My Lord Barbarian is a slim planetary romance by Andrew Offutt. It begins with an intriguing premise and a reasonable pretext to include spaceships and sci-fi technology in a story of sword-swinging barbarians. (Again I’m reminded why Gary Gygax enshrined Offutt in Appendix N.) The pulp action picks up rather quickly after the introductory chapter… Continue reading Andrew Offutt’s “My Lord Barbarian.”
Tag: Appendix N
Jack of Shadows. A Dark Gem of a Novel.
I have at last managed to fill in a lacuna in my Appendix N reading. Jack of Shadows is, in someways, Roger Zelazny condensed to the quintessence. A synecdoche of a sort. If you’ve read much Zelazny, you’ll recognize themes: resurrection, from Lord of Light; the corrupting nature of absolute power, from Amber; the ambiguously… Continue reading Jack of Shadows. A Dark Gem of a Novel.
The Watchers Out of Time. H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth.
H.P. Lovecraft receives top billing for The Watchers Out of Time. But the stories in this collection appear to have been actually written by Lovecraft’s acolyte, August Derleth. He seems to have used notes of Lovecraft’s as the springboard for the fifteen (fourteen and a half, rather, since Derleth died before completing the titular tale)… Continue reading The Watchers Out of Time. H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth.
AKendix N. Plus Savage Journal Entry 20.
What books made you who you are today? What is your personal Appendix N? [NB: Appendix N is a recommended reading list for players of Dungeons and Dragons, writers that influenced Gary Gygax in his approach to the game.] That is, what sources molded the mental clay into the person you became? I’ve been pondering… Continue reading AKendix N. Plus Savage Journal Entry 20.
Appendix N in Retrospect. Resurrected Post.
July 7, 2019 Appendix N in Retrospect After this web log’s sporadic (perhaps, from your perspective, interminable) consideration of the authors listed in the Dungeon Masters Guide Appendix N, perhaps some sort of summation is required. What do I think of the list? What do I think of its application to the Dungeons and Dragons… Continue reading Appendix N in Retrospect. Resurrected Post.
Roger Zelazny, Appendix N’s Master of the Multiverse. Resurrected Post.
June 30, 2019 Roger Zelazny, Appendix N’s Master of the Multiverse As it inevitably must, this series on Appendix N reaches its end. At least we go out on a high note, with that nonpareil, Roger Zelazny. Roger Zelazny is best known for his Amber novels. Amber is the city of which all other cities are… Continue reading Roger Zelazny, Appendix N’s Master of the Multiverse. Resurrected Post.
Jack Williamson, Appendix N’s Master of Adventure. Resurrected Post.
May 19, 2019 Jack Williamson, Appendix N’s Master of Adventure Jack Williamson on the shelf. We reach at last Jack Williamson, the penultimate entry in this slapdash consideration of Appendix N. Considering how prolific Jack Williamson was during his lengthy, exemplary career, I’m surprised I’ve read so little of his work. The man nearly reached… Continue reading Jack Williamson, Appendix N’s Master of Adventure. Resurrected Post.
Manly Wade Wellman. The Bard of Appendix N? Resurrected Post.
April 7, 2019 Manly Wade Wellman. The Bard of Appendix N? My series on Appendix N of the Dungeon Masters Guide nears its conclusion. Two more entries remain after this. This one presents a bit of a challenge for me. I come to praise Manly Wade Wellman, but I’m finding it difficult. Not Margaret St.… Continue reading Manly Wade Wellman. The Bard of Appendix N? Resurrected Post.
Appendix N: Stanley Weinbaum’s Bizarre Bestiary. Resurrected Post.
January 6, 2019 Appendix N: Stanley Weinbaum’s Bizarre Bestiary Stanley G. Weinbaum tantalizes we later generations. What else could his fertile mind have produced had cancer not taken him at the age of 33? Weinbaum’s enshrinement in Appendix N is another head-scratcher for those who remain incredulous that Dungeons and Dragons’ influences include science… Continue reading Appendix N: Stanley Weinbaum’s Bizarre Bestiary. Resurrected Post.