D&D General The first official D&D novel, a surprise

[Sacrosanct]

Well, a surprise to some, as I'm assuming others already know. And for those who didn't know, a double surprise.

The book?

Written in 1979. Not a Dragonlance novel. Not Gord. Not a FR novel. But this one-off.

The second big surprise? Written by Andre Norton. Which was a pen name. Actual name of the author is Alice Norton. The first D&D novel, a game almost exclusivly played by boys and men back in the day, had it's first novel written by a woman. I think that's neat. And not just any woman. But a great writer: "She was the first woman to be Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy, first woman to be SFWA Grand Master, and first inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame "

Anyway, just thought I'd share, because I found that cool.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Arilyn]

I read this book when it first came out. I believe Andre Norton was interested in the hobby, and might have played a little?

The book isn't really much like D&D, though. I remember being kind of disappointed, despite being an Andre Norton fan, and not just because it wasn't much like the game.

Pretty cool it's back in print though. I'd mostly forgotten about it. Be fun to give it another read.

 

[Sacrosanct]

The first chapter is literally called "Greyhawk", and the forward is titled, "Of Dungeons and Dragons" lol

 

[darjr]

I read this as soon as I could get a copy after I found out about it. I did like it. I started the sequel but never finished it.

The first is a “real” people drug into D&D, kind of like the cartoon, but with amnesia. Which struck me as interesting that it would have the same trope. I wonder if this was a common idea or trope back then?

 

[Arilyn]

I remember the characters had dice bracelets that would spin during important moments. I think. And it was people from our world getting sucked into D&D land, Greyhawk, from what Sacrosanct says about first chapter. It was an odd story, but details are really hazy.

 

[Arilyn]

I read this as soon as I could get a copy after I found out about it. I did like it. I started the sequel but never finished it.

The first is a “real” people drug into D&D, kind of like the cartoon, but with amnesia. Which struck me as interesting that it would have the same trope. I wonder if this was a common idea or trope back then?

Read a lot of fantasy back then, and yes, it was a pretty common trope.

 

[Parmandur]

I read this as soon as I could get a copy after I found out about it. I did like it. I started the sequel but never finished it.

The first is a “real” people drug into D&D, kind of like the cartoon, but with amnesia. Which struck me as interesting that it would have the same trope. I wonder if this was a common idea or trope back then?

It was and is a common trope: lookign at you, Jumanji.

Trapped in Another World - TV Tropes

A standard plot/Myth Arc for Speculative Fiction: The Ordinary High-School Student, frequently their friends, and sometimes their enemies are all transported (often summoned) to another world — distant planet, a Magical Land, an Alternate …

tvtropes.org

The Game Come to Life - TV Tropes

This trope, featured in stories which feature game-playing as an important element, occurs when the game the characters are playing becomes real. Either elements of the game start manifesting in reality, or the characters are drawn into the game …

tvtropes.org

I'd lay odds any D&D movie that comes to pass will likely fall into this trope, too.

 

[Sacrosanct]

When did the trope start? CS Lewis?

 

[Parmandur]

When did the trope start? CS Lewis?

Honestly, it's a deeper trope than that: see Dante.