Over at Black Gate, Ismail Soldan has just posted an interesting interview with Jim Zub about the current state of Conan.
No, it didn't. (and this question shows you only skimmed my comment.)Your elementary school has REH on the shelves? That's a choice.
None of those are in the S&S genre...Those are an odd three to lump together.
Narnia 1950
Dresden Files 2000
Percy Jackson 2005
(Although I believe Dionysus appears in at least two of those).
There's an interesting bit written by Kim Mohan where he discusses hiding the sex of submitters to Dragon from EGG, because EGG would order the girls' stuff trashed. I don't think he's the only editor of Dragon (nor TSR employee) to do an end-run around EGG's notorious sex/gender discrimination and dismissal of females as potential players.I remember when the folks making D&D assumed that the game was basically just for boys. Turns out, they were wrong. And undoubtedly left a whole lot of money on the table before figuring that out.
Wow Marvel still makes use of Conan, eh? 2024, 2025. Nice covers!Over at Black Gate, Ismail Soldan has just posted an interesting interview with Jim Zub about the current state of Conan.
I guess we will agree to disagree. I don't rate Abercrombie nor Sanderson. As for deep themes there's adventure, discovery of the unknown and the constant feeling of risk. For REH Red Nails, Gods of Bal-Sagoth and Pigeons From Hell are bang on, as are many others. You could write up the ideas from those alone as scenarios for a variety of settings.though honestly there are much better contemporary writers if that's what you're in the mood for. Joe Abercrombie characters like Logen Nine-Fingers, for example
Hard for me to sayLook, Conan hasn't been relevant for over a decade at this pont and while certain trapping of Sword-n-sorcery still exists the genre as a whole is far from any influence these days.
So what are the genres and media that do have an influence these days?
Doesn't have to be actual literature ofc but basically what are the cultural touchpoints for what fantasy looks and 'feels' like for modern players in your experience? Bonus if it's from players who started with 5e.
Lord of the Ring is cheating.
Is it Sanderson's works? The romantasy 'Court of X and Y' style? Warcraft? How much anime(-adjacents)ness do you think the average DnD player considers now? Is Genshin impact the way younger player/DMs think of how fantasy 'should' be like even subconsciously? Or is it all a bit incestuous with Frieren, Dungeon Meshi and Critical Role being the touchstone of how things should be like?
Well, I carry them in my 2 comic shops and the graphic novels and new novels are carrying them in local book stores and on Amazon. I've never seen a rhino locally but I know they exist.In order to be relevant, people would need to be reading them. Conan is in the public domain, anyone can produce a knock-off. It doesn’t mean anyone is buying them. I’ve never seen them in shops (including online shops), and I’m the only person in my D&D group who has even read the originals.
Conan is relevant to those interested in the history of D&D, but most players just want to play, they don’t care about the history.