For the last few months I’ve been doing my best to post a weekly Eberron Q&A. I’m going to continue to write these Dragonmarks, but as I am developing a new fantasy setting, I’m going to mix Eberron posts up with discussion of the new world and more general topics. This question seems like a good bridge, as it applies both to Eberron and the work I’ll be doing in the future.
What are your all-time favorite novels, and have they significantly influenced your work?
I read a great deal as a kid. J.R.R. Tolkien and Edgar Rice Burroughs; Oz, Wonderland, and Narnia; Douglas Adams and Robert Anton Wilson; I loved them all. Narrowing it down to favorites is very difficult, because there’s so many stories that I love. It helps that you say “novels”, but I’ll note that something that has definitely influenced my work is mythology and folklore. As a child I read all the myths I could find. When other kids wanted to play Cops & Robbers, I convinced them to play Egyptian vs Greek Gods. From stories of Baba Yaga and the Brothers Grimm to The One Thousand and One Nights, I loved reading the stories that shaped beliefs and cultures, and I definitely think that this has affected my work. So I’m going to focus on novels—mostly—but if you don’t know your folklore, give it a try.
As for novels… in the interests of not having an infinite list, I’m picking ten. These are books I definitely want to have in whatever the media of the day is for the rest of my life.
Night’s Master by Tanith Lee
Take the lyrical style and interwoven stories of The Thousand and One Nights and set it in a world we’ve never seen. I don’t know if I can point to a specific place where the Tales from the Flat Earth have affected my work, but I love the flavor of her world; there’s certainly a touch of the demons of the Underearth in my portrayal of Quori and Daelkyr.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Honestly, I prefer the movie version of The Maltese Falcon to the book, but there’s no comparison when it comes to The Big Sleep. Looking for inspiration for a story set in Sharn? Make Eddie Mars a Boromar halfling, Phillip Marlowe a Tharashk excoriate, and you’re halfway there.
Last Call by Tim Powers
Tarot and the legend of the Fisher King meets Bugsy Siegel and the story of Las Vegas. As someone who loves both magic and games, I enjoy the way this story weaves poker and tarot together. Declare—a cold war espionage novel that deals with radio telegraphy and djinni—comes as a close second.
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
I love the way that Martin creates a world that feels as though it could be real, and the degree to which most of his characters—albeit not all—feel human. Heroes have flaws, and villains at least have motivations we can understand. My interest has dropped a little over the last few books, and I wish Martin would take a page from Eddings or Tepper—end this story arc in a satisfying way, and then tell OTHER stories set in the world as opposed to having the single story that just refuses to come to any real conclusion. Nonetheless, it’s a fantastic series, and taken alone I love the first novel. If I were to point to an impact on Eberron, I suppose I’d say that it’s a world full of intrigues and one where good and evil aren’t always clear cut.
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
It’s a classic and surprisingly fun and easy to read. If you like Stephen Brust’s Phoenix Guards stories, you really should read the original. And setting aside the fact that it’s a classic pulp adventure, change the Musketeers to the Knights of Thrane and Richelieu to Krozen and you have another Eberron campaign ready to go!
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
I mentioned that I love mythology, right? Thus, it’s no surprise that I love Neil Gaiman’s exploration of gods lingering in the modern world. I don’t think there’s a particular impact from this in Eberron, but there are a few threads that are relevant to the new world I’m working on.
The Dictionary of the Khazars by Milorad Pavic
This is a story written in the form of not one, but three dictionaries whose entries describe a particular event. Aside from the novelty of the format, I love the flavor of the tales themselves—from Princess Ateh with her mirror that runs slow, to the chicken that laid a Tuesday. Again, not much impact on Eberron, really, but you’ll certainly see some of its influence in the new world.
The Tain, translated by Thomas Kinsella
The epic tale of Cuchulainn. The style is archaic, and you may find it awkward. Personally, I love the way that style captures the flavor of the culture; as one reviewer says, you can imagine a bard telling the tale in a smoky hall. If you enjoyed, say, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, you might be surprised by the martial exploits of Cuchulainn and his Celtic comrades; the warriors of the tales can leap atop an opponent’s thrown javelin, or catch it midflight and fling it back at the enemy. Certainly if you’re looking for inspiration for using, say, The Book of Nine Swords, The Tain will give you a host of ideas.
While the question was “novels”, the fact of the matter is that Phillip K. Dick is one of my favorite authors of all time, yet I prefer his short stories to his novels. His ideas are brilliant, and I love the way he questions memory and identity, but often an idea can be captured perfectly well in a short piece. I also appreciate the fact that he’s not afraid to have a story end poorly for the protagonist—something the movies based on his work often forget. “Second Variety”, “Minority Report”, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”, and “Imposter” are great places to start (in part to contrast them to the movies that they’ve spawned), but it’s hard to go wrong with his short stories. Lei, Thorn, and Pierce are perhaps characters that are especially influenced by Dick, but his fingerprints are all over my brain.
