art, philosophy, language, movies, books, anime, religion... how much can I say before it becomes redundant....
Everything from Pearl Jam to Bing Crosby to Johnny Cash, Tool, Fall Out Boy and lots of others. Eclectic.
I like just about anything that isn't totally worthless, like Van Helsing or Ghosts of Mars. Those movies are crap. Drama, action, comedy... it's all good. Romance is usually lame, but romantic comedies are usually worth it.
Firefly and Adult Swim with a little Alias on the side and a dressing of Japanese anime. I also like old black and white stuff. It's just good.
Earth Sea, Xanth, Dragon Lance, Forgotten Realms, Harry Potter, Up the Down Staircase, The Chocolate War, Srewtape Letters, Mere Christianity, The Lotus and the Cross, anything by Jorge Borjes almost, Ender's Game, Artemis Fowl, Narnia, Dune (especially God Emperor of Dune), NOT Robert Jordan (I can't stand his stuff anymore), Steinbeck, Dostoevsky, Philosophy, Great Gatsby, and lots of other stuff. So, fantasy mainly, but I'm up for anything that's good, really.
How do you define "hero?" I mean, this is one of the most difficult questions ever. Most influential people would be my parents, siblings, my art and philosophy teachers from college, and my English and history teachers from high school. Some of my friends are also highly influential, so it's hard to know where to stop.