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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 2509876" data-attributes="member: 3586">Once upon a time, you could possibly make the assumption that Howard and Leiber were read widely amongst the youths who would be interested in D&D.That time has long since passed.I have had the distinct pleasure over the past three years of introducing a friend of mine to the wonderful world of fantasy books. She became interested through Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. From there, I introduced her to Raymond E. Feist (her favourite series of his is the Empire series), Terry Goodkind, Robert Jordan (not so enamoured), and David Eddings.She's also been reading some of the newest authors as well, including some Australian authors. (Yes, we have a thriving fantasy scene here).Howard and Leiber? She's never even seen a book by either of them.I look at my (extensive) book shelves, and I see names like Robin Hobb, Anne Bishop, Terry Pratchett, Jennifer Roberson, George R.R. Martin, Steven Erikson and Lynn Flewelling. The range of worlds these authors have created is astonishing. This is what the people of today are reading. There are some who will go back into the past and dig up the classics of yesteryear, but [ED<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /> we can't assume that people will read the books of the past.D&D cannot afford to ignore that.However, one aspect of this galaxy of authors is this: readers get used to new worlds, to different types of magic. There isn't one overriding set of assumptions that must be used for a book to be labelled as "Fantasy".Thus, the worlds created by the D&D rules are just another aspect of this tapestry. It has aspects familiar to those who have read fantasy, but it is different as well. The rules provide a consistency to the game to make it familiar to those who play it, allowing them to explore what the game holds.If multiclassing is common, does not Richard of the Sword of Truth have the skills of a Ranger, Healer and Sorcerer? Isn't Ingold Inglorian of the Darwath Trilogy a master swordsman and wizard?Isn't the world of Harry Potter full of magical trinkets and artefacts? Why then do we worry about the prevalance of magic items in D&D? Cannot Janelle of the Dark Jewels trilogy create her own magic rings - and Elayne do likewise in the Wheel of Time?The works of Howard and Leiber are important, and have done much - and are doing much - for fantasy even now. However, they are not the entirity of fantasy, and it is now the time of their successors, to go to new places that they did not dream.Cheers!</blockquote>

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