Likewise, it’s not a novel, but if I’m talking about literary influences it would be ridiculous to leave Lovecraft off of it. Lovecraft is scattered throughout Eberron, from the cosmic threat of the Overlords and the decaying families of the Shadow Marches and the horrors of the Daelkyr. And “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” surely played some role in my love of dream adventuring and the appearance of the Quori. Other favorite stories include “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” and “The Whisperer in Darkness”… but again, it’s hard to go wrong here.
As I said, those are ten things I know I will read again tomorrow, and that I want to make sure stay on my shelf. But there’s so many other authors and stories that I’ve loved. Just for the swift honorable mention:
- Michael Moorcock. As a latchkey kid, I grew up with Elric and Corum. I loved the stories of cursed swords and doomed heroes, and the battle between all-to-often distant order and sardonic chaos. If this affected my work in some way, I think it set in my mind that things don’t always have to end well for the heroes; even if they save the world, all too often there is a terrible price for power or victory.
- Jack Vance. If you’ve heard the term “Vancian Magic” and don’t know what it means, you should read Jack Vance’s Dying Earth books just for that. Beyond that, though, I love the untraditional approach of Vance’s fantasy. His Cugel isn’t a fighter or a wizard, and the challenges he faces and the ways he overcomes them are as clever as they are often bizarre. The Cugel stories have a unique cadence and style, and if you don’t enjoy it they probably aren’t going to be good books for you—but you should definitely give them a try. While you’re at it, check out Robin D. Law’s Dying Earth RPG!
- William Gibson. While his latest books haven’t really grabbed me, Neuromancer kicked off my love affair with the cyberpunk genre, and it still holds up for me today.
- Neal Stephenson. I started with Snow Crash, and that’s still an awesome read. However, anything he writes is sure to be interesting.
- Sherri S. Tepper. The True Game books have flaws. However, they are quick and easy to read, and I like the flavor and culture that she builds around the talents. It’s something that could easily go farther and deeper, but as a quick read, I enjoy it.
- Stephen Brust. As with Tepper, I wouldn’t put Brust’s books on my all-time classics list. But they’re fun. What I also enjoy is the way that he shows the impact of magic on a civilization over time – with the Khaavren books showing a society where magic is just beginning to play a role, and the Taltos books taking things to a place where teleportation and resurrection are everyday things. Again, not the best books out there, but quick reading and fun to explore.
- Fritz Lieber. I give you this line from Swords Against Death: “In the Cold Waste they sought for Fafhrd’s Snow Clan, only to discover that it had been last year overwhelmed by a lemming horde of Ice Gnomes, and according to best rumor, massacred to the last person…”
- P.G. Wodehouse. I don’t think he’s had any impact on any of my work except possibly Gloom, but I love me some Bertie and Jeeves.
A few more honorable mentions: The Black Company by Glenn Cook; Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco; Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card; The Princess Bride by William Goldman; Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. I just started rereading Good Omens at lunch, and I recently finished Redshirts. I’m sure I’ll think of another dozen books in an hour, but I think this will do for now.
How about all of you? What are some of your favorite novels, and what’s influenced your stories or adventures?
The series isn’t finished yet, but Patrick Rothfuss’ “Name of the Wind” is one of the most engrossing novels I’ve read in recent years. Like R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire, the setting and its people have a very authentic, tangible nature. The magic is part of the world, something I strive for when DMing.
A bit more mainstream, but the Deathgate Cycle by Weis & Hickman is imaginative and a fantastic exercise in world-building. I’ve lifted the ‘sundered world’ bit at least once when DMing.
Hi Keith. Interesting post, especially concerning inspirations for Eberron. Curiously, I always thought that Sharn resembled a lot some stories by Philip K. Dick, and that Warforged were similar to some of his characters. Curiously, talking about graphic novels, I also find Eberron similar to Gotham city in many respects, and think that some aspects of Eberron could be called a blend of Tolkien and Batman.
On the other hand, I noticed that no novels that resembled Flamers were mentioned (apart from the Three Musketeers, which yet would not have Flamer heroes), and that many novels served as inspiration for the ‘bad guys’ (from Xoriat, Dal Quor, etc.). Even if not your favorites, would there be stories that serve as inspiration for the Silver Flame as a beacon of hope? In the ECS the name of the rose is mentioned (also written by Umberto Eco). Seems like Eberron would be doomed according to most of those literary inspirations, and I always had the feeling that a lot of hope came from the idea of the Flame. I think you mentioned that both Christianity and the Jedi served as its inspiration, and the Church is an important actor in Eberron. Actually, literary scholars consider that Tolkien’s Catholicism served as the basis of many aspects of the lord of the rings (e.g. the humble hobbits save the world, the dangers of magic and its temptations, sacrifice, etc.), while Narnia obviously has Christian themes. I think that some of the short stories about St. Francis of Assisi would also serve as inspiration for Flamers from the order of friars.
