D&D General How many books/authors of the original AD&D Bibliography have you read? Do you feel you see D&D differently than people who have not read any?

Emirikol

Adventurer
The original 1979 AD&D theme, Greyhawk, and the game rules are based on a wide variety of fantasy novels (as well as miniatures wargaming, history, etc.)
1. How many books/authors have you read from the 1979 bibliography?
2. Do you feel you see D&D differently than people who have not read these?

□ Anderson, Poul: THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
□ Bellairs, John: THE FACE IN THE FROST
□ Brackett, Leigh
□ Brown, Frederic
□ Burroughs, Edgar Rice: “Pellucidar” series; Mars series; Venus series
□ Carter, Lin: “World’s End” series
□ de Camp, L. Sprague: LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al
□ de Camp & Pratt: “Harold Shea” series; THE CARNELIAN CUBE
□ Derleth, August
□ Dunsany, Lord
□ Farmer, P. J.: “The World of the Tiers” series; et al Read Riverworld
□ Fox, Gardner: “Kothar” series; “Kyrik” series; et al
□ Howard, R. E.: “Conan” series
□ Lanier, Sterling: HIERO’S JOURNEY
□ Leiber, Fritz: “Fafhrd & Gray Mouser” series; et al
□ Lovecraft, H. P.
□ Merritt, A.: CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al
□ Moorcock, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; “Hawkmoon” series (esp. the first three books)
□ Norton, Andre
□ Offutt, Andrew J.: editor of SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III
□ Pratt, Fletcher: BLUE STAR; et al
□ Saberhagen, Fred: CHANGELING EARTH; et al
□ St. Clair, Margaret: THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
□ Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; “Ring trilogy”
□ Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al
□ Weinbaum, Stanley
□ Wellman, Manley Wade
□ Williamson, Jack
□ Zelazny, Roger: JACK OF SHADOWS; “Amber” series; et al

~ Ref AD&D Dungeonmasters Guide (1979; page 224, Appendix N)
 

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Emirikol

Adventurer
I have to admit, I have read the following and they color my D&D game style to be much more pulpy and action-hero based than plodding backgrounds.

  • Poul Anderson (conan pastiche)
  • Brackett, Leigh (Empire Strikes Back)
  • de Camp, L. Sprague (conan and short stories)
  • Howard, R. E.: “Conan” series (all, and all pastiches by other authors)
  • Leiber, Fritz
  • Lovecraft, H. P.
  • Moorcock, Michael:
  • Norton, Andre
  • Tolkien, J. R. R.
  • Vance, Jack
  • Zelazny, Roger (Amber BECAUSE of X2 Castle Amber I became interested)
There are newer authors of course, but I admit I was more of a daydreamer than reader back in the 1980s and 90s.
 

FitzTheRuke

Legend
Out of that list I have only read the Hobbit, a couple of Conan stories (not many) and... the comic book adaptation of Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser that Mike Mignola did back in the late 80's. (And a few more Conan stories, if we allow comic books to count).

I've read some other fantasy, though not what I would call "a lot". I mostly read military history, which I think informs my D&D games more than most of the fantasy that I've read. There might be a reason that I like low-magic games...
 

Stormonu

Legend
I've read the Hobbit, Saberhagen's trio of Book of Swords and a handful of Lovecraft stories. I've tried to read Lord of the Rings, one of Moorcock's Elric stories (I forget which), Burrough's John Carter of Mars and one of the Lhankmar stories - but just couldn't get into it. And a lot of Marvel's Savage Sword of Conan, but not the original novels. Not on the list, but among my favorite were C.S. Lewis's Narnia series.

Most of the fantasy I've consumed has been either various movies (a lot of 80's Sword & Sorcery), comics and a handful of post-D&D fantasy novels (Dragonlance, Prism Pentad, Harry Potter, etc.). I find I'm a more visual person, so I prefer to get my media via TV, movie or graphic novels. I just can't concentrate on reading book novels like I used to in my pre-college days.

Overall, I just find it interesting how other people approach D&D according to what sort of media they have interacted with, but I don't try and judge. The fantasy landscape has changed dramatically since that list, and still continues to change. D&D has been much changed by various media influences - including references to itself. For example, compare the "Lon Chaney" werewolf and "Bela Lugosi/Chistopher Lee" vampires of the 1E MM to current depictions of those two monsters.
 

