Appendix N: Life Imitates Art Becoming Lost Tomes

Believe I've made mention of a quasi-participation in a virtual Appendix N Book Club. More like endeavor to read the selections and fall behind as I don't read as much nor as a fast as I used to. First month was some H.P. Lovecraft stories. The next month is LotR: The Fellowship of the Ring. This is would be more of a re-read as I read the book before the movie came out. A decade and a half ago. Time flies. Anyhoo, the following book is Andre Norton's Witch World.


Here strikes tonight's blogging inspiration.


See, awhile back when I first started buying ebooks rather than reading free public domain texts provided by Project Gutenberg, I purchased several Andre Norton Witch World books. While I didn't buy all the titles available, I made sure to get all the books with Witch World in the title.


So seeing Witch World was on the docket struck as no problem. After all, I own pretty much all of them, right?


Wrong.


The original Witch World was not among the titles. After browsing on several retailers sites, it doesn't seem available in either print or digital formats new.


Only way to read the story that began the Witch World series is to track it down in libraries and second-hand shops.


Then, I got to thinking. Many of the stories that comprise Appendix N (inspirations for Dungeons & Dragons) are old. They weren't the freshest stuff on the scene when Dungeons & Dragons debuted. Certainly, not when they were credited within the contents of the first edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. Conan and the like were decades old. Readers could only read them by reading the stories collected in reprint books.


Some of the material has been reprinted recently such as the REH collections of Conan.  Merritt's Moon Pool ( both stories) was collected in mass market paperback novel form. Dark Horse published the complete Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series. Alas, all these collections were published years ago. More than likely out of print now.


Sure, much is availably digitally. Others like Witch World are not.


Much like a protagonist in an Appendix N story, one can only find them by searching through forgotten corners of libraries or bookstores that specialize in carrying forgotten wares. Used book sales are akin to browsing through the bazaar.


Perhaps it's fitting that life now imitates art. Much like Gandalf reading ancient scrolls to glean ancient secrets in old libraries, the aspiring reader who seeks to better understand the origins of Dungeons & Dragons will in turn venture out into markets off the beaten path in search of old lost tomes containing forgotten lore.


Speaking of the book that started this train of thought, Witch World, I have indeed seen the book in such a shop!


Happy Reading!


Next time.

Appendix N: Read Lovecraft's "The Statement of Randolph Carter"

Last year and to an extent this year, I resolved to read more. What better way than a book club? I've never participated in book clubs before as I haven't read a book in less than a month in decades. Furthermore, most book selections I feel iffy towards. However, I discovered social media page devoted AD&D 1E Appendix N (the inspirations for Dungeons & Dragons - for Gygax) decided to do a virtual book club. The first month is selection of stories by H.P. Lovecraft.


I own both an annotated book containing a selection of his fiction as well as a leather-bound containing all his of Lovecraft's fiction. Opening those pages excites me.


My first reading is "The Statement of Randolph Carter". At five pages, it is the shortest of the selections. Baby steps, baby steps.


Suppose you're wondering why I am blogging this. You may be wondering 'You're reading, Matt. Great. Bravo.'


Instead of posting my responses on book club's page, why not blog my thoughts! Also helps me to remember too... ahem...


 What didn't you like about the reading? At five pages, "The Statement of Randolph Carter" is more like a vignette.


What did you like about the reading? Loved the ambience. Learned about technology one simply doesn't know existed until stumbles upon it such as the portable telephone, which is essentially two telephones connected by wire. Thank you annotated book! Envisioned the portable telephone in my mind. The annotated book displayed the patent. Was half right.


As a horror story, the story successfully built up the suspense until the end and - gotcha!


Finally, as I recently became reacquainted with regularly listening to audio dramas, The Statement of Randolph Carter reads very much as a radio drama. If two people could read the story out loud and include sound effects, it's practically the script for a teleplay!


In what ways do you think "The Statement of Randolph Carter" inspired the creation of Dungeons and Dragons? - Randolph Carter is clearly a low level adventurer journeying with a higher level one to a far off, hidden locale.


Both Carter and his mentor carry quite a bit of adventuring gear including some that are not run-of-the-mill objects. Any player of D&D can tell of adventuring gear such ten-foot poles and sun rods. Let's not forget more mundane items such as rope and lanterns. Not a lot of shovels but crowbars are carried by many a PC.


Honestly, D&D  was shares quite a bit with a story spanning a mere five pages!


There's powerful terror lurking below the surface. A terror too powerful one individual no matter how experienced can't defeat. The PCs only hope for survival is running away. Yeah, later editions kind of do away with such difficult challenges. Oh and the terror can communicate with the PCs...


PCs being fluent in more than one language. Tomes containing archaic languages or unrecognizable symbols; and those tomes are either the objects of or initiators of quests.


The authorities aren't friendly to the PCs. They are neutral, indifferent, or hostile toward them.


Splitting the party can be both bad and good depending on where the danger is.


In what ways can you use The Statement of Randolph Carter to inspire your own games? Use more tomes written in a foreign language (as opposed to the common language of the area) using a secret code or mixed with archaic language. Don't often place entrances to secret underground areas under slabs in cemetery or any other ruin.


Unusual mundane items are just as much a part of a table-top role-playing game as magical items. Communication devices are a great way to build tension. Splitting the party is headache as it can foster either meta-gaming or loss of interest.


Using language to develop ambience particularly when the encounter includes sublime or exotic. Reading a story rich in ambience reminds how much a gripping adventure requires it. Until combat occurs anyway...


On to the next Lovecraft story! Haven't decided which though but I have read none of the remaining three before. No use mentioning them until I read them.


Happy Reading!


Next time!

Putting Crom Back Into Marvel

Did you hear the major announcement regarding 2019?


No, not Cosmos returning for a second season although I am quite excited for more cosmic goodness explained for those of us without degrees in astrophysics.


Why Conan is returning to Marvel Comics in 2019!


At first I was like 'what Disney bought Conan!' then I realized that Marvel had acquired the license to Conan comics.


Must admit I am somewhat ambivalent about this news. Marvel's previous run of Conan comics ended on a what we'll call lackluster at best. On the other hand, I long stopped buying Dark Horse's Conan comics quite some time ago. More out of practicality as I couldn't keep up. The frequent restarts didn't help. Probably explains why Dark Horse has been aggressively releasing omnibuses of their work but no new Conan comics.


As for Marvel, I am curious if any of the old Marvel stuff will appear on their digital unlimited service. Definitely, hope they release them via a nice shiny omnibus format. I may actually break open the wallet if they do as usually don't buy omnibuses unless they are heavily discounted. Yep, couple omnibuses of both Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword would be mighty keen.


As for new comics, I kind of hope they apply legacy numbering to the "new" Conan the Barbarian title. Sure, Star Wars started from a brand new #1 but restarts were the thing. The lure of Marvel Conan is the old Roy Thomas Conan. If you can't have Roy Thomas, at least continue the old numbering. Regardless, if it's been a couple decades since the previous issue...


Other than, I await further announcements from the House of Ideas. One can say, Crom will be put back into Marvel.


Happy Reading!


Next time.