Dragonlance Dragonlance Novels - How Many Are There?

[akr71]

Surprised/not surprised.
I guessed a few dozen (in the 40 - 60 range). Does this count short story anthologies, cuz technically they're not novels.

I've read more than 10, less than 20 (just a guess), but the only ones I enjoyed were the original 6 (Chronicles & Legends) by Weiss & Hickman.
The Elven Nations trilogy was merely OK. My wife claims the Meetings Sextet is good, but I have not read them.
I thoroughly disliked Second Generation, Dragons of Summer Flame and War of the Souls.

 

[Ancalagon]

Jebus. I would have guessed 40-60. 200?!

 

[dave2008]

There are precisely 4: The original 3 and Kaz The Minotaur. Everything else was an illusion.

 

[Ath'kethin]

The greatest fun of Dragonlance novels was the myriad author's who clearly knew nothing about the world and/or repurposed books written for other worlds. The biggest problem with the novels is the same.

It's also fun to track the "let's hire Weis & Hickman to churn out a novel series to legitimitize the latest mechanical changes to the game" operations. It's painfully obvious 9nce you notice it.

All that notwithstanding: the War of Souls books are the best writing Weis & Hickman ever turned in, even if they also fell prey to the "forgot what was in earlier novels by Weis & Hickman" curse.

 

[MostlyHarmless42]

And yet no one (not even in this thread) acknowledges anything past the first three books, which while a classic story, have never made for good gaming modules.

I've always been a fairly big fan of the series, even the dreaded Age of Mortals stuff, though I do acknowledge them for what they are: cheap fun throwaway fantasy novels with an ulterior purpose to promote the game setting and products. One shouldn't read them expecting Tolkien, G.R.R. Martin, or Frank Herbert level of writing, that has never been their purpose.

Also, seconding that mention of Death Gate Cycle for good stuff by Weis and Hickman. I'd wager that series is better for novel purposes, though I've considered trying a game in that setting at some point.

As for slightly newer Dragonlance fair? War of Souls is a must read of you are fans of the setting, albeit you may be a tad lost at parts all you've read is the original trilogy. I've also used the Rise of Solamnia and Amber and Ashes trilogies as fodder for Age of Mortals Campaigns several times now, and am currently running a campaign that is setup by the Dark Thane trilogy (and the subsequent sequels, albeit I'm not using them near as much) to run a Dwarven game heavily influenced by the Hobbit.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Are those unique novels or counting re-releases and omnibuses as separate novels?

I don't know.

Don't tell anyone in this thread, but I think I've read fewer than 10 Dragonlance novels--and most of those when I was younger and borrowed them from other people or libraries.

 

[jasper]

There are precisely 4: The original 3 and Galen Beknighted. Everything else was an illusion.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I’d also include the Dragonlance Legends trilogy. And heck, I’d even say that it’s the stronger work for the smaller cast of characters.

The Dragonlance series is a comfort food read, absolutely. No great literary experience, but fun reads nonetheless. I’ll freely admit that part of that is in no small part to nostalgia. Though, they’ve aged better than some of the other TSR-published novels.

I started re-reading the Death Gate Cycle recently. So far the first book, at the least, holds up better than I thought it would.

And yet no one (not even in this thread) acknowledges anything past the first three books, which while a classic story, have never made for good gaming modules.

I've always been a fairly big fan of the series, even the dreaded Age of Mortals stuff, though I do acknowledge them for what they are: cheap fun throwaway fantasy novels with an ulterior purpose to promote the game setting and products. One shouldn't read them expecting Tolkien, G.R.R. Martin, or Frank Herbert level of writing, that has never been their purpose.

Also, seconding that mention of Death Gate Cycle for good stuff by Weis and Hickman. I'd wager that series is better for novel purposes, though I've considered trying a game in that setting at some point.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I’d also include the Dragonlance Legends trilogy. And heck, I’d even say that it’s the stronger work for the smaller cast of characters.

Agreed.

The Dragonlance series is a comfort food read, absolutely. No great literary experience, but fun reads nonetheless. I’ll freely admit that part of that is in no small part to nostalgia. Though, they’ve aged better than some of the other TSR-published novels.

I've read a lot worse Young adult fantasy that's for sure.

For example I read a bunch of awful Ravenloft novels as a kid too.

I started re-reading the Death Gate Cycle recently. So far the first book, at the least, holds up better than I thought it would.

Also agreed.

 

[dave2008]

Fixed it for you.

Never read that one, so I can't verify