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