N28: Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny

“Appendix N” Challenge Complete!

With the following entry, I officially complete my “Appendix N” challenge for the month of December 2016. I really enjoyed looking back at some of my favorite (and some of my not-so-favorite) works of science-fiction and fantasy. My recommendation, for people wanting to challenge themselves in a similar way: why not arrange the readings by date instead of alphabetically by author? At first I liked my system, but I think I might gain more insight by reading the older writings first and making my way to the more modern stories. I wanted a worthy challenge to begin my blog and I enjoyed this month. Tomorrow, look for news of my January challenge. Until then, enjoy reading!

Book Review!

N28: Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended Roger Zelazny’s novel Jack of Shadows. I own a small hardback copy that came in at 184 pages with a copyright date of 1971. I bought the book used online and found that it arrived with what looked like Zelazny’s autograph on the title page! This work stands out to me the same way Brandon Sanderson stands out with fantasy fiction in the current market because Zelazny managed to create an entirely different type of exciting fantasy story with its own universe and rules to figure out.

The Good

*I really liked the protagonist, Jack of Shadows.

*Strange events begin occurring from page one and continue on throughout the book.

*Because of the events in the beginning, Jack pledges himself to a quest of vengeance.

*Jack travels through interesting places and Zelazny provides great descriptions along the way.

The Bad

*Some readers might find the strangeness a little overwhelming.

*I found myself a little concerned at how long some events took, but I enjoyed the exploration along the way.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*I remember one of my 2E D&D characters using shadow form and traveling around with shadows; this book likely inspired those abilities.

*The book provides a system/fantasy rules for some creatures dying and coming back to life; D&D lore includes similar concepts.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 8/10 rating and highly recommend this book to all fans of fantasy literature.

N27: The Legion of Space by Jack Williamson

Book Review!

N27: The Legion of Space by Jack Williamson

I once again found myself randomly picking a work an author recommended in “Appendix N” by Gary Gygax. This time I chose The Legion of Space, a science-fiction novel by Jack Williamson. My used paperback copy of the book included 189 pages - though someone ripped out half of two of the pages near the end for some reason - and copyright dates of 1935, 1947, 1967, and 1969. To my surprise, this work actually contained several elements that I felt resembled inspirations for Dungeons & Dragons.

The Good

*This book contains one of the best prologues of all time. In about 15 pages, a character in 1945 pulls off what I refer to as a “reverse Assassin’s Creed” type of scenario in which he tells his doctor that he, through temporal telepathy, knows the memories of his descendants going out at least 1,000 years into the future. The doctor explains that the man wrote out manuscripts about the lives of these people living in the future and the rest of the book gives the details of one of those characters. Amazing!

*The main character deals with an interesting moral struggle.

*Williamson quickly established a mystery with a beautiful woman guarding its secret.

*Part of the story almost feels like The Three Musketeers, with the protagonist allying with 3 more experienced military officers in a similar fashion to D’Artagnan joining with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.

The Bad

*The title The Legion of Space, in my opinion, needs to change to The Space Legion; a shorter title that sounds more like the military organization it represents works better.

*The story contains several easy to predict occurrences.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The far region of space with Pluto as a dark planet and strange beings from space reminded me of D&D’s the Far Realms.

*The alien aggressors in the story include foot-long purple flying eyes with powers that stun, freeze, and kill people; these creatures clearly provide a template for D&D’s beholders, who also exist as aliens from the depths of space.

Overall

I found myself conflicted when rating this work because I wanted to read the book non-stop and yet I also felt the text contained too many predictable/cliche-seeming elements. For the enjoyment of reading I want to go ahead and place the book higher than I probably should, at an 8/10. Gary Gygax knew his sci-fi/fantasy authors well and I appreciated this recommendation.

N26: "Battle in the Dawn" by Manley Wade Wellman

Short Story Review!

N26: "Battle in the Dawn" by Manley Wade Wellman

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended Manley Wade Wellman without naming any specific work. I happen to own the Paizo published Battle in the Dawn: The Complete Hok the Mighty collection of short stories. In the introduction David Drake pointed out the the first Hok story “Battle in the Dawn” included a 40 page stand alone story and thus I decided to read that tale for today’s review.

The Good

*Hok the caveman made for an interesting protagonist.

*The story included lots of combat with the cavemen fighting their mongrel/cannibal enemies.

The Bad

*Feminist-minded readers might dislike the way Hok goes and captures a woman and claims her as his property.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The story includes many D&D-esque elements: spears, javelins, barbarians, attacking/defending caves, and tracking creatures through the forest.

*Wellman called the mongrel/cannibals Gnorrls and mentioned a little knoll on the first page, which made me wonder if the combination of those words helped inspire the Gnolls of D&D (which behave very much like Gnorrls).

Overall

I give this short story a 8/10 rating since I enjoyed reading it so much that I read through the story in one sitting.

N25: “Redemption Cairn” by Stanley Weinbaum

Short Story Review!

