Many of us started reading speculative fiction as children. The books we picked up, whether they were recommended by our parents, friends, or were found at the library, often have had a profound affect on our later reading and writing tastes.
For me, there are three writers in particular who influenced me – the first was Anne McCaffrey – her seamless integration of sci fi and fantasy ideas in her Pern series captivated me, and it reached a pinnacle in the hauntingly sad Moreta’s Ride.
On the fantasy side, JRR Tolkien’s middle earth sucked me in and remains my go=to series for what an epic fantasy should be.
And later, Sheri S. Tepper’s works were some of the first that just made me sit back on my heels at the end of the book and just think about what she had written. They pretty much blew my mind.
So my questions today: Who are the speculative fiction writers who most influenced you as a writer? They can be mainstream or LGBTIQA. And why?