Is Dark SUN Sword and Sorcery?

[Melan]

He's auditioning to be the next Hong?

Hong at least entertains me. If you know what I think, and I think you do!

 

[arscott]

I'd also classify it as 'Planetary Romance' rather than 'Sword & Sorcery'. But I'll admit to being a bit unclear on the distinction between the two.

 

[hong]

Hong at least entertains me. If you know what I think, and I think you do!

That picture of Dejah Thoris entertains me, if you know what I mean, and I think you do.

 

[Desdichado]

Whether or not they disagree, it's beside the point. DARK SUN is different from John Carter's Mars. It has a different feel and is a lot more like DUNE than A PRINCESS FROM MARS. In A PRINCESS OF MARS, the main character's love interest is introduced as a textiled adolescent's wet dream: completely naked and a prisoner of the green martians, Dejah Thoris.

I'm well aware of the plot, situation and themes of A Princess of Mars.

The feel is completely different in DARK SUN. No naked princesses, no swashbuckling adventures to defend the life of Dejah or any other love interest, but a battle for your own survival on a planet that was once a beautiful Garden world. Although Athas may be a desert planet like Barsoom, and the creators got their inspiration from John Carter's Mars, DARK SUN has a lot more in common with DUNE.

You're taking only one element--standard plotlines--and because they're somewhat different saying that Dark Sun is nothing like Barsoom. That's certainly a case of the tail wagging the dog more than a little bit. Dark Sun is still a D&D campaign. No D&D campaign I've ever played in--regardless of setting--was a good ground for recreating a Burroughs like story with a single protagonist finding and falling in love with a beautiful princess. But Dark Sun certainly had the potential to have plenty of swashbuckling action. The novels themselves had more than a fair share of it.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd also classify it as 'Planetary Romance' rather than 'Sword & Sorcery'. But I'll admit to being a bit unclear on the distinction between the two.

Then it might be a bad idea to slap the label on stuff if you don't know what the distinctions between them are!

Check out the wikipedia articles on Planetary Romance, Sword & Sorcery, and for fun, Sword & Planet while your at it.

 

[Shroomy]

I always thought that Dark Sun was post-apocalyptic D&D, basically Gamma World specifically tailored for 2nd Edition D&D. When I associate movies/books with DS, my first instinct is to go with The Road Warrior, but with magic/psionics replacing the Industrial Age technology.

 

[Sir Elton]

"DARK SUN is desert Fantasy. If Dune were a fantasy, it would be Dark Sun."

--- TSR in the Science Fiction Writer's Market book, circa 1994.

 

[Desdichado]

Great. However, as far as I know nobody in this thread has said that Dune wasn't a significant influence on Athas, so I don't know what you were trying to prove by posting that. I sincerely hope you didn't spend a lot of time or effort in finding it.

What you seem to be assuming--and correct me if I'm wrong--is that 1) unless there is a very direct and close correspondence across all aspects of the setting with Barsoom, you can't claim that Barsoom is a major influence and/or 2) only one major source can be a major influence or inspiration to the setting, so if it's Dune than Barsoom can't be.

I vehemenently disagree with both notions.

 

[Sir Elton]

Great. However, as far as I know nobody in this thread has said that Dune wasn't a significant influence on Athas, so I don't know what you were trying to prove by posting that. I sincerely hope you didn't spend a lot of time or effort in finding it.

What you seem to be assuming--and correct me if I'm wrong--is that 1) unless there is a very direct and close correspondence across all aspects of the setting with Barsoom, you can't claim that Barsoom is a major influence and/or 2) only one major source can be a major influence or inspiration to the setting, so if it's Dune than Barsoom can't be.

I vehemenently disagree with both notions.

I disagree on grounds that I do not remember seeing any thing Barsoomian in Athas, other than the fact that Athas is a dying, desert world. The Last Sea is probably the only body of water that has a lot of algae in it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

"Textiled adolescent?"