Background books for D&D

[redwing]

I recently started reading "The Coming of Conan of Cimmeria" which contains the first 13 stories published by R.E.H. I've read the Lord of the Rings series. After LotR and a little bit into Conan, I'm definately starting to see the elemnents drawn from the two for D&D. What other books should any D&D player read to get a good fantasy background and see the beginnings of D&D?

 

[Akrasia]

Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" stories are a major inspiration (indeed, the D&D magic system is famously based on Vance's account of magic). I actually think that Vance's Lyonesse novels are vastly superior to his Dying Earth stories, but they were written well after the creation of D&D.

Fritz Leiber's "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" stories are also essential reading.

Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions" is another literary source for D&D.

Here is a link to a website that discusses in some detail the various litarary inspirations for D&D.

http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html

 

[Turanil]

Fritz Leiber's "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" stories are also essential reading.

I was going to say that. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are really close to archetypal D&D adventurers indeed. The stories are excellent and really fun. The only thing I would say, however, is that making a campaign closely based on "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" would require a low magic system, cannot have clerics, monks, druids, etc., so would better be using Grim Tales.

 

[Fenes]

Isn't there a Lankhmar campaign setting out for 1E or 2E?

 

[Turanil]

Jack Vance's "Dying Earth" stories are a major inspiration (indeed, the D&D magic system is famously based on Vance's account of magic). I actually think that Vance's Lyonesse novels are vastly superior to his Dying Earth stories, but they were written well after the creation of D&D.

Oh yes! I had forgotten about them. For a pure D&D campaign, you MUST read them, really. It is fantasy medieval that fit perfectly with DnD rules. There is even a map of the world available on the Internet (Lyonesse map).

 

[arwink]

The Inspirational Reading list from Appendix N of the 1st ed DM's Guide. de CAmp and Pratt, REG, Leiber, Vance, Merrit and Lovecraft are attributed as being the most immediate influences.

Anderson, Paul - 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 - Worlds End series
de Camp, L. Sprague - Lest Darkness Fall, Fallible Friend, et al
de Camp & Pratt - Harold Shea series, Carnelian Cube
Derleth, August
Dunsany, Lord
Famer, P. J. - The World of Tiers series et al
Fox, Gardner - Kathar series, Kyric series et al
Howard, R. E. - Conan series
Lanier, Sterling - Heros Journey
Leiber, Fritz - Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series et al
Lovecraft, H. P
Merrit, A - Creep, Shadow, Creep, Moon Pool, Dwellers in the Mirage, et al
Moorcock, Michael - Stormbringer, STealer of Souls, Hawkmoon series (especially the first three books)
Norton, Andre
Offutt, Andrew J. editor Swords Against Darkness III
Pratt, Fletcher - Blue Star, et al
Saberhagen, Fred - Changling Earth, et al
St. Clair, Margaret - The Shadow People, Sign of the Labrys
Tolkien, J. R. R - Hobbit, the Ring Trilogy
Vance, Jack - The Eyes of the Overworld, The Dying Earth, et al
Weinbaum, Stanley
Wellman, Manly Wade
Williamson, Jack
Zelazny, Roger - Jack of Shadows, Amber series, et al.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I must be some sort of mutant. I find the Dying Earth books all but unreadable (forced myself through the first two anyway), yet everyone seems to dig them. (It's an issue of presentation, not subject matter or tone, before anyone asks.)

I can't sing the praises of the Lankhmar books highly enough, though. Once you read them, you'll never again think that D&D was meant to emulate Lord of the Rings -- Leiber's name might as well be on the original booklets as the third creator of the game, IMO.

 

[Turanil]

Isn't there a Lankhmar campaign setting out for 1E or 2E?

There was for one indeed. It was full of houserules about magic, classes that don't apply to the setting, etc. As such, I think Grim Tales would do better for that world.

 

[Akrasia]

Oh yes! I had forgotten about them. For a pure D&D campaign, you MUST read them, really. It is fantasy medieval that fit perfectly with DnD rules. There is even a map of the world available on the Internet (Lyonesse map).

Thanks for the link to that map! It is much clearer than the one included in the novels.

The Lyonesse series is probably my second favourite fantasy series of all time (after LotR).

It is also the primary literary influence on my "Ilmahal" homebrew setting.

 

[Wraith Form]

Isn't there a Lankhmar campaign setting out for 1E or 2E?

Both, actually. The majority of the material published was for 2nd ed. It included several "modules" (adventures, for you young'uns), a few campaign setting books and even a 2nd edition-lite boxed set.

And yes, you read the Lieber stories and see exactly where many of the themes, monsters and iconic characters come from....the stories almost feel kinda "been there, done that" until you realize that most of them were written years before D&D was conceptualized, let alone published. Lieber's influence on D&D is not to be underestimated.