N25: “Redemption Cairn” by Stanley Weinbaum

Gary Gygax sometimes worked in mysterious ways. For “Appendix N” to the AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide, he sometimes recommended specific books for authors and sometimes just gave names. For Stanley Weinbaum, Gygax just gave a name and thus I found myself clueless as to which of his works to read. I randomly picked a 31-page short story from my The Best of Stanley G. Weinbaum paperback book - “Redemption Cairn.”

The Good

*Interesting science-fiction with a failed pilot who needs to go back and prove himself.

*Riveting reading with realistic dialogue.

The Bad

*Events happen very quickly.

*Weinbaum gives some foreshadowing a little too obviously.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*I feel like Weinbaum must have some work out there that really inspired Gygax, but the story I picked came across as pure science-fiction without any fantasy or D&D related material.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the short story a 5/10 rating.

N24: The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

Book Review!

N24: The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended Jack Vance’s 1950 novel The Dying Earth, a book considered one of the best fantasy works of all time. When I first read the book I found myself both excited to see where “Vancian Magic” came from and disappointed because the book really contains a collection of loosely connected short stories rather than a novel-length plot.

The Good

*The wizards stand out as amazing. Just within the first 7 pages, I found clear evidence of how Gygax and his friends built the D&D magic system.

The Bad

*Some readers might claim “false advertisement” or some sort of fraud since the book really only contains a series of short stories, instead of a full-length novel.

*Some passages seem confusing upon first read, though they make sense later and upon a second read; some readers today lack the patience to really appreciate this text.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*Enjoy some quotes from the book: Jack Vance’s narration explained how magic worked in this universe: “These were volumes compiled by many wizards in the past, untidy folios collected by the Sage, leather-bound librams setting forth the syllables of a hundred powerful spells, so cogent that Turjan’s brain could know but four at a time” (6). When the character prepared his spells for the day, he picked three: “the Excellent Prisnatic Spray, Phandaal’s Mantle of Stealth, and the Spell of the Slow Hour” (7).

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 6/10 rating. Vance deserves a higher ranking, but the disconnection from tale to tale bring down the overall quality.

N23: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Book Review!

N23: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended J. R. R. Tolkien’s work. For this review, I decided to focus on The Hobbit. Unfortunately, the D&D folks and the Tolkien people ended up in legal battles over several issues; for many years Gygax downplayed the influence of Tolkien’s works, but this likely stems from the problems with the lawsuits. In D&D the Balrog became the Balor demon and Hobbits became halflings. Many fans of Tolkien’s works automatically projected his lore onto the D&D creatures even though Gygax strongly argued that his lore remained different. Anyway, with no further delay, I give you my thoughts on one of the most famous books ever.

The Good

*Tolkien created memorable characters engaged in an exciting adventure with exploration, combat, and interesting social interactions.

The Bad

*Too many dwarves that come across similarly to the casual reader.

*Sometimes Tolkien goes on and on for a long time describing and/or giving background info.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The similarities between D&D and The Hobbit stand out so strongly that Gygax and company found themselves sued by Tolkien’s people.

Overall

I give The Hobbit a 7/10 rating, lowered because of some of the longer rambling passages.

N22: The Shadow People by Margaret St. Clair

Book Review!

N22: The Shadow People by Margaret St. Clair

In the AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended Margaret St. Clair’s novel The Shadow People. I really enjoyed reading this work of modern fantasy; my paperback copy of the book came in at 189 pages with a copyright year of 1969.

The Good

*From the beginning, the story gives the perspective of a romantic hero looking for his lost love.

*The mystery drive the plot, bringing the protagonist into a mysterious setting.

*The magic sword stood out as an interesting object.

The Bad

*Margaret St. Clair named her main character Dick.

*If readers dislike exploration novels, then they may find themselves disappointed when pages go by simply explaining the journey and surroundings of the main character without any other interactions.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*I think this book provides a great template for the underdark, which Margaret St. Clair calls the Underearth or Otherworld.

*Dick’s friend/maid Fay in the beginning clearly has a name meant to allude to the Fey.

*With shadow people, underdark caverns, and a hero carrying a sword - this book feels very much like a solo D&D adventure.

Overall

I loved this story and the suspense, thus I give the work a 7/10 rating.

N21: Changeling Earth by Fred Saberhagen

Book Review!

N21: Changeling Earth by Fred Saberhagen

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended Changeling Earth by Fred Saberhagen, an exciting novel of post apocalyptic science-fiction fantasy. At 176 pages, my paperback version of this 1973 book made for an easy weekend read.

The Good

*Part of the story centers on the mystery of the entity known as Ardneh.

*In a sense, this story establishes a short version of epic fantasy.

*Rolf is an interesting character, as are the enemies.

The Bad

*Saberhagen sometimes spends a long explaining something.

*As per the “epic fantasy feel,” the author introduces lots of minor characters along the way.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*From the very beginning, this book discusses elementals, djinn, demons, wizards, and mysterious powers.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 6/10 rating.

