Dark Sun Novels Back in Print--Starting Sept. 2008

[Wik]

Dark Sun Materialis AWESOME, even if it is the Prism Pentad. As has already been said, Tribe of One was much better, but even it was sort of so-so.

I think a Dark Sun setting would be excellent to see, and not just because I'm a huge DS freak. I think it'd sell fairly well, all things considered. And, uh, DARK SUN ROCKS!

...that is all.

 

[Spatula]

This is good news, I have always wanted to read one or two of them.

You're not missing anything. The Prism Pentad is rather terrible, although I recall the first book being at least somewhat decent.

 

[M.L. Martin]

Yay Dark Sun Novels back in print... Booo Prism Pentad. I hated that series.

Well, they started the Ravenloft reprints with what fans generally consider to be the worst novel of the series (Death of a Darklord). Again, look not to the reprint in itself, look to what it might mean for the future.

 

[Monkey Boy]

One of those Denning books had an incident in a Darksun casino where the hero played 'Dungeons and Dragons'. It was the most wretched and jarring thing I have ever had the misfortune of reading.

Being a fan of the Darksun setting I bought more novels. I should have learned my lesson. They ranged from mediocre to terrible.

 

[Lorthanoth]

It was one of the Tribe of One books that happens in... I really think Dark Sun was ill-served by its novel line.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

Well I'm pleased that they're repirinting the Dark Sun novels, I'll agree with the majority that the "Prism Pentad" was fairly mediocre overall, though anything that generates interest in the Dark Sun campaign setting is OK by me.

Tangentially; does anyone know how the reprinted Ravenloft novel sold? I know Anita Blake Laurell Hamilton is fairly popular, I was underwhelmed by her entry in the novel line. There were MUCH better choices to reprint, IMO.

 

[Mark Hope]

One of those Denning books had an incident in a Darksun casino where the hero played 'Dungeons and Dragons'. It was the most wretched and jarring thing I have ever had the misfortune of reading.

No he didn't. There was a scene in one of the Tribe of One books where the protagonist plays a dice game using polyhedral dice (the game was called Hawke's Gambit) but it was just a dice betting game like craps and nothing at all to do with D&D.

Being a fan of the Darksun setting I bought more novels. I should have learned my lesson. They ranged from mediocre to terrible.

Yeah, there were some real stinkers in the group. Some were pretty good (Lyn Abbey's books, most notably.) I liked the world as presented in Denning's books - gave a really good feel for the world. The metaplot was a pain in the ass, though.

Still, it will be great to see them back in print. I have the originals but would pick up the new versions if there' some new Brom art in them, or they look really nice. And if it means a new line of DS novels, even better.

Not sure about the campaign setting. I'm not adopting 4e, but I'd look at a 4e DS setting as territory ripe for plunder. Bring it on, I say.

 

[an_idol_mind]

I would love if the books sold well enough to warrant a restart to the Dark Sun setting. If ever a setting needed a reboot or a retcon to make it awesome again, it was Athas.

 

[Jhaelen]

*shrug* I thought the novels were great - (almost) all of them (The one from the Thieves' World author was odd...). But maybe my judgement was a bit clouded because I liked the setting so much. I liked them better than most of the other novels based on D&D campaign settings. FR novels (excepting the early Drizz't ones) were/are especially bad, IMHO.

Regarding the metaplot issues: I made sure from the beginning my Darksun campaign didn't follow the novels' storyline. Didn't help me in the end of course since the supplements and the revised setting assumed it did

 

[Sitara]

No he didn't. There was a scene in one of the Tribe of One books where the protagonist plays a dice game using polyhedral dice (the game was called Hawke's Gambit) but it was just a dice betting game like craps and nothing at all to do with D&D.

Oh yes he did, that was a stupid scene in a rather poor novel. The 'pc's' were a thief, a templar and a fighter. There was also a ranger I think... Anyhow, denning tried to tie the game into the storyline but it did not really work out.

Unsurprisingly.

Seriously, did that tribe of one book never go through an editor?