[Dragon] Fiction in Dragon

[Sam]

Just got issue 311 of Dragon in the mail. Doing my usual Dragon routine. Leafing through it before actually reading it. Notice that there's a Ben Bova short story in here. Now, I like reading short fiction. Got nothing against it. But I want cruncy D&D stuff in Dragon. Even a bit of flavor, but flavor that relevant to the game. Not fiction. I can read any number of SF/Fantasy anthologies/magazines for short fiction. I'd rather Paizo used the space for D&D stuff. Anyone else feel this way? Anyone buy Dragon because it has fiction?

Oh, and was it me, or was the last part of the D&D mini's article confusing?

 

[d4]

i've never, in all my years, ever read a short story in an issue of Dragon. and i've had a subscription since 3e came out (not to mention having one for several years during 1e).

i totally agree with you -- i'd rather see an additional article or two about D&D than a short story. even if the story is by an award-winning author like Bova.

 

[Tsyr]

This is a very, very, very old arguement... Long story short, a lot of people will agree with you, but a lot won't to... I'm in the won't group... I don't always read it, but sometimes I do, and I rather would like it to remain.

 

[coyote6]

As long as it's good fiction (like the Bova piece, the Martin, and most of the other fiction they've done in the last few months), I'm all for it. Inspiration to game is inspiration to game, and fiction is the original inspiration for me.

 

[Terry Edwards]

I would love to read fiction in Dragon if it were by amateur writers not yet beaten into the standard D&D style. As it is I do not read the fiction, it is just too bland for my literary tastebuds. Back before Dragon ceased accepting fiction submissions there was some very interesting material with a variety of style (and texture), quite yummy.

 

[Munin]

I've turned at least two short stories into adventures for my group, and I'm working on a third.

I haven't read any that I couldn't take at least one idea from, much like the storyhours here.

Personally, I could do without a buttload of classes/prcs every issue, but I know that will never happen.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I don't mind the fiction in Dragon. Sometimes I read it, sometimes I don't. It depends on the author, how much free time I've got, and what the first couple paragraphs are like.

Even though I don't always read the fiction, I'd rather it be there than have it taken out of the magazine. The more options for short fiction there are, the better. I have, on 2 or 3 occasions, picked up a book by an author who had a piece of short fiction in Dragon.

 

[WayneLigon]

I would love to read fiction in Dragon if it were by amateur writers not yet beaten into the standard D&D style.

And what would that be?

 

[Henry]

I used to read the fiction BEFORE the award-winning authors started doing it; now, they bore enough to completely skip over them, everything from the Martin stuff on down. It is my personal observation that ever author I've ever read has gone down hill shortly after they get recognized and popular. I've made this observation both in fantasy and sci-fi, as well as more popular authors like Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Leo Frankowski, and William Forschten (sp?).

I'm sure this is not a strongly shared belief, but I rarely find an author's stories as entertaining once they start writing to maintain their popularity.

 

[CaptainCalico]

I don't read it. I don't mind it - but I would rather they used the space for other things.