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Appendix N
APPENDIX N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons
is a detailed and comprehensive investigation of the various works of science fiction and fantasy that game designer Gary Gygax declared to be the primary influences on his seminal role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. It is a deep intellectual dive into the literature of SF/F's past that will fascinate any serious role-playing gamer or fan of classic science fiction and fantasy.
Author Jeffro Johnson, an expert role-playing gamer, accomplished Dungeon Master and three-time Hugo Award Finalist, critically reviews all 43 works and authors listed by Gygax in the famous appendix. In doing so, he draws a series of intelligent conclusions about the literary gap between past and present that are surprisingly relevant to current events, not only in the fantastic world of role-playing, but the real world in which the players live.
Author Jeffro Johnson, an expert role-playing gamer, accomplished Dungeon Master and three-time Hugo Award Finalist, critically reviews all 43 works and authors listed by Gygax in the famous appendix. In doing so, he draws a series of intelligent conclusions about the literary gap between past and present that are surprisingly relevant to current events, not only in the fantastic world of role-playing, but the real world in which the players live.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
April 2, 2018
I soldiered on through some questionable statements until I got to the author's plaintive statements about the state of genre fiction at the end of chapter 16 (Abraham Merritt's "Dwellers in the Mirage"). Picking up this book I expected, at worst, the common whitewashing or excusing of throwback sexism and racism that laces so much of the literary heritage that Appendix N sampled, or perhaps we'd just avert our gaze and look away when the material strays too close.
Nope. Our author here thinks there's just not enough of that old time objectification of women, not enough of that good ol' othering of races to convey exoticism and mystery. How have we gone so wrong that we think it's right for women to be the center of a story, he wonders. How could we possibly consider characters he doesn't identify with? How could stories portray characters he does identify with as villainous? (Might want to actually think about that last one, dear Author.)
Representation matters, you say? Do you, perhaps, think it matters to, say, everyone?
Nope. Our author here thinks there's just not enough of that old time objectification of women, not enough of that good ol' othering of races to convey exoticism and mystery. How have we gone so wrong that we think it's right for women to be the center of a story, he wonders. How could we possibly consider characters he doesn't identify with? How could stories portray characters he does identify with as villainous? (Might want to actually think about that last one, dear Author.)
Half the time I turn on the television anymore I get the feeling that someone's working overtime trying to erase people like me from the collective consciousness. I'm sick of it. Until this sort of weird cultural myopia runs its course, I'll stick with works of guys like A. Merritt.
Representation matters, you say? Do you, perhaps, think it matters to, say, everyone?
Read
September 8, 2021I'm not rating this since I didn't finish it and don't plan to. I had more than enough of the author's pompous tone by the 10% mark. I learned this was originally a series of blog entries and it sure reads like it. The "dickery for the sake of clicks" level was high and some of the entries barely mentioned Dungeons and Dragons at all. The author also seems to hate everything created after 1970. Everything new is bad, fantasy and science fiction didn't have political overtones when I was a kid, etc.
I have a lot more free time due to working from home during the pandemic. Still, I shouldn't waste it with something so eyeroll inducing.
I have a lot more free time due to working from home during the pandemic. Still, I shouldn't waste it with something so eyeroll inducing.
August 26, 2017
While reading The greatest Modules of All time, I discovered a lefthand D&D path I hadn't pursued, having been lured away by the Advanced label. This path was mostly Arneson and largely Science-Fantasy. Disappointed by Fourth Ed., I switched to DCC. Goodman's Game had been inspired by Appendix N, so I followed suit. It's an amazing and rewarding journey that I am still on.
I had a blast reading Johnson's book, and I was shocked to discover how much our views are in accord-- considering how fussy I usually am. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
I'd wager there are less than two thousand living people who have completed this quest, so it's remarkable that Jeffro would write such a thing. Salud.
Join us: the few, the well read, the Appendix N's!
I had a blast reading Johnson's book, and I was shocked to discover how much our views are in accord-- considering how fussy I usually am. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
I'd wager there are less than two thousand living people who have completed this quest, so it's remarkable that Jeffro would write such a thing. Salud.
Join us: the few, the well read, the Appendix N's!
March 12, 2017
Some interesting thoughts regarding Appendix N . . .
So, if you don't know this already, "Appendix N" refers to the appendix of the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Dunegon Master's Guide" in which Gary Gygax noted the literary influences he thought had the most impact on him at the time that he was creating Dungeons & Dragons. It consists of a lot of literature that was seminal to anyone interested in sci-fi/fantasy in the 1970s (and they were largely seen as one genre at the time, not two clearly delineated genres as they usually are seen today), but many of the authors and works listed have faded into relative obscurity today, even among fantasy role-playing gamers. Since around the turn of the millennium, there has been a movement to get back to the "roots" of fantasy RPGs, a movement called OSR (Old School Renaissance or Old School Revival), which has tended to focus on Appenndix N. Goodman Games has made Appendix N a central part of their philosophy of game design, as seen particularly in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game (DCC RPG). Now, I grew up a little after the apex of Appendix N literature (I got into FRPGs around 1985), so some of it I remember from childhood, but much of it was a mystery to me until I consciously sought it out as an adult. I have even begun my own blogging project around Appendix N, which I call "Appendix N Revisited," in which I review works from the original Appendix N and examine their impact on FRPGs and my own writing. Some have argued that to "Old-School" gamers (sometimes called "grognards"), the authors and works of Appendix N constitutes a genre unto itself, and I am tempted to agree. Now, I realize that there is nothing inherently sacred about Appendix N to most people - the Judaeo-Christian deity did not descend to hand the original list to Gary Gygax on a mountaintop or anything - but to me, and OSR grognards like me, it's pretty important. So I was pleased to find Jeffro Johnson's book, actually titled "Appendix N," which collects a number of articles in which he shares his thoughts about Appendix N literature and its impact. In some ways, it anticipates my own "Appendix N Revisited" project (which I independently conceived and began long before I discovered Johnson's book). All I can say is - it is worth reading. Check it out! If you're interested in Appendix N literature, then the book "Appendix N" will surely be a great read for you!
