The Creative Gene

The Creative Gene: How Books, Movies, and Music Inspired the Creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid

Author	Hideo Kojima
Cover artist	Adam Grano
Language	English Japanese
Genre	Autobiographical
Publisher	Shincho Bunko (Japan) Viz Media (United States)
Publication date	October 12, 2021
Publication place	United States Japan
Pages	256
ISBN	978-1-974-72591-5

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.