Indispensable and Valuable Non-Fiction Sources

[Jack7]

I've read a lot of threads about fictional influences on games, gaming, and game design.

This thread isn't one of them.

This thread is dedicated instead to some of the best non-fiction, historical, research efforts or projects, films, books, artwork, literary, mythological, religious, and other such sources that influence your game. By that I mean influence your setting or milieu, design, the monsters or NPCs you develop, storylines or plots you develop, and so forth. Anything really, related to your games.

I'll add more sources as I go along, these are just to start. Feel free to list and/or explain your own.


BOOKS

various books of the Bible
The Aeneid
The Golden Bough
The Realm of Prester John - this book was written by Robert Silverberg. I had no idea the man was capable of such meticulous historical research, not to mention outright fascinating conclusions on the subject
The Philokalia
A History of the Ancient World
The Enemy Within: A History of Espionage
Weapon
The Texans
The Riddle and the Knight


FILM/SERIES

Monsieur N - this brilliant work was historical speculation on what really happened with Napoleon during his exile and eventual death upon Saint Helena. I highly recommend this film. The opening scene, in which they are exhuming the body of Napoleon, is fantastic.
Band of Brothers - I don't think I need to say anything more for those who have seen this series.
Shackleton
Newton's Dark Secrets


TV

Futureweapons
Survivorman
Cities of the Underworld
Lost Worlds
Ancient Discoveries


LECTURE SERIES

Rings, Swords, and Monsters
From Here to Infinity
Empire of Gold
Eternal Chalice
A History of the Crusades


HISTORICAL GAMING SOURCES

Byzantium: Beyond the Golden Gate
various Osprey publications

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm in the middle of a renovation, so most of my stuff is packed up. Of the top of my head, though:

Diagram Group's Encyclopedia of Weapons has proven invaluable.

Weapons: An International ... - Google Book Search
The New Weapons of the World ... - Google Book Search

I have a few books on weapon making, ranging from stone age tech to the process of forging a katana.

I have David Darom's books, Art & Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives and Custom Fixed-blade Knives.
[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Fixed-blade-Knives-David-Darom/dp/0785822682/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b[/ame]

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Design-Modern-Custom-Folding-Knives/dp/8854401277[/ame]

I have assorted books on mythology, ranging from Bulfinch's and DuLaire's various encyclopedias, to specific ones about Native American, African, Celtic, Polynesian and other mythological traditions.

Books on zoology- especially marine biology.

While I don't own any of the DVDs, I routinely watch A&E, Military History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic and other channels for shows like Mail Call, Future Weapons, Conquest, Fight Science, Modern Marvels' "Axes, Swords and Knives," Martial Arts history shows and the like.

On occasion, I watch Survivorman and Man vs Wild.
In a more refined take on some of the themes in those shows, I also watch Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods. Great for the haflings.

For the dwarf in me (and my players), I've amassed a large collection of books on gemology (OK, I also make jewelry as a hobby, so those books do double duty) and I routinely watch Cash & Treasures.

In addition, I've recently been watching a show called "Most Evil," which focuses on serial killers and other violent criminals and the science behind what they do and why they do it.

 

[SKyOdin]

I think you may want to change you title a little bit, since many of the works you are citing don't fall under the general category of non-fiction. Regardless, here are some of my picks:

As a History major, I am of the opinion that someone planning to run a campaign in setting based even loosely on history should read some good primary and secondary sources to get a good feel for what a historical setting would be like. Here are some good ones:

Froissart's Chronicles: one of the definitive primary sources on the High Middle Ages.

A Medieval Life: Cecillia Penifader of Brigstock, c. 1297-1344: A very accessible account of how medieval peasants lived. Secondary source.

Musui's Story: For games with a Japanese setting, this is a great source since it so wonderfully destroys most pre-conceptions of what samurai and Japanese society were actually like.


Since mythology is open game in this thread, and is a major influence on my perceptions of D&D, here are some of my favorites:

The Ramayana: The great Hindu epic is one of my favorite books of all time, far surpassing most fantasy novels. It is perhaps the best look at what Epic Level D&D should be like. It is completely over the top at times, but that is what makes it so much fun.

