Who inspires you? What defines you as a writer?

How many times have you read a story that truly inspired you? How many of your ideas do you think have been inspired by a story you've read about it some novel? Curling up in a warm blanket with a good book is a great way to spend time relaxing and enjoying ones self. One of the most memorable stories I remember reading in my adolescent years is 'Monkey's Paw' by W.W. Jacobs. As a teenager, later on in life, my new favorite story became 'Harrison Bergeron'. A short story written by Kurt Vonnegut, who is also the author of another favorite of mine: 'Slaughterhouse-Five'. I guess you can say I enjoy science fiction as an overall genre in my choice of books. I enjoyed the ground-breaking-ness of Isaac Asimov's 'I, Robot' a collection of short interlaced stories. Although I can honestly say the highlight of the book is as simple as Asimov's creation of 'The Three Laws of Robotics' which has stood the test of time since the year 2058 A.D. This book also inspired one of my favorite movies which shared the same name, 'I, Robot', starring the actor Will Smith  in 2004. I also have come to enjoy the 'Jack Reacher' books by Lee Child. There is a lot of great inspiration out there. What inspires you when it comes to creating good stories?