CYBERPUNK

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
http://www.strangewords.com/archive/stephenson.html
Considered a tour-de-force of the cyberpunk fiction genre, The Diamond Age follows a street-waif named Nell and her consequent adventures with a piece of state-of-the-art technology that was never meant for her use. The title of Li's scene in Act VIII.

Ghost in the Shell
http://www.neomythos.com/intheshell
One of the most thought-provoking science-fiction/cyberpunk anime to come out on the market, this movie tells the story of cyborg "police" working in a future Hong Kong. The Shadowwing concept is loosely based off of this.

Idoru by William Gibson
http://www.virtualmatrix.org/
Gibson's thrilling novel, set in future Tokyo, follows the shadowy exploits of virtual idol singer Rei Toei. The virtual "network" which is the SnK version of the internet is almost entirely based on Chia McKenzie's Sandbender landscapes and Masuhiko's Walled City.

Neuromancer by William Gibson
http://www.virtualmatrix.org/
Another wonderful cyberpunk thriller/drama by Gibson, basically a deeper version of the movie "The Matrix." The Shadowwing assassins, especially Darkflight, are also very loosely based on Molly's character, and Li's computer expertise is drawn partly from Case's character.

Serial Experiments Lain
http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lain.htm
Probably the most famous cyberpunk anime yet. Lain takes what authors like Gibson and Stephenson wrote about and put it into visual form. Lain provided additional inspiration for the "network" in SnK, as well as Duo's simulation battles with the VR set.

CULTURAL

Cirque du Soleil
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/default.htm
A circus like you've never seen. The inspiration for Trowa and Catherine's circus acts.

Confessions of a Yakuza by Saga Junichi
http://www.thejapanpage.com/html/book_directory/Detailed/363.shtml [book]
http://web.dar.net/~northrup/yakuza.html [general yakuza link]
The true story of Ichiji Eiji, one of the last true yakuza bosses of Japan. This book, which is basically Ichiji's autobiography, was compiled in 1989 by a Japanese doctor from Tsuchiura, Japan who was treating Ichiji as one of his patients. It's interesting to compare what the "true" life of a yakuza was like to the representations we see of them in the media and fiction. Trowa's past and his scene in Act VII was inspired by this.

The Harvest Moon Festival
http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/festivals/0995_MidAutumn.html
Also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Harvest Festival, or the Moon Festival, and known as "Zhong Qiu Jie" in Chinese (Jong Tsuw Jiit in Cantonese), this is an annual Chinese holiday and festival celebrating the full moon. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the old Chinese lunar calendar. Staples of the festival include large gatherings of family and friends and the traditional eating of "moon cakes." Title and setting for Wufei's Act 0 scene.

The Italian Mafia
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/orgcrime/lcn/ioc.htm
We all know what the Mafia is. Inspiration for Trowa in Act VII.

GEOGRAPHICAL

Beijing, China
http://www.beijingpage.com/
China's capital, site of Tiananmen Square, and more or less the spot where Wufei settles after the war. Also Dermand Etille's present place of station in Navidad.

Clinton Community College, New York, USA
http://clintoncc.suny.edu/
A college close to where Quicksilver lives. The Cliffside Heights Campus is designed (physically and historically) off of this place.

Galicia, Spain
http://www.red2000.com/spain/region/r-galic.html
Region of northern Spain where the Catalonia estate is located, near Santiago de Compestela, the capital of the region. Featured in Navidad.

Geneva, Switzerland
http://www.geneva-guide.ch/
The site of the Preventers Headquarters and the SnK political hotspot.

Jupiter
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/jupiter.html
The largest planet in our solar system. One of Jupiter's moons is the site of the terraformed colony A007.

Lake Victoria, Kenya, Africa
http://www.jambokenya.com/jambo/location/victoria.htm
The world's second largest freshwater lake and the former location of the OZ Specials Academy as seen in Noin's Commander's Log.

McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, USA and Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, USA
http://www.mcguire.af.mil/
http://www.randolph.af.mil/
The layout and design of the Preventers' base is modeled after these two bases.

Milan, Italy
http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milan
Where Ilene's terrorist cell relocates to and where Trowa makes his violent appearance at the end of Act VIII.

Kashmir, India
http://www.ummah.org.uk/kashmir/
A region long disputed between the countries of Pakistan and India since World War II, this is the location of Kashmir Command Base and the Preventers Missile Defense System.

