Spurred by the "What Spurs Your Imagination Thread?" what specific books, films, etc. have you incorporated into your game and how. Or what would you like to see.
For myself, I use my own travel to design a lot of ruins for exploration particularly from Cambodia - I thought Angor Wat, the Bayon, and Ta Prom were particularly inspiring - it impacts my game because if men can build things like this - in a world where giants can help, elves have centuries to develop and execute projects, and magic can be brought to bear to aid and enrich construction - I have some pretty grand castles, cities, and challenges.
I try capture some of the complexity from history to build up campaign worlds that are (IMO) a little bit more rooted in a logical economies, interelationships,and conflicts.
Specifics - a wrote a spear and shield fighter class after seeing the combat in Troy.
Using the idea of spell breaker from the Vlad Taltos stories, I have written up swords that can parry spells.
Modified the hounds a bit from the stone of farewell.
Reactive Armor (or bodies) (in different flavors) from the military.
I use a lot of wilderness photos from books a collect to help describe settings.
I use kung-fu movies to help design monasteries (both active and ruins). And I tend to make "training" part of the game, in general the players seem to like it.
Well thats a start - I hope others will add on.
My group of PCs booked a passage on a big sailing ship to cross an ocean once. I made the crew of the ship to resemble the crew of the Sulacco (the marines ship in Aliens): Apone, Hicks, Hudson, Bishop, Burke, Vasquez, etc... Even Ripley and Newt. It made it easier for me to get into character when the PCs interacted with the ship crew.
And, unknown to my players, I had the folks in a small village resemble the cast from Gilligan's Island. I used the ACTORS names instead of their tv characters... Bob, Alan, Jim, Nathalie, Tina, Russel, and Dawn...
I do that alot so I don't have to remember each of the PCs quirks and personalities.
Ultradan