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For many of us old grognards, the Appendix N in the AD&D DMG gave us the names and titles of authors and books that influenced the creation of D&D. I began reading Moorcock, Anderson and Lieber because of it, and I know I'm not alone.
However, it has been 30 years since that venerable appendix was released. Many fantasy authors have emerged since then, and many have had large impacts on the more recent editions of D&D. I think we should come up with a list of post 1979 books who influenced us and our games, just to give folks pointers on what literature can be used to enrich their game. I'll start:
George R.R. Martin: The Song of Ice and Fire series
Glen Cook: The Black Company series
Stephen King: The Dark Tower series
Three pretty obvious ones, but a start! Anyone else wanna post up a few?
For many of us old grognards, the Appendix N in the AD&D DMG gave us the names and titles of authors and books that influenced the creation of D&D. I began reading Moorcock, Anderson and Lieber because of it, and I know I'm not alone.
However, it has been 30 years since that venerable appendix was released. Many fantasy authors have emerged since then, and many have had large impacts on the more recent editions of D&D. I think we should come up with a list of post 1979 books who influenced us and our games, just to give folks pointers on what literature can be used to enrich their game. I'll start:
George R.R. Martin: The Song of Ice and Fire series
Glen Cook: The Black Company series
Stephen King: The Dark Tower seriesThree pretty obvious ones, but a start! Anyone else wanna post up a few?
Three fun ones within sight of my computer :)
Barbara Hambly: Darwath Trilogy
Laurell K. Hamilton: Anita Blake Series and Meredith Gentry Series (especially for a WoD type game)
Niven and Barnes: Dreampark Trilogy
"Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", Tad Williams
Raymond E. Feist: Riftwar Saga
Joe Abercrombie :First Law Trilogy
Guns, Germs, and Steel: by Jared Diamond,
Excellent! Already I spy several books I haven't read!
Guns, Germs and Steel is good basic grounding in world building. I would also recommend Frances Giles and his Life in a medieval city/castle/villiage series. Good for background info and surprisingly interesting plot hooks ...
Also, if you are doing Apocalypse gaming, S.M. Stirling's Emberverse series is excellent.
Stephen King The Dark Tower series
deserves to be on here twice....
I should add that beyond the first three Anita Blake books, Hamilton's work is NOT safe for under 18 :)
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Thought of a couple of more.
Everyday Life Throughout the Ages. An excellent book by readers digest that talks about how people lived in various societies.
Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn, and Shadow Star by Chris Claremont and George Lucas. Ever wondered what happened after the movie Willow? These books tell you.
New America by Poul Anderson.
Unfinished Tales. Some great essays and short stories regarding Middle Earth and how it came into being.
I should add that beyond the first three Anita Blake books, Hamilton's work is NOT safe for under 18 :)
And past Obsidian Butterfly they kinda focus more on the kinky sex than anything else. The early books are a primo read though.
If we're building this based on what influenced 3X or 4e (as Appendix N were the influences for AD&D), it should be a DVD catalog, heavy on wuxia and anime movies...
Well, that's a whole 'nother thread, but I'm sure fans of anime books would posit they influenced later editions. I keep hearing about this Full Metal Alchemist series, for instance.
And this is more of a fun, 'what are good fantasy books you can yoink concepts from' kinda thread.
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Well, that's a whole 'nother thread, but I'm sure fans of anime books would posit they influenced later editions. I keep hearing about this Full Metal Alchemist series, for instance.If we're building this based on what influenced 3X or 4e (as Appendix N were the influences for AD&D), it should be a DVD catalog, heavy on wuxia and anime movies...
Yeah, that's why I keep looking at my 1e stuff on the shelf. If I wanted to play anime, I'd play BESM, or FF XIII on Playstation...
Another good series that can influence either a parallel universe game or a time travel-type game would be Charles Stross' Merchant Princes novels. They read like an updated Chronicles of Amber, and the series is just getting interesting with the 5th book just out. Probably go another five like the first part of the Amber series did.
Fun nerd fact: Stross invented the Githyanki, Githzerai, the Death Knight and the Slaadi when he was 16. (Check your 1e Fiend Folio HD!)
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Shadow Moon, Shadow Dawn, and Shadow Star by Chris Claremont and George Lucas. Ever wondered what happened after the movie Willow? These books tell you.
I didn't know about those. I'll have to track 'em down. I guess they were all written before either man went insane?
Guardians of the Flame series by Joel Rosenberg
Forgot about these. Although, the "slavery is bad, mmmkay" got wearying towards the end of the series.
Another good series that can influence either a parallel universe game or a time travel-type game would be Charles Stross' Merchant Princes novels. They read like an updated Chronicles of Amber, and the series is just getting interesting with the 5th book just out. Probably go another five like the first part of the Amber series did.
Fun nerd fact: Stross invented the Githyanki, Githzerai, the Death Knight and the Slaadi when he was 16. (Check your 1e Fiend Folio HD!)
Loved me some Amber, so I'll have to look these up too, especially if they're by the author of three of my favorite Fiend Folio monsters.
Another good series that can influence either a parallel universe game or a time travel-type game would be Charles Stross' Merchant Princes novels.
Wow, we have the same reading lists.
His Bob Howard novels are hilarious: The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue - with lots of D&D references.
