Nella guida originale del Dungeon Master per AD&D Gary Gygax fa un elenco di autori e opere che hanno ispirato il suo lavoro. E voi li avete letti tutti?

• Anderson, Poul: THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
• Bellairs, John: THE FACE IN THE FROST
• Brackett, Leigh
• Brown, Frederic
• Burroughs, Edgar Rice: “Pellucidar” series; Mars series; Venus series
• Carter, Lin: “World’s End” series
• de Camp, L. Sprague: LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al
• de Camp & Pratt: “Harold Shea” series; THE CARNELIAN CUBE
• Derleth, August
• Dunsany, Lord
• Farmer, P. J.: “The World of the Tiers” series; et al
• Fox, Gardner: “Kothar” series; “Kyrik” series; et al
• Howard, R. E.: “Conan” series
• Lanier, Sterling: HIERO’S JOURNEY
• Leiber, Fritz: “Fafhrd & Gray Mouser” series; et al
• Lovecraft, H. P.
• Merritt, A.: CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al
• Moorcock, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; “Hawkmoon” series (esp. the first three books)
• Norton, Andre
• Offutt, Andrew J.: editor of SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III
• Pratt, Fletcher: BLUE STAR; et al
• Saberhagen, Fred: CHANGELING EARTH; et al
• St. Clair, Margaret: THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
• Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; “Ring trilogy”
• Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al
• Weinbaum, Stanley
• Wellman, Manley Wade
• Williamson, Jack
• Zelazny, Roger: JACK OF SHADOWS; “Amber” series; et al

The most immediate influences upon AD&D were probably de Camp & Pratt, R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, H. P. Lovecraft, and A. Merritt; but all of the above authors, as well as many not listed, certainly helped to shape the form of the game. For this reason, and for the hours of reading enjoyment, I heartily recommend the works of these fine authors to you.
– E. Gary Gygax, 1979, AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 224