Appendix N Audiobook by Jeffro Johnson
Listen to this audiobook in full for free on http://hotaudiobook.com [http://hotaudiobook.com]
Title: Appendix N
Subtitle: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons
Author: Jeffro Johnson
Narrator: Brandon Porter
Format: Unabridged
Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
Language: English
Release date: 01-19-18
Publisher: Castalia House
Genres: Arts & Entertainment, Visual Arts
Publisher's Summary:
Appendix N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons is a detailed and comprehensive investigation of the various works of science fiction and fantasy that game designer Gary Gygax declared to be the primary influences on his seminal role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. It is a deep intellectual dive into the literature of SF/F's past that will fascinate any serious role-playing gamer or fan of classic science fiction and fantasy.
Author Jeffro Johnson, an expert role-playing gamer, accomplished dungeon master, and three-time Hugo Award finalist, critically reviews all 43 works and authors listed by Gygax in the famous appendix. In doing so, he draws a series of intelligent conclusions about the literary gap between past and present that is surprisingly relevant to current events, not only in the fantastic world of role-playing, but the real world in which the players live.
Members Reviews:
Shedding light on a Dark Age
As a fan of Mr. Johnson's writing, I was asked to write an introduction to this book. An introduction that was eventually cut. So, lacking a use for it, here it is:
With this book we are coming out a dark age. Jerry Pournelle has said âThe definition of a Dark Age is that we no longer remember what we once could do.â Itâs not just that we have lost capability but, not knowing that we ever had capability that makes it dark. Of course, the term âDark Agesâ has fallen out of current fashion. It seems judgmental and unscientific to call that time after the fall of Rome and through the end of the Viking Age âdarkâ as if it were lesser in some way. But, Iâm not an academic and history is not science. And, Rome was sacked. The aqueducts did stop running. Latin was forgotten, by all but a few specialists, to be replaced by the babble of dozens of local tongues. Itâs dark because the records of that time are sparse â fewer people wrote and the people who did write, wrote on fewer topics.
Appendix N is just a reading list. But, a reading list tailored to a topic. The topic being inspirational works for playing the original role-playing game â Dungeons and Dragons. The list was intended to inspire players on adding variety to their game. And, to give players examples that explain why the game was made the way it was made.
Jeffro Johnson set himself the task to read all of Appendix N in the context of its stated purpose. He found what he was looking for: clear evidence for many of the foundational rules of Dungeons and Dragons hidden in plain sight in the text of old fantastic adventure writing. But, he also found more â the nucleus of an earlier canon of fantastic literature. In that canon he discovered greater variety, subtlety, strangeness and a broader sophistication of theme than found in the general run of fantasy writing today. And, he found some damned fun stories.
So, for us, what has been forgotten? To a large degree, we have forgotten the scope that fantasy fiction can obtain when allowed unfettered freedom of imagination. We have forgotten that fantasy fiction can be just as edgy and daring when addressing the best of human nature rather than the worst. In fact, we have forgotten that literature can and should encompass all things.