For those that want a mystery bent, try the Brother Cadfael mysteries by Ellis Peters. Great mysteries and set in medieval times, so you don't have to try to figure out what to replace all those modern detective things with.
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Glen Cook's Black Company was mentioned, but Dread Empire should be as well.
Scott Lynch - Gentlemen Bastards series (hope it will be more than the 2 books out). Awesome world for gaming.
Steven Brust - Jhereg series.
Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm.
Katherine Kerr.
I am pretty sure that the above (apart from maybe Cook) are all gamers or ex-gamers, and it shows in the settings. George RR Martin is another good example of this.
And on a different note - Terry Pratchett. Because my game sessions usually end up being most like his writing.
Tigana Guy Kay
;)
That's three times he's up on this list then.
I'll add a couple as well...
Legend Of NightFall by Mickey Zucker Reichert. A great 'unlikely hero' type character and an interesting concept of magic as well...
Captains Outrageous and Yor's Revenge by Roy V. Young
An inspiration to the really silly, yet fast paced swashbuckling daring do's... So on the humorous side, but is that a bad thing? :-)
Cheers!
China Mieville was also mentioned, but not The Scar.
If anyone knows some good pirate fiction please post it, garrr!
Barker, Clive. Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, Everville, Imagica.
Brust, Steven. VLAD TALTOS series; PHOENIX GUARDS series; et al.
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
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If anyone knows some good pirate fiction please post it, garrr!
I did mention Scott Lynch. I didn't think that "Red Seas Under Red Skies" was quite as good as "The Lies of Locke Lamora", but it was pretty darned good.
I find it interesting that multiple posters are talking about writers like Kay, Brust, Cook, Gemmell, (all among my faves), but I'm not seeing the "bestsellers" (eg Jordan, Eddings, Goodkind, Brooks). I agree with the apparent preference, but still find it somewhat surprising. (Kirth: You reccomend the Phoenix Guards? But I think that I have been talking about nothing else all day!)
Oh, and add Greg Keyes and Tanya Huff.
Carlton Mellick III-"Candy Coated"
Another good series that can influence either a parallel universe game or a time travel-type game would be Charles Stross' Merchant Princes novels.Wow, we have the same reading lists.
His Bob Howard novels are hilarious: The Atrocity Archives and The Jennifer Morgue - with lots of D&D references.
Also highly reccommended for those wanting to run a futuristic cyberpunk kinda game: Accelerando and Glasshouse by Stross. The man is a darn good writer.
It's nice to see the Bro. Cadfael books make it--a series that would be off the beaten path. I'd add the Patrick O'Brian books.
I'd also add the Dune series (not all after 1979, either) for world building.
Ancient Inventions by Peter James and Nick Thorpe, along with Ancient Mysteries by the same two authors.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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If anyone knows some good pirate fiction please post it, garrr!I did mention Scott Lynch. I didn't think that "Red Seas Under Red Skies" was quite as good as "The Lies of Locke Lamora", but it was pretty darned good.
I find it interesting that multiple posters are talking about writers like Kay, Brust, Cook, Gemmell, (all among my faves), but I'm not seeing the "bestsellers" (eg Jordan, Eddings, Goodkind, Brooks). I agree with the apparent preference, but still find it somewhat surprising. (Kirth: You reccomend the Phoenix Guards? But I think that I have been talking about nothing else all day!)
Oh, and add Greg Keyes and Tanya Huff.
Good call with Greg Keyes! Also, I'dd add in Brooks, just wasn't on my mind when I posted earlier.
If anyone knows some good pirate fiction please post it, garrr!I did mention Scott Lynch. I didn't think that "Red Seas Under Red Skies" was quite as good as "The Lies of Locke Lamora", but it was pretty darned good.
I find it interesting that multiple posters are talking about writers like Kay, Brust, Cook, Gemmell, (all among my faves), but I'm not seeing the "bestsellers" (eg Jordan, Eddings, Goodkind, Brooks). I agree with the apparent preference, but still find it somewhat surprising. (Kirth: You reccomend the Phoenix Guards? But I think that I have been talking about nothing else all day!)
Oh, and add Greg Keyes and Tanya Huff.
I mentioned Eddings. Now, for me, that was my first fantasy series, so he holds a higher place than the others.
I've got "The Lies of Locke Lamora" on the reading pile. I've heard enough good things about it that it's going to the top.
I'll add in Edward Rutherfurd's historical novels: Sarum, London and The Forest. He writes in a Mitchner-type style chronicling families through the years in a certain place, and his details are excellent. Also, if futuristic space games are your forte, Peter Hamilton's Reality Dysfunction series is a cracking good read.
Good call on the Rutherford too! That with Dune has helped me think about long-term chronologies and multi-generational campaigns, and what is more, medieval life details.
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Legend Of NightFall by Mickey Zucker Reichert. A great 'unlikely hero' type character and an interesting concept of magic as well...
Agreed. +1
Steven Brust - Jhereg series.
Love these!
My addition:
The Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
The Nightside series - Simon Green
My addition:
The Chronicles of Amber - Roger Zelazny
Already in the original (1e DMG) Appendix!
Ninja'd by Gygax!
Also on the apocalypse front, World War Z. Probably the best (or most believeable) treatment of a zombie plague in a modern setting. Soon to be a movie! (YAY!)
