From Tolkien and Le Guin to modern queer fantasy books, here are some of the authors and works that have inspired me to tell stories of my own.
The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien
These are on everyone’s list, and for good reason. Tolkien’s books are some of the first fantasy stories I can remember reading as a child.
A Wizard of Earthsea and countless other works, Ursula K. Le Guin
Le Guin is one of my favorite authors and probably one of the best storytellers we’ve ever had. Her worldbuilding is in a class of its own. Every time I read something by her, I want to write my own worlds.
The Crystal Cave and the Merlin Trilogy, Mary Stewart
This is an underrated classic of the fantasy genre. Stewart was a romance author who went on to write one of the best Arthurian sagas of all time, told from Merlin’s perspective. This series got me hooked on magic.
The Eye of the World and the Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan
I started this series as an adult and have been utterly captivated by it. I’ve taken direct inspiration from this book in my magic and worldbuilding.
Queer-Friendly Fantasy like TJ Klune, Samantha Shannon, and others
More recently, I’ve been inspired by the new wave of queer-normative fantasy and science fiction. Some of them are written by queer authors and others aren’t. Either way, I’m glad these stories are finally being told.
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