The Táin: Not as good as the Ramayana, and much bloodier, this is pretty much the story of how a single Irish warrior, Cú Chulainne takes on an entire Irish army by himself. It also has the definitive example of a barbarian rage: the warp spasm.

I would recommend one of the four great Ming Dynasty novels: Journey into the West, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Dream of the Red Chamber, but I haven't been able to read even a fraction of even one of these novels.

 

[Jack7]

I'm using a generally library like classification method, where subjects like mythology are housed in non-fiction categories along with literature collections and analyses, and so forth. Basically I'm including everything not specifically intended to be fiction.

I thought about including historical fiction in this thread, because although individual storylines and some of the characters may be fictional the background materials in such works are usually reliable and very well researched non-fiction. So if somebody else wants to include historical fiction works I won't object.

I like the entries thus far.

Journey into the West, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and Dream of the Red Chamber,

I've read Journey to the West, and Dream of the Red Chamber. I liked Dream of the Red Chamber best but used the Journey for developing some of the travels of my Oriental party.

I also liked the Pillow Book, since you mentioned Japan.

As a History major, I am of the opinion that someone planning to run a campaign in setting based even loosely on history should read some good primary and secondary sources to get a good feel for what a historical setting would be like.

I concur, and think it a valuable exercise even if your setting is only loosely, semi, or alternately historical.

Conquest, Fight Science

Excellent shows. I should have mentioned them. Especially Fight Science. I also saw a new show last week that I think will be very useful, Weird Connections.

In addition, I've recently been watching a show called "Most Evil," which focuses on serial killers and other violent criminals and the science behind what they do and why they do it.

One of my backgrounds is in criminal and abnormal (or as it really is, subnormal) psychology. I find many of the theories he presents on that show, and his methods of criminal classification interesting, even when I don't agree with him. Since we're onto criminal psychology and violent crimes though then let me recommend the Crime Classification Manual by Douglas, the Burgesses, and Ressler. I just got a new copy for my library for last Christmas.

That reminds me that maybe I should list internet sources, and professional sources later too, like the FBI website, Interpol, and VICAP. Maybe some open source military stuff too. For research and background.

Well, I gotta hit the hay.

 

[MortalPlague]

It's fiction, but it channels a lot of strong mythological elements: Gene Wolfe's "The Wizard Knight". It's really a different read from almost any other fantasy book in its stark treatment of cultures and characters so different from our own world.

 

[Wik]

Today, I just picked up these "travel guides" to the ancient world. I bought three; each one is a comprehensive travel guide to a certain location during a particular time period. There's one for Egypt, one for Greece, and one for Rome during 300 C.E. (the only exact date I remember).

They all go into things like the religious beliefs of the time, the political situations, and the exact map of the time. And it's all "in character". Really, I can't think of any other non-fiction source more suited for gaming. And I bought all three for around twenty bucks.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

I tend to play a lot of superheroes, so two things I use all the time - a good World Atlas, and the CRC handbook... although they have been being replaced by wikipedia recently.

I used to have what page number of the CRC had the details for the planet earth (circumference, weight that sort of thing) memorized... you'd be amazed how often that came up.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

For spies or superhero games, you really want to bookmark the CIA World Factbook.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

If you like to play characters with strong moral compasses, you need to read a lot of philosophy and religion texts. A favorite of mine is Karl von Clausewitz's Just and Unjust Wars. Arguments made in there from the global scale can be applied at the personal scale.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I have 'two' recomendations I always make whenever this comes up:

Barbara Tuchman - A Distant Mirror, the calamitous 14th century.

Joseph and Frances Gies - Life in a Medieval... (Castle, City, Town).

Anyone running a typical 'medieval with magic' setting ought to read them, if nothing else. IMHO.

 

[Ghostwind]

For world building, I recommend Guns, Germs & Steel and Collapse by Jared Diamond.