Royal Air Force Station Mildenhall, England and Ramstein Air Base, Germany
http://www.mildenhall.af.mil/
http://www.ramstein.af.mil/
These two bases are mentioned in Navidad as places where Alicia Catalonia is/has been stationed since graduating from the Academy.

Sparta, Greece
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/GREECE/SPARTA.HTM [Ancient Sparta]
http://www.laconia.org/ [Modern Sparta]
The famed ancient warriors' city, now the site of the Preventer's Sparta Command Base and the bulk of their mobile suit force.

Tower of the Americas, San Antonio, Texas, USA
http://toweroftheamericas.com/
Inspiration for the White Dove, the restaurant where Dorothy and Milliard have dinner in Act II.

United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, USA
http://www.usafa.af.mil/
Resource for the design and layout of the OZ Specials Academy in the Commander's Log.

HISTORICAL

Date Masamune
http://www.samurai-archives.com/masamune.html
This 16th century Japanese shogun and daimyo (clan leader) was instrumental in spearheading modern concepts, such as land reclamation and salt refining, to the provinces under his control, as well as sponsoring the first foreign embassy mission. He is most famous for founding the city of Sendai. Li's Breaks contact in Act VIII names himself Masamune, dressing in the costume of the period.

The French Revolution
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/
A roundabout reference, mostly in the two Trowa scenes of Acts VII and VIII as well as Enjolras' philosophy. The slogan "liberty, equality, fraternity" which opens Trowa in Act VII was the theme of the Revolution.

The Geneva Conventions
http://www.icrc.org/ihl
The 1949 convention that resulted in the passing of laws regarding humane action during war, treatment of prisoners, and care of wounded and sick. Though the Geneva Conventions are obsolete by the time of Gundam Wing, similar laws most likely exist. Reference for Quatre's preliminary hearing.

The Kent State Massacre
http://www.alancanfora.com/
Perhaps not quite a "massacre," as it's now referred to, but a tragedy nonetheless. Several students were killed when student riots at Kent State University, Ohio, during the Vietnam War got out of hand. The riots at Cliffside in Act III are based off this.

The Nuremberg Trials
http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/imt/
Probably the most famous war trial in history, with 24 German military and civilian leaders convicted of various war crimes during World War II. A large inspiration for the charges brought up against Quatre.

The Tiananmen Square Massacre
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/tiananmen.html/
In June 1989, Chinese student demonstrators for democratic reform in Beijing were quelled by the Communist government in the form of military intervention, resulting in hundreds, if not thousands, of deaths. Historical reference for Wufei's scene in Act III.

The Vietnam War
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/vietnam/
Probably the most controversial conflict in US history and one that continues to be debated today. War crimes, terrorism, guerilla warfare, and rebellion find a new meaning here. Themes from Vietnam crop up all over SnK.

The World Trade Center Attack
http://www.thewtcmemorial.com/
Our most recent historical reference and the worst disaster to ever occur on American soil. We don't really have a specific reference for it in SnK, but it's good to keep the memory of this in mind as you consider the political and military themes of Gundam Wing.

LITERATURE

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
http://www.allshakespeare.com/hamlet.php
Dorothy and Etille quote from and discuss this play in Act VII.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
http://www.online-literature.com/victor_hugo/les_miserables/ [book]
http://www.lesmis.com/ [musical]
The theme of Ilene's terrorist cell. Enjolras' name is taken from this book, and Trowa leaves a copy of it as he burns the cell's hideout. Some of the opening song lyrics for different scenes are taken from the musical.

Poems of Innocence and Experience by William Blake
http://www.blakearchive.org/
These are the most famous of Blake's work. Dorothy reads some of them from an old book of Alicia's in Navidad.

Ulysses by James Joyce
http://www.uwm.edu/Library/special/exhibits/clastext/clspg158.htm
Joyce's most famous and most controversial work happens to be one of Gerald's favorite books. Wufei translates this book in Act V when he can't sleep, just before Heero and Darkflight enter. A hacker in Ilene's resistance group also takes the name Joyce.

MILITARY

The Code of Conduct
http://www.pos.net/Marine/code.html
The code to which all American military members are taught to abide by should they ever be captured in war. Noin adheres to a version of this in her scenes in captivity, especially in Act II.

