I realized that I never posted my Appendix N for Midrea, the books that most inspired Midrea.
You'll note that a lot of these are late 80's and 90's . That is because thats the first time that I set out to create a game world as vs just playing the game. World building is not essential to play after all.
Also Midrea was built in spurts, a tiny bit in the late 80's and the rest in the late 90's (mostly) . Prior to that I was too young to really consider long term gaming (it was a hang with the buds thing) and for a good period I either didn't game or just bought GURPS books which I didn't play.
The real design came in a tiny spat in the late 80's than from I'd guess 1999 and up.
Here are the inspirational materials. Some will be familiar, inspired of course by the original appendix N. Other are just things that stuck with me. You'll note that few films has much influence on my gaming. I like movies well enough but none of them really felt right even the raft of 80's fantasy films. I've seen them they just didn't inspire. Same with TV
Now to the list
Robert Howard (and De Camp) Conan and Cthulhu mythos
Fritz Leiber Fahfrd and the Grey Mouser
J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit and less so The Lord of the Rings. This can also include the Rankin Bass animated version and the movie adaptations as well.
John Norman's Gor. Minus the excess supply of BDSM this is a fun series full of thud and blunder.
Robert Heinlein Glory Road
Louis L'amour Walking Drum and Haunted Mesa
Johan Whyss Swiss Family Robinson
Grimm's Faerie Tales
Daniel Dafoe Robinson Crusoe and other stories
Sir Walter Scott Black Arrow
Barbara Hambley: Sunwolf and Windyrose Chronicles
Katherine Kerr: Deverry stories
Kathryn Kurtz: Deryni stories
Andrea Norton: Witch World
Asprin etc: Thieves World
C. J. Cherryh Merovingen Nights
Poul Anderson: Three Hearts Three Lions
Ellis Peters: Brother Cadfeal mysteries
Steven Brust: Jehreg Cycle
Frank Herbert: Dune and the White Plague
Mercedes Lackey: Tarma and Kethry stories
Robert Adams: Horseclanst
Adams/Norton Magic in Ithkar
Rankin Bass: Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Brian Froud: Faeries (this is borderline folklore but the movie had a heavy influence so its here)
Vision of Escaflowne
Indiana Jones specifically Raiders and Temple of Doom
Sid and Marty Croft: Land of the Lost
Gnomes (book and movie)
William Goldman Princess Bride: (both movie and book)
Legend
Labyrinth
Swashbuckler (the Robert Shaw James earl Jones movie from 1976)
Terri Windling : Borderlands
Will Shetterly: Witchblood
M.Z. Bradley Sword and Sorceress Anthology
Terry Pratchet: most Disk World especially Lords and Ladies