I happen to play horror and often Cthulhu these days, so Lovecraft is cheating.

Leiber was a godsent to humankind, and people should read Lankhmar more. Merrit could be a stronger option for horror, now that I mentioned my situation, but I didn't use it as of now.

From modern appendix E: Froud can be surprinsgly useful, if you ask me. Wolfe is simply incredible, but I wouldn't suggest to try to copy him.
There should be a RPG inspired by Gormenghast but sadly there is no one. They tried to riff on Eartshea but I don't think anyone managed.

Also, you're right about Dunsany. It's funny the most decent part of the borefest that is the Silmarillion is a very worse version of Pegana.

>>97631892
>Leiber was a godsent to humankind, and people should read Lankhmar more.
You are too good for this horrible place.

>>97631790
I have no idea what Appendix N is.
>DnD on a cover
Never played that, either

t. 20th anniversary of being in this hobby in two weeks

>>97635045

It's the appendix in which Gary and Dave put their literary inspos. And it's... not bad at all even now?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appendix_N
I'd venture to say the newest versions are worth check as well, even if they are putting things which are clearly not dnd-adjacent (not that you could ever really play Tolkien with DND, but they honestly tried. I have my doubts they even considered Gormenghast for anything, contrariwise: cool as it is, it's not really adjacent to the game).

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>>97635045
A list of recommended reading to get a grasp of what a game is going for, its inspirations, etc
If it interests you at all(it doesn't but I want to talk about it anyways), I think Runequest's Appendix N predated D&D's by around a year, definitely older if you count RQ1's appendix O
It's really fascinating, both the differences in their influences(like Runequest having more history books), and the overlap(like a lot of the same novels). For example, both took inspiration from Elric iirc, but the way they included alignments are completely different
You also have games like Traveler which I THINK included a list of recommended reading, but no appendix. A lot of classic pulp sci-fi.

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Sign of the labrys by Margaret st Clair is a flawed but criminally overlooked book in Appendix N.
Leiber, Vance, Howard, Anderson, Lovecraft, Zelazny are all fantastic.
Don't sleep on Vances Lyonesse, Planet of adventure and demon princes.

>>97638741
Man I tried to get into Lyonesse but it didn't take. It started veeeeeeery slowly. I've read the first two Demon Princes books and the first book in the Leeralu duet, I really enjoy his space stuff.

>>97638750
Understandable. Check out Thieves' world by Robert Asprin.

I think both Trail of Cthulhu and Fall of Delta Green have outstanding reading lists, btw. Hite knows his shit and is not afraid to tell you to read, say, Derleth with a pinch of salt, instead of just dropping names.
(not just about polypoid horrors but also noir, spy stories and hystorical stuff for the given period)