So, if you don't know this already, "Appendix N" refers to the appendix of the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons "Dunegon Master's Guide" in which Gary Gygax noted the literary influences he thought had the most impact on him at the time that he was creating Dungeons & Dragons. It consists of a lot of literature that was seminal to anyone interested in sci-fi/fantasy in the 1970s (and they were largely seen as one genre at the time, not two clearly delineated genres as they usually are seen today), but many of the authors and works listed have faded into relative obscurity today, even among fantasy role-playing gamers. Since around the turn of the millennium, there has been a movement to get back to the "roots" of fantasy RPGs, a movement called OSR (Old School Renaissance or Old School Revival), which has tended to focus on Appenndix N. Goodman Games has made Appendix N a central part of their philosophy of game design, as seen particularly in the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game (DCC RPG). Now, I grew up a little after the apex of Appendix N literature (I got into FRPGs around 1985), so some of it I remember from childhood, but much of it was a mystery to me until I consciously sought it out as an adult. I have even begun my own blogging project around Appendix N, which I call "Appendix N Revisited," in which I review works from the original Appendix N and examine their impact on FRPGs and my own writing. Some have argued that to "Old-School" gamers (sometimes called "grognards"), the authors and works of Appendix N constitutes a genre unto itself, and I am tempted to agree. Now, I realize that there is nothing inherently sacred about Appendix N to most people - the Judaeo-Christian deity did not descend to hand the original list to Gary Gygax on a mountaintop or anything - but to me, and OSR grognards like me, it's pretty important. So I was pleased to find Jeffro Johnson's book, actually titled "Appendix N," which collects a number of articles in which he shares his thoughts about Appendix N literature and its impact. In some ways, it anticipates my own "Appendix N Revisited" project (which I independently conceived and began long before I discovered Johnson's book). All I can say is - it is worth reading. Check it out! If you're interested in Appendix N literature, then the book "Appendix N" will surely be a great read for you!
January 9, 2018
I'm so tired of this fucking book.
Okay its half useful inspiration of D&D stuff, half pompous, self-righteous opinions about what sci-fi fantasy is. I thought it would be worth it but 150 pages in my sanity just started to fray too much. Like I'm sorry to Mr. Johnson, but half of the time you're just summarizing books and saying "YEAH COOL BRO." I'd rather just read the book or something. There were some genuine interesting insights about the influence on D&D, but there is also some dull insights about it. There is far too much of the author telling me what he thinks is interesting which I do not give a shit about (I'm not even going to get into how much he caters to the white male elitist nerd. What year is it again?). Let me repeat--I DO NOT GIVE A SHIT.
Okay so don't read it. Read something else. I admit I skimmed the last half but like you can only hear him be like this next book is sort of like Tolkien and sort of like Star Wars but DIFFERENT. This book is sort of like Burroughs and sort of like whoever the fuck ever but DIFFERENT. I can't believe this book is so obscure. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
Release me from the hell that is this book.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.
In talking with a friend about why exactly I detest this book, she had me convinced I needed to change my two stars to a one star. But I have also neglected to comment on what I see as the most egregious of its faults. I even gave a praeterition in my first review of the book "I'm not even going to discuss how this caters to the white male elitist nerd" etc. And so, from that conversation, I feel obligated to say one thing more: At one point he literally says he only identifies with the white prince hero type so he doesn't give a shit about other characters (my exaggeration of course, but a worthy one, I assert), besides having a super tortured self-effacing decency clause about women (cuz that totally justifies his broader attitude about "interesting female characters"), and is really mad when the white prince man turns out to be evil. HE HATES IT WHEN THE COOL WHITE GUY IS EVIL. HE HATES FROZEN BECAUSE THE WHITE PRINCE TURNS OUT TO BE EVIL. WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING?!?!
Okay its half useful inspiration of D&D stuff, half pompous, self-righteous opinions about what sci-fi fantasy is. I thought it would be worth it but 150 pages in my sanity just started to fray too much. Like I'm sorry to Mr. Johnson, but half of the time you're just summarizing books and saying "YEAH COOL BRO." I'd rather just read the book or something. There were some genuine interesting insights about the influence on D&D, but there is also some dull insights about it. There is far too much of the author telling me what he thinks is interesting which I do not give a shit about (I'm not even going to get into how much he caters to the white male elitist nerd. What year is it again?). Let me repeat--I DO NOT GIVE A SHIT.
