The most influential books on the shape of Dark Ages include:
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion
- Robert E. Howard, Conan series
- Michael Moorcock, Elric series
- Ursula LeGuin, Earthsea trilogy
- H.P. Lovecraft, "Call of Cthluhu," "Shadows Over Innsmouth," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Rats in the Walls," The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, At the Mountains of Madness
- Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment, The Wicked Day
- Fritz Leiber, Fafhrd and the Mouser series
- John Norman, Gor series
- Edgar Rice Burroughs, Mars series
Other works of fantasy literature that have influenced me in more general ways:
- Poul Anderson, Three Hearts and Three Lions
- Piers Anthony, Xanth series
- Robert Asprin, Thieves World series, Myth series
- James Branch Cabell, Figures of Earth, The Silver Stallion, Jurgen
- Gary Gygax, Gord the Rogue series
- Katherine Kurtz, Deryni series
- Patricia McKillop, Riddle-Master of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, Harpist in the Wind
- Terry Pratchett, Discworld series
- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter series
Classical fantasy:
- Sin-lequi-unnini, Gilgamesh
- Homer, The Odyssey
- Vergil, The Aeneid
- Dante, The Divine Comedy
- Beowulf
- The Mabinogion
- Nibelungenlied
- Chretien de Troyes, Arthurian romances
- Wolfram von Eschenbach, Parzival
- Sir Thomas Malory, The Morte Darthur
- Ariosto, Orlando Furioso
- Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
- Alfred Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King