TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh · Apr 24, 2007

BOZ said:
understandable. as a purely business decision, it probably seems to make sense. as a way to reach out to fans and longtime subscribers... well, it leaves something to be desired.

If I were firmly supporting WotC there is a slight possibility that I would be asked for commentary in regards to the passing of Dragon magazine. As i have made no secret of my less-than-enthusiastic opinion of new D&D, I'd say the odds of me being contacted in this regard are Slim to None...and we all know Slim has left town :lol:

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 24, 2007

mhacdebhandia said:
Jasin was actually referring to the backstory of the television series Stargate SG-1, but I for one will forgive you for not recognising it.

Now i know why i have never been fond of that program...the writers don't know their Egyptian mythology

Gary

AGFlynn · Apr 24, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
Howdy Colonel,

Short answer:

Frankly, I find very few new fantasy books in the general S&S vein worth reading. I do enjoy the "Diskworld" series, and Glen Cook's "Black Company" novels are appealing to me. Those are about all that spring to mind. The fiction I have been reading these days is mostly murder mystery (I loved the "Judge Dee" series), historical (such as Cornwell's various series), alternate history, and some re-reading of old fantasy & SF books.

Cheers,
Gary

Have you tried the excellent, if excruciatingly complicated, Malazan series by Steven Erikson? Or the very hard-edged (sometimes too much so) Prince of Nothing series? Both are fellow Canadians and superb writers.

Col_Pladoh · Apr 24, 2007

AGFlynn said:
Have you tried the excellent, if excruciatingly complicated, Malazan series by Steven Erikson? Or the very hard-edged (sometimes too much so) Prince of Nothing series? Both are fellow Canadians and superb writers.

No, I have not read either author. How close are they to the S&S writing of say Leiber, Howard, Vance, Merritt or for that matter Pratchett?

And hey! What's a Canadian doing flying the Welsh flag? :lol:

Cheerio,
Gary

Voadam · Apr 24, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
As a Christian I stayed well away from basing any of the D&D game on scripture.

The Deva, Solarm and Planatar are benign and rather angelic in their purposes.

No Milton, but I did use a bit of Dante's Inferno is developing the denizens of the Nine Hells.

Cheerio,
Gary

No Milton? When I read Paradise Lost and the passage about Demogorgon in the abyss when the angels fell to Hell I thought that must have been an inspiration for the split between demons and devils and the abyss and hell.

It was the only non-D&D reference to Demogorgon I'd seen. Where was the inspiration for Demogorgon then?

AGFlynn · Apr 24, 2007

Born in Cardiff, boyo. I'm a transplant. Proud Canuck and Taffy.

As to Bakker and Erikson, I'd say their writing is somewhat darker than the above, especially Bakker's. A bit harsher, definitely adult reading. Erikson's work -- if memory serves -- is based on an original D&D campaign world. It's heady and complicated stuff. It's also absolutely loaded with characters -- its a dense read with a lot to take in. Well worth it if you have the patience to stick it out.

Cheers, Flynn
(Yeah, and an Irish name. Thanks, great-grandad.)

Col_Pladoh · Apr 24, 2007

Voadam said:
...

It was the only non-D&D reference to Demogorgon I'd seen. Where was the inspiration for Demogorgon then?

Demogorgon is mentioned in various occult books, demonologies list him.

Cheerio,
Gary

Col_Pladoh · Apr 24, 2007

AGFlynn said:
Born in Cardiff, boyo. I'm a transplant. Proud Canuck and Taffy.

As to Bakker and Erikson, I'd say their writing is somewhat darker than the above, especially Bakker's. A bit harsher, definitely adult reading. Erikson's work -- if memory serves -- is based on an original D&D campaign world. It's heady and complicated stuff. It's also absolutely loaded with characters -- its a dense read with a lot to take in. Well worth it if you have the patience to stick it out.

Cheers, Flynn
(Yeah, and an Irish name. Thanks, great-grandad.)

I have a bit of Welsh (also Irish) heritage, and the English includes Cornish--my grandmother could bake a mighty fine pasty ans great leg of mutton. Thus with the Swiss, French, and Dutch included I am a typical American hybrid. Never mind about some of mu grandchildren, but their ancestry would fill a good part of the UN :lol:

Cheerio,
Gary

Shadeydm · Apr 24, 2007

HI Gary,

My apologies if you have already been asked this a thousand times. I am curious if prior to things unravelling for TSR was it ever in your plans to advance the timeline of the World of Greyhawk Campaign Setting or was it meant to remain static in your mind?

*edited for my subpar typing skills.

haakon1 · Apr 25, 2007

Col_Pladoh said:
Now i know why i have never been fond of that program...the writers don't know their Egyptian mythology

They do alright with the Norse stuff, though. The episode where Viking warriors with swords and modern USAF Special Forces with the other kind of claymores are fighting aliens with blasters, that was cool. At least to me!

Watch the episode of Season 1 on DVD, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by Thor's true identity.

TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

Col_Pladoh

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Gary Gygax

AGFlynn

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Voadam

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AGFlynn

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Gary Gygax

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Gary Gygax

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