Lastly, it’s curious that you mention a game of thrones, because I always (perhaps erroneously) thought that Eberron was somehow inspired on the Birthright CS, and there is a rumor that a game of thrones may have copied or used many ideas from Birthright as inspiration, and that even some characters from the novels had names similar to those of Birthright developers (e.g. Ed Stark).
Even if not your favorites, would there be stories that serve as inspiration for the Silver Flame as a beacon of hope?
The point is that these are some of my favorite NOVELS, Nicolas – and there are many more inspirations for Eberron beyond novels. As I said, two of my primary inspirations are mythology and folklore. An even more important one is history. The Last War wasn’t inspired by a novel, it was inspired by real wars including the Hundred Years War, WWI and WWII. Meanwhile, I’ll say that I’ve always been a fan of Joan of Arc; as a female paladin who is called by divine forces to face an evil threatening her nation, you might see Tira Miron’s resemblance to a certain saint. Sometimes history makes a better story than fiction!
I have always wondered about Ed Stark – who, by the way, is an awesome guy.
Thanks for your answer! Actually, now that you mention history, Eberron is my favorite CS, among other reasons, because of its historical and theoretical analogies (intended or not). As a (soon!) PhD in international law the political landscape of Khorvaire has always struck me as similar to the one in Europe after the peace of Westphalia, which pave the way for the system of inter-state relations. On the other hand, I can’t but think of the cold war (and James Bond, for a reason, specially concerning Thorn of Breland). Additionally, the society and history of Eberron are so well-crafted, that I can’t help but think that one of my favorite novels, Tolstoy’s War and Peace, could be adapted, perhaps having King Boranel as Napoleon in ‘democratic’-imperialistic efforts across Khorvaire (Europe). And additionally, about Birthright and Game of Thrones, it’s also been pointed out that both mention an ‘iron throne’, whose conquest is a goal of characters (which was first mentioned in Birthright). By the way, you’re a cool guy as well!
By the way, will we be able to support your work on the new world via kickstarter? When will you post more information about it?
My apologies for the slow response on this! We will be taking the new world to Kickstarter early next year, and you can expect much more information – and a chance to discuss it – here in the weeks and months leading up to it.
Thanks for the reply!
What inspires me most? When it comes to world building it is probably Robert Jordan’s WoT. What I love is how he takes the most ordinary environments and is able to make them magical. He doesn’t have to resort to the strange, unexpected or extraordinary to write a spellbinding story. He is able to show the extraordinary in the most ordinary. His characters are just ordinary everyday people, even godlike personalities like the forsaken, but he still manages to make them epic in spite of, or perhaps because of, their ordinariness.
For character development, it is probably Robin Hobb’s Farseer or Liveship Traders trilogies. I haven’t read any other books which can compare in term of richness and life-like quality of characters.
My greatest inspiration however is history and mythology which probably makes up most of my bookshelf as well. If I had to recommend two books from the latter, it would probably be Penny Miller’s Myths and legends of Southern Africa – probably the most mind-blowing collection of folklore ever, with some of the most beautiful interior artwork as an added bonus. And secondly, the Bible. This might be a strange recommendation, especially coming from an atheist, but if you put aside all the negative associations, this book really is a page turner.
Some books you might like, based on your own recommendations:
- If historical romances like three musketeers are your thing, try Robert Louis Stevenson’s the Black Arrow -probably my favourite in the genre.
- Mary Gentle’s Orthe series – an epic quest-cum-murder mystery-cum-political intrigue story set in the most life-like alien world ever created.
- Brian Aldiss’ Heliconia trilogy – I can’t describe it, there just nothing else like it.
- Jorge Luis Borges’ earlier work, when he wrote weird fiction, not the later self-conceited literary bullshit.
- Italo Calvino’s earlier work, when he wrote weird fiction, not the later self-conceited literary bullshit.
Thanks, Newb! I do enjoy Borges and Calvino. I don’t know Orthe or Heliconia – I’ll check them out!
Speaking of the Bible, apparently I was a rules lawyer at an early age. When my mother was reading the Bible to me, I was bothered by the fact that when Daniel is sent into the lions’ den, he’s saved because “God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions.” I was troubled by this, asking “But why didn’t they just kill him with their CLAWS?”
Beyond the Bible, there are some amazing stories to be found in the lives of the Saints. The second installment of my Hellcow series – in Atlas Games’ En Route II – is an exaggerated (IE, the possessed livestock breathe fire) variation of story from a Byzantine saint’s life. Ditto for most of the pieces I wrote for the Living Lore supplement for Ars Magica… though of course, that’s sort fo the idea OF Ars Magica.