Okay so don't read it. Read something else. I admit I skimmed the last half but like you can only hear him be like this next book is sort of like Tolkien and sort of like Star Wars but DIFFERENT. This book is sort of like Burroughs and sort of like whoever the fuck ever but DIFFERENT. I can't believe this book is so obscure. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
Release me from the hell that is this book.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.
In talking with a friend about why exactly I detest this book, she had me convinced I needed to change my two stars to a one star. But I have also neglected to comment on what I see as the most egregious of its faults. I even gave a praeterition in my first review of the book "I'm not even going to discuss how this caters to the white male elitist nerd" etc. And so, from that conversation, I feel obligated to say one thing more: At one point he literally says he only identifies with the white prince hero type so he doesn't give a shit about other characters (my exaggeration of course, but a worthy one, I assert), besides having a super tortured self-effacing decency clause about women (cuz that totally justifies his broader attitude about "interesting female characters"), and is really mad when the white prince man turns out to be evil. HE HATES IT WHEN THE COOL WHITE GUY IS EVIL. HE HATES FROZEN BECAUSE THE WHITE PRINCE TURNS OUT TO BE EVIL. WHAT THE FUCK AM I READING?!?!
July 15, 2018
I would have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The book, as everybody knows, consists of essentially reviews of Gary Gygax's Appendix N. It most resembles a series of blog posts thrown into book form. What I found rather amusing is how the author constantly exclaims how the stories are so great and why in the hell didn't anybody point these books out to him when he was younger. He is probably close in age to me and well I have read at least half of these books and they were on the book racks at the local grocery store when I was growing up. He must of been stolen by fairies and taken to the otherworld to not have seen the books!
You do have to admit though there is alot going for the list that Gygax had put together. Poul Anderson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Zelanzy, Robert E Howard, Gardner Fox, L. Sprague de Camp, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, and the list goes on and on. Many of these I have read but there are several I have found in the list that I haven't and will rectify in the future most assuredly.
All throughout he constantly shows how the ideas of each book could of been the main influence for many parts in D&D, and other games as well at the time. I did enjoy reading his thoughts on this because while reading them I was able to picture when I was young playing the old versions of the game, remembering every incident he detailed from the modules like it was yesterday. Funny how memories like that remain after all those years.
So overall I recommend this book not only for historical background of one of the greatest games every made but also to enjoy when somebody's mind gets expanded with each book he reads and the excitement they have after reading them. It makes one nostalgic most definitely for past days and gives one a reason to go back and enjoy all those old stories once again for old times sake.
You do have to admit though there is alot going for the list that Gygax had put together. Poul Anderson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Zelanzy, Robert E Howard, Gardner Fox, L. Sprague de Camp, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, and the list goes on and on. Many of these I have read but there are several I have found in the list that I haven't and will rectify in the future most assuredly.
All throughout he constantly shows how the ideas of each book could of been the main influence for many parts in D&D, and other games as well at the time. I did enjoy reading his thoughts on this because while reading them I was able to picture when I was young playing the old versions of the game, remembering every incident he detailed from the modules like it was yesterday. Funny how memories like that remain after all those years.
So overall I recommend this book not only for historical background of one of the greatest games every made but also to enjoy when somebody's mind gets expanded with each book he reads and the excitement they have after reading them. It makes one nostalgic most definitely for past days and gives one a reason to go back and enjoy all those old stories once again for old times sake.
July 14, 2018
A collection of reviews of the famous Appendix N to Dungeonmaster's Guide. He picked a book for the authors without specified titles.
They range in quality as to the reading, but he chiefly focuses on the RPG-applicability elements. The open-ended adventures, the mixing of fantasy and sf tropes, the magic systems (though his comments about exotic systems and rare ingredients talks about the wonder, not the nuisance), domain-level and god-like play (noting that you need to give the PCs ways to palm off the work of a noble title and go on adventuring), the dangers of railroading PCs with intrigue targeted at them, and more. The last is Lord of the Rings, where he is correct if a bit overenthusiastic
One mistake: he thinks "planetary romance" gets the name from the love interest. In fact, it comes by analogy with chivalric romance, which originally meant "work written in the vernacular" but came to mean tales of action, adventure, and marvels that were popular in the medieval era. Love interest, however prevalent, is optional.
They range in quality as to the reading, but he chiefly focuses on the RPG-applicability elements. The open-ended adventures, the mixing of fantasy and sf tropes, the magic systems (though his comments about exotic systems and rare ingredients talks about the wonder, not the nuisance), domain-level and god-like play (noting that you need to give the PCs ways to palm off the work of a noble title and go on adventuring), the dangers of railroading PCs with intrigue targeted at them, and more. The last is Lord of the Rings, where he is correct if a bit overenthusiastic
One mistake: he thinks "planetary romance" gets the name from the love interest. In fact, it comes by analogy with chivalric romance, which originally meant "work written in the vernacular" but came to mean tales of action, adventure, and marvels that were popular in the medieval era. Love interest, however prevalent, is optional.
December 7, 2019
For those not in the know, this title refers to an Appendix in the Dungeon Master's Guide of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, "Inspirational and Educational Reading". This list of books are those that influenced D&D and later AD&D. This title by Jeffro Johnson is based on that for original material, and was originally collected in a blog at castaliahouse.com. Each chapter represents one blog post, usually one book.
