college because the temptation of having yet another 1000+ page book on some hopelessly niche topic to call my own was just too much to resist, no matter how unlikely they are to ever come in handy again. I’m telling you, it’s a problem.

Now, as luck would have it, I’m a sci-fi author, and one with an almost pathological need for everything I write to be scientifically plausible, so this guilty pleasure of mine has actually come in very handy for me. I have countless memories dating back to my teen years of being so deep into researching some nitpicky little detail for a book that I was up until at least 3am, having exhausted every resource from ancient clay tablets to the World Wide Web, and probably ending up on at least one government watch list in the process for my sketchy, murder-related search history. And it’s not just me – this might be the one thing that unites all writers across genres, mediums, and target audiences. This is just… what we all do for fun, I guess.

In honor of this proud tradition, today I have compiled a brief list of my all-time favorite reference books that I think every writer should probably at least flip through, if not tattoo on their heart. May this list save you time and keep you off of government watch lists.

How to Survive Anything, Anywhere by Chris McNab

Among the most frequently-researched topics for writers is, to put it broadly, survival. If you’re going to write fiction, I guarantee you that at some point, you will need a book like this. Whether you’re trying to keep your characters alive or escort them politely to their graves, I promise there is something in this book you can use. This thing covers how to predict the weather, how to navigate in the wilderness, how to treat broken bones and stitch open wounds, how to spot a concealed knife, how to win a fistfight, how to stave off deep vein thrombosis on long plane rides, what to do if you get taken hostage by terrorists, how to use those loopy things they lower down to pull you up into a helicopter, and so, so much more. Someone gave this to me in high school and man, oh man, did I torture some characters with it. I can’t recommend it enough.

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

This one is for my sci-fi buddies out there, or frankly anyone else who’s ever been annoyed by some arrogant science-y person on the internet proclaiming that a sci-fi book is trash because the science isn’t realistic. Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics with more books, papers, and accolades than you can shake a stick at, and in this book he goes through a whole laundry list of popular sci-fi technologies (including but not limited to teleportation, force fields, faster-than-light travel, and time travel) and discusses exactly what it would take to make them a reality. The focus of this book isn’t on discounting these things as unrealistic and shooting down any author who tries to write them, but on explaining exactly, precisely how something could actually work. It’s not only useful but deeply inspiring (I say that as both a writer and an engineer), and an incredibly fun read.

Howdunit Forensics: A Guide for Writers and Murder and Mayhem, both by D.P. Lyle, M.D.

When do decomposing bodies start to smell? Can you kill someone with a stun gun? How does cyanide poisoning work? Whether you’re writing crime fiction or not, you’ve probably asked yourself, and perhaps the internet, a few questions like this before. This is where most of us really start to worry about our search histories coming back to bite us someday. Well, fret not, because I pulled all three of those from the table of contents of Dr. Lyle’s Murder and Mayhem, which is a compilation of dozens upon dozens of questions sent in by writers and answered by a medical doctor. Dr. Lyle has consulted for shows like Law & Order, CSI: Miami, and many more, and has blessed the world with a plethora of books on medicine geared specifically for writers.

Forensics: A Guide for Writers is along the same lines, but structured more like a typical nonfiction or reference book. It covers everything from autopsies to blood types to criminal psychology, with loads of chilling and fascinating case studies peppered throughout. However you want your character to die, you can bet it’s in there somewhere.

As I mentioned, Dr. Lyle has a ton of other books that are along the same lines, which I’m sure are similarly fabulous. These are just the two I’ve read. I’d warn you that these books aren’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re writing this stuff enough to need them, I think you’ll be fine. Either way, consider yourself forewarned.

A good psychology book (or two) (or ten)

I don’t have a specific recommendation here (or rather, I have too many), but I do want to put in a plug for books from the field of psychology in general. From textbooks to self-help titles, psychology books are a fantastic resource for help you build more believable, relatable, and interesting characters. Beyond that, mental health and mental illness are very, very tricky topics that many writers want to tackle but aren’t quite sure how to approach. If that sounds like you, gathering a stockpile of resources on this topic isn’t a bad idea.

And finally, a special shoutout to my neighbors, who I’m sure watched me crouching in my yard like a gremlin taking pictures of books on a specific and very carefully selected piece of flagstone for approximately half an hour. Your patience is an inspiration to us all.