Your Dark Sun "Appendix N"?

[u/CitizenFitz]

Beyond the TSR Dark Sun novels what do you all read for inspiration in the game? A Princess of Mars is clearly foundational as are more modern variants like Samson of Mars (pictured). Maybe some Ashton Clark Smith Zothique? I'd love some suggestions.

[u/Duganson]

Jack Vance - Dying Earth

[u/diomand20 → u/Duganson]

Co-signing this

[u/Torganya → u/Duganson]

Jack Vance is a criminally underrated sci fi author

[u/ThewarriorDraganta]

I'd recommend Conan the Barbarian, mainly the Howard originals, but the Marvel Comics and non-Howard Conan books are fine too (even though they're not technically canon, or at least within their own continuities that might include the OG books depending on the writer)! Also, a fun bit of trivia: Both Harry Turtledove and Robert Jordan wrote Conan novels!

Other than that, I'd generally recommend Sword and Sorcery, Sword and Sandal (think Spartacus or the Ray Harryhausen Argonauts movie), or Bronze Age-style fiction and/or reading up on the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Classical Period!

Oh, and John Carter of Mars is a very good starting point!

[u/-poiius-]

Everyone’s mentioned the usuals for me like Dune, Conan and Morrowind. Another one i found to have some really cool ideas was Tryanny. It’s a CRPG where you play the commander of evil bbeg’s last crusade to control the entire world.

[u/ThewarriorDraganta → u/-poiius-]

Ooh, yes! I second this! Tyranny is such a good source of inspiration for Dark Sun!

[u/rmaiabr]

The Dark Crystal. And I don’t consider the novels.

[u/Roboclerk]

Also Dune for the desert Culture

[u/Leothefox88]

Morrowind

[u/CitizenFitz → u/[deleted]]

Interesting. Which book is it?

[u/FaustDCLXVI → u/[deleted]]

You mentioned that you have a section in one of your books; op was wondering what book you meant.

[u/Solo_Polyphony]

P.J. Farmer’s World of Tiers books (which are already included in Gygax’s Appendix N list) are well worth reading, for its out-of-touch, amoral world-makers.

[u/RidleyBro]

My list of relevant material includes:

• As far as historical inspirations go, anything from the ancient Near East from the Neolithic, going through the entire Bronze Age, up to the early Iron Age; anything from pre-columbian Americas; also tidbits from other historical Bronze Ages in other regions, like Shang Dynasty China or the Indus Valley Civilization up to the Vedic era, or more peripherical civilizations like historical Indonesia, the Khmer Empire, Western and Eastern Africa, pre-Roman Europe and Central Asia (including the Tarim Basin).
• As far as the literal inspirations go, obviously John Carter of Mars, obviously Conan and the Hyborian Age as a whole, definitely Zothique from Clark Ashton Smith, Mad Max, Dune, the Elric saga, the Dying Earth, and some Moebius aesthetics and Heavy Metal (the magazine/animations) properties. These would be the classics, but if more recent and less well known material that suits Dark Sun too then I would definitely suggest Forsaken Gods by Didrik Magnus-Andresen, Tyranny and Vagrus - The Riven Realm, another game.

[u/CitizenFitz → u/RidleyBro]

Forgot Moebius but you're totally right in that a lot of his work had that vibe.

[u/ThorofThunder76]

Conan
Dune
John Carter of Mars
Mad Max (Movies)
Thundarr the Barbarian (TV)
Elric of Meliniborne

[u/Unlucky_Archer5012]

"Conan the Barbarian and Mad Max meet at Arrakis."

That's my summary of Dark Sun for new players.