Gettysburg/ The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
http://www.geocities.com/roguexr18/main.html [book]
http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/g/gettysburg.html [movie]
Shaara's retelling of the Battle of Gettysburg was later made into a successful movie starring Martin Sheen. Many of the songs from the SnK soundtrack come from the movie.

Glory
http://moviething.com/members/movies/movieviews/index197.shtml
The story of the 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment during the American Civil War. A few of the songs from the soundtrack come from this movie.

The Law of Armed Conflict
http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/organisation/info_on/operations/law.htm
The Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) relates to the Geneva Conventions. Developed after World War II in response to the Nazi atrocities of war, LOAC attempts to construct humane "rules" by which war should be fought. Violators of these rules are subject to international law. The principles of LOAC are the basis for the charges against Quatre.

Return With Honor
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/honor/
Tom Hanks' stunning documentary on the experiences of American Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War. The Tap Code that Noin uses in Act IV is the code that POWs used to communicate with each other in captivity.

Robert E. Lee
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LEE/lee.html
There are several references in SnK to this Civil War Confederate general, who happens to be one of Gerald's heroes. Most notable is the opening quote for James Keets' sidestory Duty.

Thud Ridge by Jack Broughton (Col, USAF, Ret.)
http://www.af.mil/lib/csafbook/thudr.html
A wonderful book and an outstanding reference for the air war in Vietnam, told how it was by one of the F-105 Thunderchief "Thud" fighter pilots. Noin and Zechs' mobile suit training scenes were inspired by this.

United States Air Force
http://www.af.mil
No one comes close! Gerald is proud to be a member of the best fighting force in the world. ^_^ Most, if not all, the military references and explanations of military rank, structure, and inner workings in SnK come primarily from his experiences in the Air Force.

MUSIC

Ballade pour Adeline
http://www.delphine-artists.co.uk/richard_clayderman.htm
Written by a Frenchman, Paul de Senneville, for his daughter in 1976, this piano ballad was made famous by pianist Richard Clayderman. The theme for Trowa and Catherine throughout SnK.

Christmas Carols
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/
Sainan no Kekka has a lot of Christmas sidestories and references to Christmas, and most of these include a mention to a particular Christmas carol, some of which include Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming, Stille Nacht, The Wexford Carol, and O Holy Night.

MYTHOLOGY/FAIRYTALES

The Fates
http://www.theoi.com/Khaos/Moirai.html
Relena, Noin, and Dorothy are the personifications of these three Greek goddesses in the sidestory Trio.

The Little Mermaid
http://hca.gilead.org.il/li_merma.html
Heero tells Darkflight the story of the Little Mermaid in Act IV.

Sleeping Beauty
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/sleepingbeauty/index.html
Milliard's/Zechs' scene in Act VIII focuses on him entering Treize's deserted mansion and uses the rosebush and sword imagery from the fairytale.

The Valkyries
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/6604/Valkyrie.html
These Norse goddesses of war are the inspiration for Dorothy in Act XII and also her Act VIII scene title.

The Wizard of Oz
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/oz/
From the Wufei Mission Log in Act I. Duo recites the story of the Wizard of Oz in "Oscar: OZ".

Bulfinch's Mythology
http://www.bulfinch.org/
The ultimate resource on mythology.

Scorpio
http://www.elore.com/Astrology/Study/scorpio.htm
One of the twelve sun/star signs, Scorpio is the inspiration for Zech's Act 0 scene.

Shoujo Kakumei Utena
http://www.utena.net/
This anime draws on more mythological and fairytale references than you can count. Our "model" any time we decide to venture into symbolic weirdness.

POLITICS

The West Wing
http://westwing.bewarne.com/
One of Quicksilver's favorite TV shows, The West Wing has provided information for the political workings and manipulations of SnK.

The United Nations
http://www.un.org/
Quicksilver always keeps up with the UN - her knowledge of them is what the World Nation in SnK is loosely derived from.

RELIGION

The Bible and Catholicism/Christianity
http://www.bible-history.com/
The source for countless angelic images and symbols for Duo in Gundam Wing. All of our "Christmas" sidestories have Christian overtones, as does the Heero sidestory Sin.

Islam
http://www.islam101.com/
The religion of choice for most of Quatre's family. A few references are made to Allah and other facets of the Islam faith.

SCIENCE

Astronomy
http://www.astronomy.com/
The study of the stars fascinated many of the characters of Gundam Wing and SnK, including Treize Khushrenada.

