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.

Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for film and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hired by Konami, for which he designed and wrote Metal Gear (1987) for the MSX2, a game that laid the foundations for stealth games and the Metal Gear series, his best known and most appreciated works. At Konami, he also produced the Zone of the Enders series, as well as wrote and designed Snatcher (1988) and Policenauts (1994), graphic adventure games regarded for their cinematic presentation.