Questions tagged [inspiration]
Use this tag for questions about the inspiration behind ideas (names, characters, objects, titles, etc.) in science fiction or fantasy works. Use [influence] for questions about how SF&F works have influenced other works or culture.
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Is there evidence for or against the possibility that George Lucas read “Nathan the Wise”?
If I describe a famous classic work of fiction as follows:
A young orphaned chivalrous knight fighting a powerful lord meets a wise old man who will serve as his mentor, and saves a young lady who ...
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Was this poem about Superman and Robin inspired by a specific comic?
I'm wondering if eight-year-old boy-genius Gerald Bostock was inspired by an actual comic with his poem Thick as a Brick (written on the 3rd of March 1972).
Here is the relevant passage:
Won't you ...
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Did plankton inspire Giger's design for Alien
I was recently reminded that during David Attenborough's series The Blue Planet, Attenborough makes a claim that one particular form of plankton inspired the design of Giger's alien as seen in the ...
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Was this idea used in Anderson’s The Man Who Counts based on a real life idea?
In Poul Anderson's The Man Who Counts the heroes create ships made of ice to fight a battle at sea. This is rather similar to a real world project conceived during WWII - Project Habbakuk to create ...
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Inspiration for Iain M. Banks' Inversions?
Following some discussion on a private forum about the Culture series by Iain M. Banks, I found myself thinking that the science fiction novel Inversions shared some interesting similarities with the ...
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Which Abednedo are named after Beastie Boys titles?
Some Abednedo have been named after albums or songs by the Beastie Boys, most famously Ello Asty after Hello Nasty. The Abednedo themselves having been named after part of the refrain to "...
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Is Clive the robot a reference to Clive Davis?
In Despicable Me 3, the villain Balthazar Bratt, has robot sidekick named Clive. Clive is a fairly uncommon name, and Bratt (along with the theme of the movie) has an obsession with 80's pop culture ...
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What is the origin behind the line "You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon."
Famously, in The Undiscovered Country has this line by Chancellor Gorkon, in response to Spock quoting Hamlet:
You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.
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Was Falkor influenced by East Asian dragons?
Falkor reminds me of East Asian dragons, in terms of his appearance and being a luck dragon. But I only see a mention that it has been drawn to look like one. I'm wondering about clear influences or ...
user167426
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What (if anything) is the inspiration behind A’ctelios Salash in "A Wandering Inn"?
A’ctelios Salash, the Carven City, Tombhome, the Shield Kingdom which Rots - I think I've seen the concept of a rotten giant being eaten and corrupting those who eat it. But I'm not sure where!
Does ...
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Where did this idea about aboriginal hunting parties come from?
The novel Vacuum Flowers, by Michael Swanwick, features this description of primitive hunting parties:
"Don’t you know where the tetrad comes from? Eucrasia patterned us after the ancient ...
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Did Roger Zelazny ever read The Lord of the Rings?
During one of the discussions of the Chronicles of Amber, the question arose whether Zelazny thought about creating an analogue of The Lord of the Rings, and how much did Tolkien influence him? Did ...
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Did Tolkien base the beacons of Minas Tirith on a real world communication system?
In The Return of the King, a series of large wooden pyres—beacons—are lit, each in once the previous one in order appears to burn, and so in this way lead to a beacon visible from Meduseld. This ...
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Were the Challengers of the Unknown inspired by Doc Savage and his Fabulous Five?
The Challengers of the Unknown are often said to have been inspired by Doc Savage and his Fabulous Five, but I don’t know whether it's true or just fan speculation. Did Jack Kirby ever say whether the ...
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What inspired the creation of Cyrus Smith?
What inspired the character of Cyrus Smith in the novel The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne? Did Verne ever explain the concept behind the character?
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