Most of the chapters consist of the author's review of that book, with liberal quotations from the original text. Some chapters contain other items, such as which concepts from D&D got their start in that book's ideas. While entirely subjective, these are interesting. Another thing that shows up is general remarks about the book or author within this collection of books, or how they were viewed in the late 70s.
Probably the best part about Appendix N are it's own appendices. These may have also lived on the blog; I haven't searched extensively.
While I liked the connection of ideas to D&D, I didn't think much of the other remarks and could live without the reviews. In comparing this book to the source blog, I prefer the latter for the comments on many entries. This was a forum for discussing both the ideas and the authors. This book presents only the blog posts, and misses the conversation. The reviews are not that great and the large quotation blocks are annoying. Lastly, it would be nice to have cover images from the books - especially for an electronic version where full color costs no more than text.
In the goodreads rating system, 2 stars is "It was OK", and that's a good fit for this collection. Visiting available titles from Appendix N on your own - recommended. This book - less so.
Most of the chapters consist of the author's review of that book, with liberal quotations from the original text. Some chapters contain other items, such as which concepts from D&D got their start in that book's ideas. While entirely subjective, these are interesting. Another thing that shows up is general remarks about the book or author within this collection of books, or how they were viewed in the late 70s.
Probably the best part about Appendix N are it's own appendices. These may have also lived on the blog; I haven't searched extensively.
While I liked the connection of ideas to D&D, I didn't think much of the other remarks and could live without the reviews. In comparing this book to the source blog, I prefer the latter for the comments on many entries. This was a forum for discussing both the ideas and the authors. This book presents only the blog posts, and misses the conversation. The reviews are not that great and the large quotation blocks are annoying. Lastly, it would be nice to have cover images from the books - especially for an electronic version where full color costs no more than text.
In the goodreads rating system, 2 stars is "It was OK", and that's a good fit for this collection. Visiting available titles from Appendix N on your own - recommended. This book - less so.
October 8, 2018
I wanted to love this book even though I knew that the author and I were coming from different goalposts on the philosophical spectrum. There are interesting thoughts and discoveries to be found in this book, but it's a hard slog filled with juvenile fetishizing, strange asides, unsubstantiated statements, and other useless garbage. The one thing that I do thank the author for is motivating me to read Roger Zelazny's "Jack of Shadows." I figured if he hated it so much, I would probably love it. I was not wrong.
I'm not sorry I read the book, I'm just sorry the book wasn't better.
I'm not sorry I read the book, I'm just sorry the book wasn't better.
November 23, 2020
Amazingly insightful and a great resource!
While Jeffro downplays the "scholarly" aspects of his essays, he's essentially helped create an historiography of the birth of tabletop fantasy RPGs.
This is twinned to an obsession with trying to understand how so many of the authors and canon works of 20th century SFF seemingly vanish to a large extent in the 1980s and later.
If you follow Jeffro through the works he reviews and his commentary on game design and actual play, it becomes clearer that DND was not built within the fairly narrow constraints of epic doorstopper high fantasy. In fact, weird science fantasy, actually well captured in the DND cartoon series even, was the source, and this revelation can change one's entire conception of how the gamr was played in its earliest days, and maybe, how it's supposed to be played.
Some readers might disagree with Jeffro's social commentary (personally, I think he gets it right more often than not), or may only be here for the literary and historical aspects, but for those readers, I encourage you to at least skim the game-centric paragraphs as they might expand your thoughts on the syncretic value of early 20th century pop culture and writing; it's not as "throw away" as you've probably been led to believe.
While Jeffro downplays the "scholarly" aspects of his essays, he's essentially helped create an historiography of the birth of tabletop fantasy RPGs.
This is twinned to an obsession with trying to understand how so many of the authors and canon works of 20th century SFF seemingly vanish to a large extent in the 1980s and later.
If you follow Jeffro through the works he reviews and his commentary on game design and actual play, it becomes clearer that DND was not built within the fairly narrow constraints of epic doorstopper high fantasy. In fact, weird science fantasy, actually well captured in the DND cartoon series even, was the source, and this revelation can change one's entire conception of how the gamr was played in its earliest days, and maybe, how it's supposed to be played.
Some readers might disagree with Jeffro's social commentary (personally, I think he gets it right more often than not), or may only be here for the literary and historical aspects, but for those readers, I encourage you to at least skim the game-centric paragraphs as they might expand your thoughts on the syncretic value of early 20th century pop culture and writing; it's not as "throw away" as you've probably been led to believe.
January 3, 2018
A whirlwind tour through the authors and books of the famous Appendix N of the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide. Not only does author Jeffro Johnson opine on the books he reads (selecting at least one book from authors who were listed in the appendix without any example books), he also talks about their impact on the Dungeons and Dragons game (the first one, released in 1974) and subsequent versions of the game -- Advanced or "Basic." Even more than that, though, Johnson deftly delivers gaming tips to prospective Dungeon Masters who can use plot elements from the books to inform their own games. A terrific work and am positively thrilled that he wants to do what I want to do: preserve literature from the last century and not bury it.
Too often people think of D&D as being totally informed by Tolkien and "Tolkienesque" elements when there were several other authors whose works influenced original D&D co-creators Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax. This will get a second read, for sure.
