Despite your opinion of the worthiness of the AD&D DMG's Appendix N, the listing of inspirational works is of great interest to a gamer such as myself. In fact, I've compiled a similar listing of works that had some influence or impact upon my own Avremier campaign.
APPENDIX N
INSPIRATIONAL AND
EDUCATIONAL READING THAT SHAPED THE AVREMIER CAMPAIGN SETTING:
Alexander, Lloyd. "The Prydain Chronicles."
Barrie, J. M. PETER PAN.
Bauer, Steven. SATYRDAY.
Burne, Charlotte Sophia. THE HANDBOOK
OF FOLKLORE.
Cook, Glen. "The Black Company" Series;
"Dread
Empire" Series; et al.
Cooper, Louise. "The Time Master" Trilogy.
Dexter, Susan. "The Winter King's War" series.
de Lint, Charles. THE HARP OF THE GREY
ROSE; THE RIDDLE OF
THE WREN;
YARROW; et al.
Farmer, Philip José. "The Dungeon" series.
Gantz, Jeffrey. THE MABINOGION (trans.).
Garner, Alan. ELIDOR; THE WEIRDSTONE
OF BRISINGAMEN; et
al.
Gentle, Mary. RATS AND GARGOYLES; THE
ARCHITECTURE OF
DESIRE.
Hamilton, Edith. MYTHOLOGY.
Herbert, Frank. "Dune" Series.
Holdstock, Robert. "Mythago Wood" series; et
al.
Hyde, Lewis. TRICKSTER MAKES THIS
WORLD.
Kay, Guy Gavriel. "The Fionavar Tapestry"
Series.
Keyes, J. Gregory. "The Age of Unreason"
Series.
LeGuin, Ursula. "Earthsea" series; et al.
Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser"
Series; et al.
Lovecraft, H. P. esp. the "Dream Cycle" Stories.
McKillip, Patricia A. "The Riddle-Master of
Hed" Trilogy;
THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS
OF ELD; et al.
Mills, Matt (writer) & Bisley, Simon (illustrator).
SLAINE: THE HORNED GOD.
Moorcock, Michael. "Corum" Series;
"Elric"
Series;
"Hawkmoon" Series; GLORIANA; et
al.
Offutt, Andrew J. "War of the Gods on Earth"
Trilogy.
Pini, Richard and Wendy. ELFQUEST; et al.
Saberhagen, Fred. "The Books of Swords"
Series; et al.
Tepper, Sheri S. "True Game" Series; et al.
Tolkien, J. R. R. THE HOBBIT.; "The Lord of
the Rings"
Trilogy, THE SILMARILLION; et
al.
Van Lustbader, Eric. "The Sunset Warrior"
Trilogy.
Wagner, Karl Edward. BLOODSTONE, DARK
CRUSADE, DEATH
ANGEL'S SHADOW; et
al.
Wolfe, Gene. "The Book of the New Sun"
Series.
Zelazny, Roger. A NIGHT IN THE
LONESOME OCTOBER;
LORD DEMON;
LORD OF LIGHT;
"Amber" series; et al.
