[Grimward]

I think mine was a cumulative series of things. I too watched the Apollo crew touch down and walk on the moon, after what seemed like endless hours of approach. Then we moved and the school library only had so many sports autobiographies, so I picked up Lloyd Alexander one day and, well, the rest is history! Having been an avid Marvel comic collector in my youth and a huge fan of "a long time ago...." like Chopper above kept me on course to eventually find Tolkien, Brooks, Zelazny, Williams, Wurts, Feist, Flynn, Friedman, Lackey and many others.