Too often people think of D&D as being totally informed by Tolkien and "Tolkienesque" elements when there were several other authors whose works influenced original D&D co-creators Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax. This will get a second read, for sure.
May 30, 2017
An excellent history of fantasy and Sci fi that time has forgot!
Full disclosure- it has been many years since playing AD&D 2e. I was recommended this book by a friend as we were talking about Gygax's influences.
I'll spare you the description of the book as you can easily find that. What I really enjoyed was reading through Jeffro Johnson's reviews/impressions of the Appendix N books.
After coming away with lots of new (to me) recommendations, I agree with Mr. Johnson that there's just something fun and exciting about the old pulps that is missing from the big publishers these days.
Even if you're not a big RPG person, if you're into old school Sci fi and fantasy, you will enjoy Appendix N. You may come away with a fresh perspective on the pulps of yesteryear.
Full disclosure- it has been many years since playing AD&D 2e. I was recommended this book by a friend as we were talking about Gygax's influences.
I'll spare you the description of the book as you can easily find that. What I really enjoyed was reading through Jeffro Johnson's reviews/impressions of the Appendix N books.
After coming away with lots of new (to me) recommendations, I agree with Mr. Johnson that there's just something fun and exciting about the old pulps that is missing from the big publishers these days.
Even if you're not a big RPG person, if you're into old school Sci fi and fantasy, you will enjoy Appendix N. You may come away with a fresh perspective on the pulps of yesteryear.
February 26, 2017
Read this over time, slowly digesting each of the articles. It's a great "in between other books" read on that level as the articles are fairly standalone. It goes over every work in Appendix N from the original Dungeons and Dragons game, giving expert analysis from both a fantasy literature and a gaming perspective. It's opened my eyes to a whole new world and I can't recommend it enough for SF/F enthusiasts, writers and gamers alike.
October 5, 2018
I formally gave up on this book and sold it to the used book store. While the idea is an excellent one, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The essays lack a format, and usually serve only to give the author a platform to show off how smart he thinks he is, or worse, to engage in prejudicial banter against women and minorities under the guise of literary criticism. Save your money.
May 3, 2018
Alt-right backwards nonsense. Too bad, because the premise is cool.
August 2, 2017
Jeffro Johnson deles into Gary Gygax' Appendix N, and retries many literary gems, as well as the mechanical, and thematic origins og Dungeons & Dragons.
that he cited as inpiration. Jeffro Johnson,a current gamer,, delves deep into Gygax's list, and discovers the literary inspiration of the common tropes found in the table top pass time, invented by Gygax and Dave Arnesson, back in the early 1970's. What he also discovers is a literary ecology, of genres fiction spannin from The First World War, until the middle 1980's, that at first, fell out of fashion, in the face of computers, and other mass entertainments, then became actively suppressed more recently, as "problematic". Myself as a gamer, that has played since the 70's, and has read many of these books then, was a little shocked at the tragedy, that has given us bland, twee, almost bloodless, fantasy, and preachy, or virtue signalling plots, while suppressing expressions of active heroism, and wonder. Gygax's list is diverse in terms of genres, as well as time period, and covers so much that was then considered "fantasy" that J. R. R. Tolkien is simply an also ran, and has to play second fiddle to Robert Even. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Jeff'ros analysis is concise n each of Gygax's entries, and he examines the mechanical, or thematic effect it had on the developing Dungeons & Dragons game. This book is indespensible for those curious about the games origin. For others, it is a list of interesting books and stories from a previous generation, that you may find more entertaining than current offerings, though if you are not a gamer, the comparative analysis may be of little use to you. All in all, it was a thoughtful read, and is giving me a desire to revisit some older works, I passed up back in the 70's.
that he cited as inpiration. Jeffro Johnson,a current gamer,, delves deep into Gygax's list, and discovers the literary inspiration of the common tropes found in the table top pass time, invented by Gygax and Dave Arnesson, back in the early 1970's. What he also discovers is a literary ecology, of genres fiction spannin from The First World War, until the middle 1980's, that at first, fell out of fashion, in the face of computers, and other mass entertainments, then became actively suppressed more recently, as "problematic". Myself as a gamer, that has played since the 70's, and has read many of these books then, was a little shocked at the tragedy, that has given us bland, twee, almost bloodless, fantasy, and preachy, or virtue signalling plots, while suppressing expressions of active heroism, and wonder. Gygax's list is diverse in terms of genres, as well as time period, and covers so much that was then considered "fantasy" that J. R. R. Tolkien is simply an also ran, and has to play second fiddle to Robert Even. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Jeff'ros analysis is concise n each of Gygax's entries, and he examines the mechanical, or thematic effect it had on the developing Dungeons & Dragons game. This book is indespensible for those curious about the games origin. For others, it is a list of interesting books and stories from a previous generation, that you may find more entertaining than current offerings, though if you are not a gamer, the comparative analysis may be of little use to you. All in all, it was a thoughtful read, and is giving me a desire to revisit some older works, I passed up back in the 70's.
April 10, 2019
Not recommended.
At first an interesting view into inspirations of D&D and modern fantasy. I found a few books to read through this, which is great - I love diving into how things like these came to be.