Let's see,
"1. How many books/authors have you read from the 1979 bibliography?"
  • Anderson, Poul (Three Hearts/Lions)
  • Brackett, Leigh (although only some sci fi work and the noirish No Good from a Corpse, so no fantasy material)
  • Brown, Frederic (some short stories)
  • Burroughs, Edgar Rice (much of his work)
  • Carter, Lin: (some short stories)
  • de Camp, L. Sprague (much of his work)
  • Derleth, August (probably some of his Cthulhu material))
  • Dunsany, Lord (his fantasy work)
  • Howard, R. E. (Conan)
  • Leiber, Fritz: (Fafhrd & Gray Mouser)
  • Lovecraft, H. P. (Cthulhu)
  • Moorcock, Michael (Stormbringer; Hawkmoon)
  • Saberhagen, Fred (Berserker series)
  • Tolkien, J. R. R. (the whole Middle Earth series)
  • Vance, Jack (Dying Earth)
  • Weinbaum, Stanley (A Martian Odyssey)
  • Zelazny, Roger (Amber)
"2. Do you feel you see D&D differently than people who have not read these?"
I don't pretend I have any magic insight into D&D or have some kind of truer insight into 'the real D&D' than anyone else or anything. Maybe I recognize a little more of the 'why' in some of the choices in the early game.

Thing is, even though Gygax pointed these out as some of his influences in making AD&D, it is at best an inexact linkage, with the final output gimballed and free-moving towards significantly game-focused concerns, with often only flavor-ish influence from these stories.
 

overgeeked

B/X Known World
1. How many books/authors have you read from the 1979 bibliography?
My list is:
Brackett, Leigh. Some.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice: “Pellucidar” series; Mars series; Venus series. Most.
Carter, Lin: “World’s End” series. Some.
Derleth, August. A few.
Howard, R. E.: “Conan” series. Most.
Leiber, Fritz: “Fafhrd & Gray Mouser” series; et al. Some.
Lovecraft, H. P.. Almost all.
Moorcock, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; “Hawkmoon” series (esp. the first three books). Some.
Norton, Andre. Some.
Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; “Ring trilogy.” All.
Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al. Some.
Wellman, Manley Wade. Some.
2. Do you feel you see D&D differently than people who have not read these?
I know I view D&D differently than many others, and my view is definitely darker, more lethal, and more Sword & Sorcery- weird- science-fantasy-focused than most. Whether that’s from having read those works, started when I did (and played with the people I did), or something else…I don’t know.

There’s also personality and preference to consider. It could be than I find those kinds of stories more fascinating and entertaining so naturally gravitate towards them. The chicken or egg.

Likewise, people engage with media they like for fun and will tend to run games in a way they like. Hate-watching a movie or hate-running a game just aren’t common enough to worry about.
 

Lanefan

Victoria Rules
Other than the Tolkein books, which I love, and a tiny bit of Lovecraft which IMO wasn't worth the time spent reading it, I haven't touched any of these. This is a very pre-1970s list, and most of my fantasy-reading go-to books are by authors slightly more recent; in some cases a lot more recent.

The only one I might check out someday is Moorcock.
 

I've read multiple books by everyone on Appendix N, save for Frederic Brown. So easily in excess of a 100 books. When I'm running DCC RPG, I especially look to those works. With D&D, I think it helps me better understand some of the decisions and ideas around D&D's conception and development. I can look at the Xorn and think "wow, that's a weird monster," but then trace its origins to Weinbaum's A Martian Odyssey. But I don't think it makes me a better DM or player (any more than reading lots of fiction does help).
 


Umbran

Mod Squad
Staff member
Supporter
I have read a chunk of the stuff in the bibliography. I don't see value in the list-sizing.

But, an important note - I was playing RPGs and AD&D before I read anything on the list. So, it is more that my gaming influenced my reading habits, rather than the other way around.

I expect my playing a lot of games other than D&D has had more impact on how I play D&D than reading those particular works of fiction.
 

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