[DRAGON #305] F-bomb dropped, Doc M fascinated.

[BiggusGeekus]

These authors dropped the F, or were just writers of status featured in DRAGON?

To clarify, I'm not clucking my tongue or anything. It doesn't bother me. If I were a parent, I'd be a bit upset, as before this I'd never thought of DRAGON as something I'd have to read-through before handing off to a twelve year old.

Writers of status with - as Mark noted - a strong impact on gaming.

But as for tounge-clucking, I agree. It doesn't bother me. But, c'mon. It's Dragon! I know others consider us Yanks to be prudish, but as was once said in South Park: "There's a time and a place for everything and it's called 'college'".

 

[Kilmore]

I was thirteen when I started buying Dragon (at the still-amazing issue #70). Of course, it was from the same store I bought American Flagg comics and Epic magazine. I didn't think I was too young then, and I'm not convinced now.

 

[Dr Midnight]

The story? It's Martin... it's great. I'll not spoil anything. The story takes place on the Iron Islands and the goings-on there. Lots of the always entertaining Aeron Damphair, Asha Greyjoy, and some new characters.

The end of the story is very, very cliffhanger-ish. It offers the promise of great things to come. Makes the eyes bug and the mouth water for the release of the next book.

I don't really think the story will draw in new readers, as without knowledge of the backstory you won't take much in. Still, as a teaser for the new book, I'm sufficiently teased.

If anyone from my friends at PAIZO read this - thank you very, very much.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Salvatore. Weiss/Hickman back in the late 80s.

(I'm not comparing the authors in terms of ability, but rather in terms of fan base)

Good catch. The thing is, though, that these authors gained their popularity within the TSR/D&D arena, which means they would be used to working without the harsh language. There are few writers of stature from outside the D&D community that have appeared in Dragon. Such authors have had more leeway, and are big enough to not be edited for it by Dragon.

This would be the first time I know of Dragon having the Queen Mother of curse words in it, though. I don't really care one way or the other, to be honest - I never read the fiction.

 

[WayneLigon]

Eh, from a magazine that used to have bare nekkid elf breasts and a cover with someone 'flipping a bird'... Doesn't bother me. While I wouldn't care for articles laced with the various 'objectionable' words, fiction has a great deal more leeway, and should. It's not like it'll be a surprise to anyone reading the magazine: they've already heard it on cable or read it in other fiction several times.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I was thirteen when I started buying Dragon (at the still-amazing issue #70). Of course, I was from the same store I bought American Flagg comics and Epic magazine. I didn't think I was too young then, and I'm not convinced now.

There is that. Not to mention the prostitution and drug use the drow elves used back in "Vault of the Drow". I hesitate to think how many of my peers used the original Monster Manual for insidious purposes vis-a-vis the picture of the succubus.

It's not that I'm against this, I'm just really, really not for it.

 

[Mark]

I never read the fiction.

Sure... You just look at the pictures, right?

Good point on the having grown from within, as opposed to from without. I'm not sure that there are that many popular authors in the genre that utilize all that much profanity. May well be that this is a purposeful choice based on the fact that there would be such language. Kinda like putting on the clean new T-Shirt, then making sure to tear off the sleeves before going to the Mall...

 

[King_Stannis]

So is this the issue with the D20 treatment of Martin's world?

 

[Dr Midnight]

Nope, K_S, 'fraid not.

 

[Dagger75]

Arrgghg can't wait for this Dragon. The other issue will be the Game of Thrones issue thats coming in May I think. Can't wait.

As for Salvatore writing for Dragon, there was a short about Bruenors Battlehammers very first notch on his battle. The story was called First Notch I think, that issue came out around 1989-1990, don't know the issue number. The wierd thing is that is the ONLY fiction story I have ever read from Dragon magazine. For some reason I never read them. I am not at all upset that they are in the mag, I just never read them.