Neuroscience
http://thalamus.wustl.edu/course/
Peripheral information for Operation Ares.

Nitroglycerin and Dynamite
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroglycerin
In Act VII, Trowa makes explosives out of the chemical nitroglycerin.

Sodium
http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/elements/11.html
The substance which Ilene brings into the Preventers Headquarters in order to cause a distraction before the terrorist attack in Act VIII.

SCIENCE FICTION

Command and Conquer
http://www.planetcnc.com/
The futuristic warfare strategy computer game that taught Gerald about strategy and ground combat, which he draws on extensively during the A007 sequences. A few of the songs in the soundtrack section come from the C&C soundtrack.

Cowboy Bebop
http://www.geocities.com/RFBlues/
A sci-fi anime series with a lot of questions and a lot of heart. The later themes of A007, especially Act VI and its theme song "Blue," come from Cowboy Bebop.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
http://www.philoticweb.net/
The topic of an essay in the information section by Lt. Noin about child soldiers in warfare. Also a large inspiration for Noin's Commander's Log.

Gundam
http://www.gundamofficial.com/
How can we not mention Gundam? Gundam Wing is only a drop in the wide ocean of this mecha phenomenon that took the world by storm. Gundam 08 MS Team and Gundam X provide Gerald with wider views of Gundam Wing's importance in the Gundam universe. The song Human Touch for the Wufei sidestory is the Gundam X first ending theme.

Heart of Gold by Sharon Shinn
http://www.sfsite.com/10a/hg90.htm
A book which explores the age-old themes of racism, hatred, and love and is the source for some of Quicksilver's deeper themes in SnK regarding these issues.

The Honor Harrington Series by David Weber
http://www.jump.net/~fearless/
Another science fiction series that inspires much of Quicksilver's sci-fi based scenes in SnK.

Macross
http://macross.anime.net/
The OTHER classic sci-fi mecha anime. This is Gerald's favorite anime series and also what his knowledge of mecha is based on, so if the Gundams in SnK act a bit too much like Macross Valkyrie Variable Fighters, you know why. Many of the songs in the soundtrack, the lyrics at the beginning of various scenes, the scene title Do You Remember Love? from Act V and the Relena sidestory Kimi ni Todoke are from Macross.

Myst/Riven
http://www.myst.com
One of the most innovative games of its time, Myst and its sequel Riven totally redefined the experience of computer gaming. They're a little outdated now, but remain in my mind as beautiful as when I first played them. Most of the imagery of the Holes that Li visits and the description of Seki Hikaru's study are taken from these two games.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
http://www.trekweb.com/TerokNor/
Quicksilver's favorite Star Trek Series has a few really great episodes that inspired later acts- particularly for the final arc.

Star Wars
http://www.starwars.com [official site]
http://theforce.net/ [informational fansite]
The classic space opera that was pretty much Gerald's introduction to the world of science fiction. Besides Macross, this is probably the biggest sci-fi influence that you'll see in Gerald's SnK sections. Some of the things in SnK taken from the Star Wars original series and prequels include space travel, futuristic weapons, and world/colony building. Gerald also learned how to write space battle sequences from obsessively reading Star Wars novels such as the X-Wing series, Shadows of the Empire, and the Thrawn Trilogy, obsessively playing Star Wars flight simulators (most notably X-Wing, TIE Fighter, X-Wing vs TIE Fighter, and Rebel Assault…classics, all of them), and finally, obsessively writing Star Wars fanfiction, none of which you'll probably ever be allowed to read, due to its crappiness. ^_^

The Tower and the Hive series by Anne McCaffrey
http://www.silcom.com/~manatee/mccaffrey_tower.html
One of the series that introduced Quicksilver to science fiction. She uses the telempathic rules stated as basic guidelines for how Quatre's uchuu no kokoro is portrayed.

MISCELLANEOUS

Dir en Grey
http://www.crysania.com/tattered/
Die, the rhythm guitarist of this visual jrock (Japanese rock) band, was the inspiration for the costume of Li's mysterious client in Act 7. [Go here to see a picture of the costume.]

Weiss Kreuz
http://www.kekkai.org/wkcorner/
This dark, angsty anime provided a lot of the initial groundwork for the Shadowwing team and the Breaks, as well as inspiring the first part of the sidestory Sin.