N20B: Conan the Mercenary by Andrew J. Offutt

Book Review!

N20B: Conan the Mercenary by Andrew J. Offutt

I decided to go ahead and include the sequel to yesterday’s book by Andrew J. Offutt, even though Conan the Mercenary ended up published in 1980, clearly before Gary Gygax penned “Appendix N” of the AD&D Dungeon Master’s Guide. My paperback copy of this book included 185 pages of exciting mercenary action (and drawings). [This review looks almost identical to yesterday’s entry.]

The Good

*I always enjoy a good Conan adventure story.

*Good character development.

The Bad

*While a fun read, this book fails to achieve the status of “high literature.”

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*They actually made some Conan D&D modules for adventuring and I enjoyed that they stood out as a low-magic setting, making the powers of fighters and rogues more prominent.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 6/10 rating.

N20: Conan and the Sorcerer by Andrew J. Offutt

Book Review!

N20: Conan and the Sorcerer by Andrew J. Offutt

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax a mysterious reference to Andrew J. Offutt as an editor to a collection of stories. When I looked into that series, I realized Offutt not only edited the series together, but also completed a Conan story from notes after the death of Robert E. Howard. Thus, I decided for this author to review his continued work on the Conan series with the novel Conan and the Sorcerer - the lead book in a Conan trilogy. My paperback copy of this book included 186 pages of exciting “barbarian” action (and drawings).

The Good

*I always enjoy a good Conan adventure story.

*Good character development.

The Bad

*While a fun read, this book fails to achieve the status of “high literature.”

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*With fighters, rogues, and sorcerers this story’s elements easily create a low-magic D&D setting.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 7/10 rating.

N19: Quag Keep by Andre Norton

Book Review!

N19: Quag Keep by Andre Norton

In 1976 Andre Norton played in a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Gary Gygax, after which she wrote the novel Quag Keep (published in 1978). The book includes characters involved in a version of the Greyhawk setting, on the world of Oerth. Thus, in a way, the inclusion of this author and text in “Appendix N” exists as a somewhat self-serving entry. When I found out about this book and read it years ago I experienced one of the greatest disappointments of my life. I kid you not; I expected this tale to reveal information about Gygax’s original campaign, but instead I found a story with little plot movement, weak dialogue, and 4th-wall breaking meta-items that caused me to shake my head in disapproval.

The Good

*This book provides a small glimpse into a version of the 1976 Greyhawk campaign, but not much of one.

The Bad

*My least favorite fantasy trope serves as the primary concept here: people from the modern setting ended up on a fantasy world.

*Some of the dialogue sounded atrocious.

*I disliked the plot so much that I literally forced myself to finish the book.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The book includes locations from Oerth, but never says anything of worth about them.

*Monsters, wizards, and magic items exist in the story.

Overall

With no offense to Andre Norton, I give the work a 1/10 rating; Norton wrote other literature that stands out as much better than this strange meta-RPG novel.

N18: The Dreaming City by Michael Moorcock

Book Review!

N18: The Dreaming City by Michael Moorcock

Continuing my “Appendix N” series, I present to you another work by an author Gary Gygax recommended: Michael Moorcock’s The Dreaming City. My paperback version contain 189 pages with a copyright date of 1972. I noticed that the dedication page included: “To Poul Anderson for The Broken Sword and Three Hearts and Three Lions. To the late Fletcher Pratt for The Well of the Unicorn.” He also mentioned Bertold Brecht and expressed that all of those authors influences the Elric stories.

The Good

*This story sets up an exciting series of novels, but stands out well on its own as well.

*The tale included a great main character with Elric.

*Stormbringer (the impressive magic sword)!

The Bad

*While the story stands out as a fun political/adventure tale, some people might criticize the novel as lacking in literary quality.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*Both dungeons and dragons (Dragon Caves, Dragon Isle, etc.) are mentioned throughout the story.

*Stormbringer inspired the creation of special D&D magic swords.

*The story makes for a good combination of politics and combat, exploring the main pillars of D&D/RPGing.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 6/10 rating and recommend reading the book as part of a fun, relaxing weekend. But watch out, because you might end up wanting to read the entire series!

N17: Dwellers in the Mirage by A. Merritt

Book Review!

N17: Dwellers in the Mirage by A. Merritt

In “Appendix N” Gary Gygax recommended A. Merritt’s novel Dwellers in the Mirage. About a year and a half ago I realized I still needed to read this book and I found myself really disappointed for several reasons. The cover looks amazing, but only represents one scene in the book. Many people consider this book a great classic fantasy story, but I disagree with them.

The Good

*The story included a Cthulhu-esque connection, but took a long time to get to the good part.

The Bad

*The narration includes many confusing moments.

*I disliked the protagonist Leif and the situations he found himself in.

*I felt the Dwayanu connection took away from Leif’s agency.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*A kraken-like monster makes an appearance.

Overall

For my tastes, I give the work a 2/10 rating and really only recommend looking at the book to examine its historical importance.