Sarah J. Maas Reveals How ‘Buffy,’ ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lord of the Rings’ Inspired Her Books

Bestselling fantasy author Sarah J. Maas shares the childhood books, television shows, and movies that heavily influenced her storytelling and character development. Growing up as an avid fan of The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Sailor Moon, Maas developed a strong desire to see multifaceted women take center stage in epic adventures. In particular, the complex personality of Buffy the Vampire Slayer directly inspired the multifaceted protagonist, Celaena Sardothien, in her Throne of Glass series. Furthermore, unexpected sources like the dark musical score in Disney's Cinderella and various global fairy tales sparked the creative concepts for her expansive fantasy worlds. Ultimately, these formative pop culture obsessions guided Maas from writing fan fiction as a teenager to creating her own beloved literary universes.

"Open a book. Discover a world."

This episode includes AI-generated content.