Yes, but too often it's the case that they do. People who write high fantasy often imitate Tolkien's grandiose style which he himself borrowed from Norse epics. In terms of setting, it is typically Northern-Euro-centric (as Tolkien's was) with an Anglo Saxon or Scandinavian feel. They imitate Tolkien's interpretation of humanoid races: Elves are not fairy-like, which is their traditional interpretation, but slender, wise, beautiful forest folk; goblins are weak minions of the Great Evil and not the sly tricksters that they were originally; orcs now feature heavily in fantasy as a humanoid race when they are a thing of Tolkien's invention. You see numerous examples of this not just in written high fantasy fiction, Eragon, one of the most (undeservedly in my opinion) popular high fantasy series of the past decade, but other media as well, think the Elder Scrolls and Warcraft high-fantasy game series. Tolkien, a great writer though he may be, must be read by an inspiring author once he or she has ceased to be impressionable, lest they fail to stand out of the high fantasy crowd. A much better idea, I would say, would be to do what Tolkien did: read up on mythology, either Norse or any other kind and allow yourself to put a spin on the beasties that crop up.
Yet another Rule of Thumb: Don't copy a writer whose style is easily parodied. In fact, parodying various writers' styles is a great way to learn from them without toppling into the pit of slavish imitation....
Please stick to the discussion of the list as given, and relate it to the rationale behind it. If this becomes another "books I hate" thread, I will close it with an audible SNAP.
I have never read any of those books, but I don't really agree with that. A writer should have their own style rather than copying another, but on the other hand, it's good to have writers to look up to, writers you love and want to be like some day. For me that writer is Markus Zusak.
I think they should read them, enjoy the phase of emulating them and progress swiftly to the post-emulation stage.
I think that the more books you read, the less any one book will influence your writing style. So I'd argue against avoiding any one book, advise reading lots of books, and maybe mildly advise hopping from author to author rather than, for example, reading all of the works of Dickens in succession without inserting any other authors.
