Robert E. Howard wrote the Conan stories, as well as Soloman Kane. Although he has weaknesses as a writer, his stuff has a lot of energy and is still exciting to read.

Fritz Leiber wrote the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories. These are amazingly good and have a wonderful sense of humor. I first read them when I was pretty young and enjoyed them. But i have read them again over the last couple of years and find some very clever adult elements that increase my appreciation. I have actually adapted some ideas from these stories for adventures.

Gene Wolfe has written a ton of books. The books that most influenced me were The Book of the New Sun. There are four main books, beginning with The Shadow of the Torturer. The odd word choices, imaginative situations, and amazing style have greatly affected my approach to adventure creation. It may also be that Wolfe was inspired by Jack Vance's Dying Earth.

Robert E. Howard wrote the Conan stories, as well as Soloman Kane. Although he has weaknesses as a writer, his stuff has a lot of energy and is still exciting to read.

Fritz Leiber wrote the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories. These are amazingly good and have a wonderful sense of humor. I first read them when I was pretty young and enjoyed them. But i have read them again over the last couple of years and find some very clever adult elements that increase my appreciation. I have actually adapted some ideas from these stories for adventures.

Gene Wolfe has written a ton of books. The books that most influenced me were The Book of the New Sun. There are four main books, beginning with The Shadow of the Torturer. The odd word choices, imaginative situations, and amazing style have greatly affected my approach to adventure creation. It may also be that Wolfe was inspired by Jack Vance's Dying Earth.

I've also never read any of those authors, do you have any books you'd recommend by them so I can check them out?

1. History. I read a lot of history books, and these influence how I present people and societies.

2. Certain Fantasy authors such as Fritz Leiber, Gene Wolfe, and Robert E. Howard. Although these authors have very different styles, the way they used words and the situations they created are memorable in unique way.

3. Personal Experience. It is not uncommon for me to include physical extremes in my roleplaying material. That is, people near the limit of their physical capabilities. This is probably in part due to the endurance sports in which I participate. I know what it's like to keep going for hours, even when I'm suffering.