Unfortunately many of the chapters of this are in themselves pretty hard to read, and I couldn't finish it. I find the author's generally condescending tone grating (such as calling the author of one of the books an idiot, and the book's fans stupid), and many of his opinions feel entirely pointless in the context of what this book was supposedly meant to be. (My mind disconnected entirely for the first time when I early on reached a chapter where he talks at length about what Star Wars -should have been-. What does that have to do with anything?)
I saw someone else liken the chapters to ranting blog posts, and I find that fitting.
A few very interesting bits of fantasy history are hidden in here, which earns it some stars. The rest feels a bit like wasted potential.
At first an interesting view into inspirations of D&D and modern fantasy. I found a few books to read through this, which is great - I love diving into how things like these came to be.
Unfortunately many of the chapters of this are in themselves pretty hard to read, and I couldn't finish it. I find the author's generally condescending tone grating (such as calling the author of one of the books an idiot, and the book's fans stupid), and many of his opinions feel entirely pointless in the context of what this book was supposedly meant to be. (My mind disconnected entirely for the first time when I early on reached a chapter where he talks at length about what Star Wars -should have been-. What does that have to do with anything?)
I saw someone else liken the chapters to ranting blog posts, and I find that fitting.
A few very interesting bits of fantasy history are hidden in here, which earns it some stars. The rest feels a bit like wasted potential.
February 14, 2019
I love the Nine Princes in Amber, so the first chapter I read of Jeffro Johnson's Appendix was the chapter on Roger Zelazny's masterpiece. What I'd hoped to find was an insightful review of Zelazny's work, or a telling of how it affected Gygax and the making of D&D. What I got instead was less insightful, more a rant, featuring pronouncements like this one:
"I recently had to set aside the much more recent Game of Thrones after gradually figuring out that the superstars of the book consist of a bastard, a dwarf, a cripple, and a carbon copy of that girl from Disney's Brave. (It's gripping enough that I might have gone on anyway--the writing is solid after all--but when a thoroughly repugnant character like the Hound had to be given a rather touching origin story that explains why he turned out to be such a rough guy, I was done. Ugh.)"
Make of that what you will.
"I recently had to set aside the much more recent Game of Thrones after gradually figuring out that the superstars of the book consist of a bastard, a dwarf, a cripple, and a carbon copy of that girl from Disney's Brave. (It's gripping enough that I might have gone on anyway--the writing is solid after all--but when a thoroughly repugnant character like the Hound had to be given a rather touching origin story that explains why he turned out to be such a rough guy, I was done. Ugh.)"
Make of that what you will.
April 29, 2017
I enjoyed the subject matter and the insights on books inspiring the creation of Dungeons and Dragons. It made me realize there was more influences than Tolkien, Lieber, Howard and Moorcock.
I didn't realize HP Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Zelazny, and Philip Jose Farmer had their effect on D&D either.
Jack Vance, and Lord Dunsany are the ones that I am going to investigate more.
I didn't realize HP Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Roger Zelazny, and Philip Jose Farmer had their effect on D&D either.
Jack Vance, and Lord Dunsany are the ones that I am going to investigate more.
January 21, 2018
If you are truly interested in what influenced the creation of Dungeons and Dragons, not what it has become but the original iteration created by Gygax, then this is a book to read. Do you want to know why a thief has the ability to use magic or why the magic system is designed the way it is? It's in here. Very well put together resource that will add to your reading list.
May 20, 2017
I got tired of the author denigrating many of my favorite books, and his constant nitpicking. The only reason it didn't get one star is because it does have some interesting information in it, but it was far too alienating to make learning this information worth my while.
March 4, 2022
Wish it had been longer. Johnson should draw his conclusions deeper. I wonder, for example, what if he reported on the actual play that would come from reading all these books. I've just started this, by the way. What a journey already!
February 17, 2021
Like The Elusive Shift: How Role-Playing Games Forged Their Identity, this book is about how the iconic game Dungeons&Dragons developed in the 70s and early 80s. I am always astonished by the creativity that people bring to things that are right in front of my face. In this case, Appendix N of the old-school Dungeon Masters Guide by E. Gary Gygax (Blessed Be His Name Forever) gets a deep-dive as the author reviews these iconic works, and connects them to the development of D&D. I have read many of these books, but definitely not all.
My first take-away from the author's survey is that D&D could be a hell of a lot weirder than it is now. Rather than the sort-of-kind-of medieval Tolkien inspired default that we all sort of land on at the beginning of play (The Forgotten Realms is the standard starting point), D&D as imagined by Gygax was based on, and in, much richer, and much stranger worlds. Pulp fiction is cray-cray: 'science fantasy' was much more than norm than the siloed genres then tend to be today as 'science fiction," "fantasty," and "horror" became separate and distinct. I remember playing Expedition To The Barrier Peaks as a kid and being completely knocked over by the addition of science fiction tropes in the middle of my magical fantasy game. It was awesome.
