Just a quick explanation here on exactly what I mean for the title of my Must Reads bookshelf.

These aren't necessarily the absolute best of the best stories, or my most favorite, but they do all share one major thing. Aside from being good stories, to get onto the must reads list here a story must do one of three things for me.

1) It must embody some of the major strengths of what can be done in particular genre. For example Past Sins is on the list because is tackles some major philosophical questions in a way that is best/most easily done in Fantasy.

2) They embody another element of writing done extremely well to the point of being a great example for other writers.

3) The story can have a message that I think everyone should be exposed to in one way or another. Usually these are also stories that tend to hit home for me personally in one way or another. (Being the literary / philosophic geek I am you can expect a few stories in this category.)