The Creative Gene
The Creative Gene: How Books, Movies, and Music Inspired the Creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid is an autobiographical book written by Japanese video game designer Hideo Kojima, published on October 12, 2021, by Viz Media. Based on the collection of essays titled The Gifted Gene and My Lovable Memes which was published in Japan in 2019, the book focuses on Kojima's inspirations on his work from various pop culture media, such as books, movies and music. Exploring themes such as isolationism, loneliness, grief and death, The Creative Gene collocates personal anecdotes of Kojima's life involving his inspirations with his sentiments towards the multitude of works that inspired him. The Creative Gene received positive reviews from critics, with praise given towards Kojima's exploration of his inspirations and their influence on his life. Background and development Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer notable for creating the video game series Metal Gear and the games Policenauts, Snatcher and Death Stranding. Appraised as an "auteur" and a prominent figure in the video game industry, Kojima wrote the book The Gifted Gene and My Lovable Memes as a collection of essays detailing his inspirations. Written in Japanese, the book was originally published by Shincho Bunko and released in Japan on October 27, 2019. In February 2021, publisher Viz Media announced that a translated version of the book would be released on October 12, under the title of The Creative Gene: How books, movies, and music inspired the creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid. Premise and content The Creative Gene is an autobiographical book comprising a variety of short stories, essays and anecdotes encompassing Kojima's life, many of which focus on the various pop culture media Kojima developed an adoration for and how they have impacted him. One of the first essays in the book recounts Kojima's affinity for literature originating from his childhood; proclaiming himself as a "latchkey kid", Kojima routinely read books as a child as a way to deal with his father's death, gaining life experience from the lessons he learned from books along with movies. Kojima further elaborates his beliefs on storytelling, stating that "stories allow you to experience places you could never go – the past, the future, or distant worlds. You can become a different ethnicity or gender. Even when you're reading all by yourself, you're sharing those stories as they unfold before you with countless people whom you've never met." Kojima also discusses his routine for visiting bookstores during his free time, conveying that exploring the various works of literature helps him "become better at finding encounters that are meaningful to me, and I further hone my sensibilities." One notable essay in the book deals with Kojima's adoration of outer space stemming from his childhood. Originally published in 2009, the essay delves into the impact that space has had on Kojima's outlook on humanity and reveals his dream to venture into space someday. In the essay, Kojima expressed that he would be