TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Steel_Wind · Apr 14, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
As I stated earlier in this thread, I do not find contemporary fantasy writing to my taste, so we are in agreement there.

I don't disagree with you Gary. I'm saying "me too" pretty loudly.

But George RR Martin's "Fanthistorical" approach in his Song of Ice and Fire series are the best damn books I've ever read in the past 30 years (or at all, to be blunt).

Time called him "The American Tolkien" a year back. Hyperbole? Perhaps - but maybe not. There's a whole lot of smoke for there to be no fire.

It's a new approach: magic-lite, grim, gritty, character centric and a very realistic historical feel. You are doing yourself a disservice by not taking the opportunity to let your mind wander in his world.

gideon_thorne · Apr 14, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
The Martin works do not sound particularly appealing to me, but I am in process of reading the three trade paperback REH Conan books now.

*smiles* Last time I talked to George Martin I asked him if he actually intended to have any characters left by the end of the series.

He did mention, in reply, that the final cover of the series was going to depict an endless array of gravestones.

I gave the first trio of books a shot. Not really my cup of tea. Clearly, tastes differ. ^_^

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

I enjoy the Disk World series...

Now I shall pick up and read the last of the three books in the "Archer's Tale" trilogy.

Cheers,
Gary

Imperialus · Apr 14, 2007

gideon_thorne said:
*smiles* Last time I talked to George Martin I asked him if he actually intended to have any characters left by the end of the series.

A friend of mine and I have a bet on who's going to survive the series. I'm already down one on him, but with 3 more books I'll have lots of time to catch up and I'm pretty confident about at least two of my choices.

Col_Pladoh said:
I enjoy de Camp's writing, very mych so when teamed with Fletcher Pratt, but he messed up REH's writing, as did the other posthumous collaborators.

I just recently finished reading the "Savage Tales of Solomon Kane" reprint. I can honestly say I think I like Kane almost more than I like Conan. The only one from that series I'm missing now is Bran-Moc-Mon.

As for my own opinion on the Du-Camp pastiches/edits I whole heartedly agree with you. I hadn't realized how much he'd changed until I got the chance to read them side by side.

thedungeondelver · Apr 14, 2007

Hey Gary, were the early AD&D modules penned by you taken from the Lake Geneva campaign wholly or in part or did you set out to write them specifically for the events noted on the cover blurbs with a later eye to publication?

Geoffrey · Apr 14, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
It seems to me that Phil Barker's character and place names are so difficult to pronounce as to make reading a chore.

I can certainly understand that. I have to admit that I actually like his names. He and Tolkien invented honest-to-goodness languages, and hence their nomenclature feels real. I can't stand the big, unpronounceable names in most other authors' works (Flamblerideragiz the Wizard, and such rot). They just sit there and pull monstrosities out of their nether regions, and it shows.

Gary, do you like Japanese giant monster movies, such as Godzilla (28 films so far!)? I'm rediscovering them with my young daughter.

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

Imperialus,

IIRR, goward wrote the Bran Mac Morn yarns before he did the tales of Conan, actually used some of his plots for future Bran tales in the Conan storues.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

thedungeondelver said:
Hey Gary, were the early AD&D modules penned by you taken from the Lake Geneva campaign wholly or in part or did you set out to write them specifically for the events noted on the cover blurbs with a later eye to publication?

TSR was getting a lot of requests for adventure modules, so I did all of the initial modules strictly to fiill the void in the company's product line. Of course I had my group play-test them, also had TSR employees do so. The onlymodules taken directly from my campaign were Dungeonland, Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, Isle of the Ape, Village of Hommlet, and Temple of Elemental Evil. The others were slipped into the campaign as side adventure areas.

I wrote the G series as a break between finishing the PHB and starting the DMG, and I did the D series after completing the ms. for the DMG.

Cheers,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 14, 2007

Geoffrey said:
I can certainly understand that. I have to admit that I actually like his names. He and Tolkien invented honest-to-goodness languages, and hence their nomenclature feels real. I can't stand the big, unpronounceable names in most other authors' works (Flamblerideragiz the Wizard, and such rot). They just sit there and pull monstrosities out of their nether regions, and it shows.

Gary, do you like Japanese giant monster movies, such as Godzilla (28 films so far!)? I'm rediscovering them with my young daughter.

One must be very immersed, shall we say, in the setting being detailed to create special languages spoken therein.

As for Japanese monster movies, I must say they are not my cup of tea...although I get a laugh out os some of them: "Look! Gorgonzola, Cheese Monster, destroys the entire miniature village as it it were a toy!"

:lol:

Gary

Nathal · Apr 15, 2007

Lejendary Adventure

Hi Gary!

I was reading through my old Volume I of Lejends Magazine and wondered when the Trolls are planning those hardbacks of LA. Last I heard they were due out last summer. I see some nice stuff coming out related to LA, like a new module you and Chris Clark penned, but still no new core rulebooks. Any new news on that front, or is "Essentials" IT for the foreseeable future? I would email you directly with this question, but I posted here because I'm sure there are others curious about the same thing.

~Dan Cross

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Steel_Wind

Legend

gideon_thorne

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Imperialus

Explorer

thedungeondelver

Adventurer

Geoffrey

First Post

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

Gary Gygax

Nathal

Explorer

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