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.