This is the last literary reference of the year and I wanted to bring out something really special. I don’t know if I would have had the same reaction to the AURYN as a kid that I had to it as an adult, but grown-up me was fascinated by it when I read the book. I think the idea of a magical item that grants unlimited wishes, with the stipulation that the wearer loses one of the memories that makes them human, is brilliant. A friend recently showed me the movie The Brass Teapot and it reminded me of the AURYN in a huge way (you should watch it, it’s on Netflix!). No one in these situations really understands what they are giving up until the ante has been upped so much that it feels like there’s no way out. Bastian lost every memory except his mother, father, and his own name before he realized the power that the AURYN had over him. It is both the most delightful, and terrifying plot device I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.