D&D 1E AD&D Monster Manual II back cover text - WTF?

[Fifth Element]

After all these years I'm not sure I've ever actually read the text blurb on the back of the AD&D Monster Manual II. I happened to be looking at it today. Who wrote this exactly?

"A must for the serious AD&D game player. This manual contains all the new members, from Abishai to Zygom, including creatures like the Deadly Pudding, Devas, and Valley Elves. And you'll also have the advantage of the expanded lists of lycanthropes, giants, and other beasts."

That's not a typo - it says "members" where it surely was supposed to say "monsters". And the final sentence is just super clunky. I don't know if this was ever corrected - mine is a second printing according to Acaeum, and there were 13 printings in the end.

I went and read the back covers of the other AD&D hardbacks, and none of them have a problem like this. They're all pretty competently written and have no glaring errors. Maybe MMII was assigned to an intern?

 

[Thunderfoot]

I think it was a poorly attempted (and worded) stab at making the book seem approachable. Like being in a Monster Manual made them part of an elite club. Part of it is the vernacular of the day. While it may sound cringe now back then...it was cool. God that makes me feel weird saying that....lol

 

[Jer]

Even if that was supposed to be "monsters" instead of "members" that sentence is still super weird. If it were "all new monsters" instead of "all the new monsters" it would be a bit better.

 

[bennet]

new members of the monster manual, no need to call the police.

 

[darjr]

I love finding “new” things in old books. This counts.

 

[AmerginLiath]

I think it was a poorly attempted (and worded) stab at making the book seem approachable. Like being in a Monster Manual made them part of an elite club. Part of it is the vernacular of the day. While it may sound cringe now back then...it was cool. God that makes me feel weird saying that....lol

Valley Elf walks in wearing his Member’s Only Jacket…

 

[CleverNickName]

Valley Elf walks in wearing his Member’s Only Jacket…

Hey, we all wore Members Only jackets in the 1980s. Pretty sure it was the law or something.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Hey, we all wore Members Only jackets in the 1980s. Pretty sure it was the law or something.
View attachment 150778

Yeah guys I really didn't wanna go there...
but I thought it. And yeah, I had one too. lol

 

[Fifth Element]

Even if that was supposed to be "monsters" instead of "members" that sentence is still super weird. If it were "all new monsters" instead of "all the new monsters" it would be a bit better.

It sounds like something you get by google translating English into another language and then back again.

 

[darjr]

I didn’t! I wanted one so bad.

 

[Thunderfoot]

It sounds like something you get by google translating English into another language and then back again.

LMAO...oh, how times have changed.
If you want a truly horrifying poor editing job, get the Encylopedia series from the late 2e era and see where someone did a 'change all' of mage to wizard. imwizard instead of image, etc. That's fun. Piratecat used to do that reading for the editing award at the ENnies every year.

 

[aco175]

Maybe Ernie was texting it to Dave. You all know how textcheck works.

 

[Maxperson]

Valley Elf walks in wearing his Member’s Only Jacket…

I gag him with a spoon!

 

[Maxperson]

I didn’t! I wanted one so bad.

I didn't, either, but back in the 80's I was deliberately anti-fashion for some reason that I no longer remember.

 

[CleverNickName]

I didn't, either, but back in the 80's I was deliberately anti-fashion for some reason that I no longer remember.

Same here. I'd even cut the Levis tags off of my jeans and painstakingly remove the Nike "swish" from my sneakers, because I detested the idea of being a walking advertisement for big-name fashion brands.

I've calmed down a bit since then.

(A bit.)

 

[TerraDave]

I love this book, and its sitting right in front of me!

(I looked up Graz'zt for another ENWorld thread).

They are trying to be clever. Good stuff inside, members and expanded lists and all.

 

[Maxperson]

Same here. I'd even cut the Levis tags off of my jeans and painstakingly remove the Nike "swish" from my sneakers, because I detested the idea of being a walking advertisement for big-name fashion brands.

I've calmed down a bit since then.

(A bit.)

For me it wasn't the advertising. For me I think it was that I detested being told what I should wear. This thing is currently in fashion, so you have to buy it and wear it. No thanks.

Where I absolutely hate advertising is at amusement parks. There was a period of time when Disney sold advertisement in Disneyland and suddenly it was, Indiana Jones brought to you by AT&T. I stopped going until it ended. Thankfully they seem to have received enough negative feedback that it did end.

 

[Lidgar]

I had way to much underground angst in the '80s to be caught dead in a MO jacket. Nope, nothing but bowling shirts from the goodwill store and cropped pants with creepers for me. Ouch...

But yeah, that back cover was all about the secret club - cause, you know, satanic panic...

 

[Alzrius]

Huh, well so it does...

 

[CleverNickName]

"And you'll also have the advantage!"
"The advantage?"
"The advantage of the expanded lists!"