Appendix N Reading List

pawsplay · Mar 16, 2009

The list author says: "This is simply the list from page 224 of the AD&D DMG. In cases where he simply lists an author, I have selected a singular work."

Amazon.com: "Gygax's AD&D Appendix N: Inspirational and Educational Reading"

Anyone want to make suggestions for improving the list?

Cadfan · Mar 16, 2009

Improving it by adding books that were around when Gygax wrote the AD&D DMG? Or by modernizing it?

Because I can do the latter. Can't do much on the former, his list is decent on that score.

pawsplay · Mar 17, 2009

I was thinking more in terms of picking X book by one author over another. As far as a modern reading list, I've been working on my own.

Jubelo · Mar 17, 2009

I believe he would have added 'The Black Company' by Glenn Cook, based on the glowing review he made in one of the old Dragon magazines.

'Old Nathan' by David Drake is a collection of short stories set in the Appalachian Mts. about a cunning man. I enjoyed the book.

Rather than Wellman's 'Beasts from Beyond' which seems to be hard to find, judging by the price, I might substitute almost any of the Silver John stories.. there are many, all excellent.

Lin Carter edited the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series during the 70's.. it had some of the books on Gary's list as well as other, lesser known books. Some I found to be rather slow (Eddings), but others have been wonderful. The collections of Clark Ashton Smith, 2 collections of short novels and Mirrlees' 'Lud in the Mist' come to mind.

C. L. Moore's stories of Jirel of Joiry seemed to have escaped this list.

Although they may seem out of genre, I'd suggest M. R. James to any fantasy or horror fan.

For more modern books:

The Drawing of the Dark.. I believe it's by Pratchett.
Neil Gaiman's fantasies, as well as those by Mievelle.
I haven't read a book by Jim Butcher that I didn't enjoy.
'Scar Night' by Alan Campbell
'Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norris' by Clarke ( my books are still packed up, I may be mistaken)
'Villains by Necessity' by Eve Forward
Stephen Brust
Tim Powers
'War of the Flowers' by Tad Williams (I realize he's written much more, but this is self contained)

Some of my later list is skewed towards steampunk, but I like urban fantasy as much as I do Sword and Sorcery.

That reminds me.. Hawk and Fisher, by Simon Green

I hope my additions will be of some use to you, even though many of the later books may be fairly obvious.

Jon

Tav_Behemoth · Mar 17, 2009

_The Drawing of the Dark_ is by Tim Powers. A great book!

Here at EN World (somewhere in one of the Col. Playdoh threads) I asked Gary what books he'd add to the DMG reading list if he was writing it today, and he said the Discworld books by Terry Pratchett, which show some D&D influence in return (especially in the early ones like The Color of Magic).

Jubelo · Mar 17, 2009

Thanks for the correction, Tav.

As I said, I moved recently and most of my books are packed.. I remembered the name and got the author wrong.

Both are wonderful authors, though

Jon

Erik Mona · Mar 17, 2009

Thanks for including Paizo's edition of Leigh Brackett's The Sword of Rhiannon on this list. I think it's the most "D&D" of any of her books.

If you are looking for a more accessible Manly Wade Wellman volume, I suggest "Who Fears the Devil?", which we are releasing this November. I strongly suspect that some of what makes the D&D bard a bard comes from these enchanting stories.

--Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo/Planet Stories