My second take away is the author's frustration with the Wokeness that now infuses both genre fiction and the game of Dungeons&Dragons. Sadly, this is an issue of the wider culture, but it's not a huge surprise that the young people who are discovering (and apparently loving) this game are...let's politely say more in-tune with the failings of older works of SF&F. Lovecraft in particular, for instance, is getting a literary beat-down for his horrid racist writings (ever read "On the Creation of N**gers," for example? Horrible, horrible racist stuff). Lovecraft was an unabashed racist. Full-stop. Not okay. But does that mean we can't read him anymore? I, too, find it frustrating to judge people from the past by our standards today, find them wanting, then insist that they are stricken from the canon. A lot of these writers from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. were racist, sexist, homophobic, and on and on. But: that's not all they were! Those awful, widely held beliefs are not now, nor were they ever, okay...but that's how those days were. Acknowledge their failings, but appreciate their creative genius as it related to their work. One man's opinion.
Finally, I think the author projected a bit with regard to the influence of Christianity on the game, and on the authors--particularly Robert E. Howard--but that's a quibble. I am willing to bet that he knows a heck of a lot more about it than I do.
So, yes, I enjoyed this book. Lot's to think about, lot's to reflect on. I don't love how D&D 5e is so...frenetic, I guess, but I am 52 years old and have been playing these games for 40 years. It's good to know where all of this wonderful, creative stuff came from, and it is certainly interesting to consider where it will go in the future.
My first take-away from the author's survey is that D&D could be a hell of a lot weirder than it is now. Rather than the sort-of-kind-of medieval Tolkien inspired default that we all sort of land on at the beginning of play (The Forgotten Realms is the standard starting point), D&D as imagined by Gygax was based on, and in, much richer, and much stranger worlds. Pulp fiction is cray-cray: 'science fantasy' was much more than norm than the siloed genres then tend to be today as 'science fiction," "fantasty," and "horror" became separate and distinct. I remember playing Expedition To The Barrier Peaks as a kid and being completely knocked over by the addition of science fiction tropes in the middle of my magical fantasy game. It was awesome.
My second take away is the author's frustration with the Wokeness that now infuses both genre fiction and the game of Dungeons&Dragons. Sadly, this is an issue of the wider culture, but it's not a huge surprise that the young people who are discovering (and apparently loving) this game are...let's politely say more in-tune with the failings of older works of SF&F. Lovecraft in particular, for instance, is getting a literary beat-down for his horrid racist writings (ever read "On the Creation of N**gers," for example? Horrible, horrible racist stuff). Lovecraft was an unabashed racist. Full-stop. Not okay. But does that mean we can't read him anymore? I, too, find it frustrating to judge people from the past by our standards today, find them wanting, then insist that they are stricken from the canon. A lot of these writers from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. were racist, sexist, homophobic, and on and on. But: that's not all they were! Those awful, widely held beliefs are not now, nor were they ever, okay...but that's how those days were. Acknowledge their failings, but appreciate their creative genius as it related to their work. One man's opinion.
Finally, I think the author projected a bit with regard to the influence of Christianity on the game, and on the authors--particularly Robert E. Howard--but that's a quibble. I am willing to bet that he knows a heck of a lot more about it than I do.
So, yes, I enjoyed this book. Lot's to think about, lot's to reflect on. I don't love how D&D 5e is so...frenetic, I guess, but I am 52 years old and have been playing these games for 40 years. It's good to know where all of this wonderful, creative stuff came from, and it is certainly interesting to consider where it will go in the future.
February 21, 2022
Role-playing games, in which players take charge of imaginary characters and guide them through adventures in a fictional world, are commonplace today in both computerized and traditional, in-person forms. The granddaddy of them all is Dungeons and Dragons, which has entertained generations of players through a variety of editions since the 1970s, when its rules were first codified by a group of creative wargamers including Gary Gygax and Greg Arneson.
What inspired them?
Gygax helpfully included in early editions of D&D an appendix with a list of fantasy and science fiction authors who had inspired his creation – the “Appendix N” of this book’s title. Jeffro Johnson, an experienced gamer and writer, has read those books and written a series of blog posts exploring how each one supplied ideas that became part of D&D and, through it, part of the shared imaginations of all who played D&D or similar games that built on its example. This book is compiled from those articles. Each chapter addresses one influential book or series, and discusses not only what parts of its imagined world influenced the development of D&D and later role-playing games, but how present-day gamers and game designers can also learn from it.
Here you’ll find out that, although JRR Tolkien certainly had his share of influence, D&D wasn’t just a hijacking of Middle Earth. It was instead a syncretistic blend of ideas and influences lifted from dozens of “secondary realities”. Jack Vance, in his Dying Earth series of stories, inspired the way that player-character magicusers in D&D learn and use their spells; Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions and Michael Moorcock’s Elric stories provided templates for ways in which moral and spiritual alignments could shape characters’ destinies; L. Sprague de Camp’s Lest Darkness Fall, a tale of a modern engineer who falls back in time to the Roman Empire, shows how player characters can be induced to work within a game-world’s imagined social systems instead of just hacking and slaying the monster-of-the-day. (Just to be fair, though, Conan of Cimmeria, Robert E. Howard’s epic hacker-and-slayer from the pages of Weird Tales magazine, also gets a chapter to honor his role in creating that mighty stereotype.)
Other authors discussed include Fritz Leiber, Lord Dunsany, Roger Zelazny, Margaret St. Clair, H.P. Lovecraft’s disciple August Derleth, and more. Even readers uninterested in role-playing games will find this an excellent critical introduction to a wide selection of classic authors of fantasy and the supernatural.
What inspired them?
