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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sepulchrave II" data-source="post: 1002675" data-attributes="member: 4303">For me, first and foremost, Earth's history, religions and languages - although not necessarily the outward manifestation of its cultures (beyond the standard pseudomedieval stuff).For years, Tolkien was a huge bugbear which loomed over my game design (and early attempts to write). I was so young and impressionable when I read (and re-read, and re-re-read) Tolkien, that it seemed that I would never shake him off.About six or seven years ago I read an essay by Ursula K. LeGuin, where she wrote about how lucky she felt that she did not encounter Tolkien until her late 'teens or early 20s. Her argument was that Tolkien was so immense, so damned perfect that, had she read HIM when she was younger, she would never had begun to write herself: HIS shadow would have loomed over everything that she tried to do, and she would always fall short of the yardstick that HE set. I envied her - and saw what my problem was immediately.I had to get over Tolkien. I have still only partially succeeded.Other than Tolkien, but still some (I would argue) great sci-fi/fantasy literature:Jack VanceGene WolfeFrank HerbertUrsula LeGuinMore pulpy, but still close to my heart:Michael MoorcockRobert E. HowardAnd medieval ballads, gestes and Arthurian stuff in spades; large amounts of mythology (mostly Norse and Finnish); and a good dose of RL religion.Blake, Milton, Dante and anything relating to Heaven, Hell angels and demons/devils.Magick and occultism. Neo-Paganism in its numerous forms. Psychedelia.Any mysticism. Any kind, from any time period.Zen.For the record I have read Feist, Brooks, and Eddings and dislike them for the same reason that I was dissatisfied with my own writing - the shadow of Tolkien looms large over them. They are but pale copies."They are but pale copies" - see what I mean? You just can't shake the bastard off. He's still there, jabbing at me.Ah, Tolkien. How I both love and hate thee!</blockquote>

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