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

[doctorbadwolf]

Or that guy who became an engineer and unleashed engineering upon the fantasy world...

Yes sir. While I always rolled my eyes a little at the whole “all men are equal, and [name I can’t recall] made them that way” line in the books (and yes, I know the reference), his whole arc was pretty fun.

 

[Gradine]

I mean, Mark Train wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which is a pretty early example of portal fantasy

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Summer Tree by Guy Gaveriel Kay is literally D&D players being sucked into a fantasy world. I didn't enjoy the book though.

One I liked much better was The Doomfarers of Coramonde by Brian Daley.

 

[Coroc]

When did the trope start? CS Lewis?

Far earlier, there was something bout a Yankee at king Arthurs court was it by Mark Twain?

 

[Coroc]

I mean, Mark Train wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which is a pretty early example of portal fantasy

Ups funny, I did reply the same w/o reading your post

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Far earlier, there was something bout a Yankee at king Arthurs court was it by Mark Twain?

As mentioned earlier, it can be traced back to folk tales about wanderers who enter a hole in a hill and find themselves in the land of the fair folk.

Technically, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was presented as time travel, not an alternate world.

 

[Gadget]

I think I had heard of this book long ago but never read it and forgotten about it. I was unaware it was the first "D&D" book, but it does not surprise me. I certainly would not have pegged Dragonlance (1984?) or Forgotten Realms (a few years later), to hold that distiction. But I was around back then, so that's not so surprising. I probably would have been fooled if someone told me that Gord the Rogue, or some such, was first.

 

[jasper]

Is it worth buying this book?

Having reread it recently.. No. Or if you must have it buy under $4.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I've had this book sitting on my to-read shelf for a while. I picked it up for its historical significance in gaming history. But Andre Norton has left me cold when I've read her other books. And the whole "people getting sucked into their D&D game" subgenre of portal fantasy, likewise. Eventually I'll screw up the nerve to give it a read.

 

[darjr]

The forward is imho the most relevant part for history’s sake. For bits about Greyhawk, only the first couple chapters are relevant