Gygax helpfully included in early editions of D&D an appendix with a list of fantasy and science fiction authors who had inspired his creation – the “Appendix N” of this book’s title. Jeffro Johnson, an experienced gamer and writer, has read those books and written a series of blog posts exploring how each one supplied ideas that became part of D&D and, through it, part of the shared imaginations of all who played D&D or similar games that built on its example. This book is compiled from those articles. Each chapter addresses one influential book or series, and discusses not only what parts of its imagined world influenced the development of D&D and later role-playing games, but how present-day gamers and game designers can also learn from it.
Here you’ll find out that, although JRR Tolkien certainly had his share of influence, D&D wasn’t just a hijacking of Middle Earth. It was instead a syncretistic blend of ideas and influences lifted from dozens of “secondary realities”. Jack Vance, in his Dying Earth series of stories, inspired the way that player-character magicusers in D&D learn and use their spells; Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions and Michael Moorcock’s Elric stories provided templates for ways in which moral and spiritual alignments could shape characters’ destinies; L. Sprague de Camp’s Lest Darkness Fall, a tale of a modern engineer who falls back in time to the Roman Empire, shows how player characters can be induced to work within a game-world’s imagined social systems instead of just hacking and slaying the monster-of-the-day. (Just to be fair, though, Conan of Cimmeria, Robert E. Howard’s epic hacker-and-slayer from the pages of Weird Tales magazine, also gets a chapter to honor his role in creating that mighty stereotype.)
Other authors discussed include Fritz Leiber, Lord Dunsany, Roger Zelazny, Margaret St. Clair, H.P. Lovecraft’s disciple August Derleth, and more. Even readers uninterested in role-playing games will find this an excellent critical introduction to a wide selection of classic authors of fantasy and the supernatural.
May 10, 2019
I found this absolutely fascinating, but it's only going to appeal to a VERY select group of people, namely those who played D&D in the 70's and grew up reading voracious amounts of fantasy and SF from the 40's-60's. The author methodically covers each writer and novel recommended in Appendix N of the original Dungeonmaster's Guide, and talks a great deal about how they relate to the founding elements of D&D and also about the huge tonal shift that occurred in fantasy fiction as it moved from the 70's to the 80's and beyond. I remember finding most 80's fantasy novels to be bland photocopies of LOTR, to the point that I eventually just lost interest in the genre, and this book details why that was, and candidly discusses how LOTR came to dominate the fantasy landscape style where only 10-20 years before, there was a much wider range of "fantasy" out there. Martian princesses and six-armed green giants and Amazon women on Venus and Pellucidar and Stormbringer all slowly mellowed into an infinite series of books about the apprentice/villager guy who is the only one who can defeat the Dark Lord and they meet some wise elves along the way.
Maybe one person out of 25,000 will enjoy this book, but that one person will probably be as fascinated as I was.
Maybe one person out of 25,000 will enjoy this book, but that one person will probably be as fascinated as I was.
August 28, 2023
There’s a telling bit in the Appendices, interviewing someone of the actual old guard, where the authors vicarious nostalgia gets clipped in the wing: (paraphrasing slightly)
Author: “This [including all sorts of disparate ideas?] is completely alien to people under forty. Can you speak to this aspect of the times … and [how everything is just a Tolkien pastiche now]?
K St. Andre: “I think you’re maybe trying to over analyze things when getting into the topic. We were just looking for fun and creating it in a thousand ways.”
Author: “Okay bye gotta go.”
If you’re looking for an overview of the Appendix N authors & their series / books, and don’t mind someone banging the conservative faux-nostalgia drum in repetitive blog posts, it’s a useful intro.
Author: “This [including all sorts of disparate ideas?] is completely alien to people under forty. Can you speak to this aspect of the times … and [how everything is just a Tolkien pastiche now]?
K St. Andre: “I think you’re maybe trying to over analyze things when getting into the topic. We were just looking for fun and creating it in a thousand ways.”
Author: “Okay bye gotta go.”
If you’re looking for an overview of the Appendix N authors & their series / books, and don’t mind someone banging the conservative faux-nostalgia drum in repetitive blog posts, it’s a useful intro.
April 1, 2017
Very cool book, especially if you played D&D back in the late 70s & early 80s. Honestly, I don't recall even seeing Appendix N back in my playing days. I've read a number of the books on the list and have picked up or plan to pick up several covered in this book. I will likely be coming back to it for new reads later on.
October 28, 2018
A book of essays about the books and series contained in Appendix N of the original Dungeon Master's guide to 1st edition D & D. Then goes into how concepts from these novels have inspired the rules of the game itself. This was a fantastic read I've read some of the novels from Appendix N but reading this made me want to track down all of this fiction and immerse myself in it.
September 10, 2017
Summaries from the Gygaxian list
This book summarizes literature from a list that provide background for Dungeons and Dragons. Some books are good and some bad, but relevant passages are noted, with their relationship to tabletop gaming.
This book summarizes literature from a list that provide background for Dungeons and Dragons. Some books are good and some bad, but relevant passages are noted, with their relationship to tabletop gaming.
April 17, 2019
This book reviews all the prior science fiction, fantasy, and horror books that influenced Gary Gygax on creating Dungeons & Dungeons back in the 1970s. Immensely helpful book that makes me want to go find all the good old treasures and read them!
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