Here in my humble home-city of Somerville, Mass., the Somerville Arts Council named me Somerville Artist of the Month for January 2014.
Here in my humble home-city of Somerville, Mass., the Somerville Arts Council named me Somerville Artist of the Month for January 2014. This is a program "to celebrate the enormous wealth of talent in our city, by shining a spotlight on a different creative Somervillian each month." I am honored! Here is the announcement, and a Q&A where I try to explain something of what I do in this whole writing racket. Thank you Somerville Arts Council!
I was lucky enough to publish this piece on Salon.com, using the occasion of D&D's 40th anniversary this month to wax poetical about all the life lessons the game taught me.I was lucky enough to publish this piece on Salon.com, using the occasion of D&D's 40th anniversary this month to wax poetical about all the life lessons the game taught me.
Here's an excerpt:
I played a lot of D&D back in the 1970s and 1980s. After conquering me, D&D went on to transform geek culture. Not only had D&D invented a new genre of entertainment — the role-playing game — but it practically gave birth to interactive fiction and set the foundation for the modern video game industry. Into “Halo” or “Call of Duty”? You’re playing an incredibly sophisticated version of a D&D dungeon crawl.
After a long hiatus, I play the game again now, as a 47-year-old, mostly grown-up person. Today, with my +5 Goggles of Hindsight, I can see how D&D was subtly helping me come of age. Yes, it’s a fantasy game, and the whole enterprise is remarkably analog, powered by face-to-face banter, storytelling and copious Twizzlers and Doritos. But like any pursuit taken with seriousness (and the right dose of humor), Dungeons & Dragons is more than a mere game. Lessons can be applied to the human experience. In fact, all I really need to know about life I learned by playing D&D.
If part 1 plodded, then part 2 flies. But in what directions! And, quite possibly, asunder. Read more of my review of my BoingBoing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
I appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Central Time" Monday 1/20/14 at 4:45PM CST (5:45 ET) on a program about the 40th anniversary of D&D.The D&D display at the Strong Museum, Rochester, NY (Image: Ethan Gilsdorf)
I appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Central Time" Monday 1/20/14 at 4:45PM CST (5:45 ET) on a program about the 40th anniversary of D&D (and Wisconsin native Gary Gygax) in a segment called "The Influence And Wisconsin Origins Of Dungeons and Dragons." The other guest was Dork Tower creator John Kovalic.
It's the New Year -- time to commit (or re-commit) yourself to writing in 2014!
Two sections of my Grub Street class "So You Want to Be a Writer in 2014?" have sold out, so we've just added a third section, on Friday, January 24th, 2:30-5:30pm.
It's the New Year -- time to commit (or re-commit) yourself to writing in 2014!
Two sections of my Grub Street class "So You Want to Be a Writer in 2014?" have sold out, so we've just added a third section, on Friday, January 24th, 2:30-5:30pm. Hope you can join me! Details below. Sign up here.
[NOTE: there's a database error -- it SAYS Monday Jan 24 but I assure you, class actually will run on Friday. This will get fixed soon.]
So You Want to Be a Writer in 2014? Section C
Friday, January 24th, 2:30-5:30pm at Grub Street headquarters.
It's the New Year -- time to commit (or re-commit) yourself to writing in 2014! In this seminar, we’ll inspire you to take your craft and marketplace ambitions seriously. First, we'll debunk commons myths and look in the eye some tough realities that threaten to stand in your way. Then, we'll recommend and discuss concrete strategies to help you become the writer you want to be, including: how to combat psychological issues such as fear, writer's block and rejection; what sacrifices you need to make time and build a career; how to hold your feet to the coals with accountability; how to work on multiple projects in different genres; and how to network and put yourself and your work out there. You'll leave having drafting short-term and long-term goals and action plans to make them happen, as well as connections to a fresh community of fellow writers. For beginners, or anyone looking to re-inspire or re-commit themselves as writers.
Wil Wheaton's dream: to have a T-shirt that says "My sword glows blue in the presence of rules lawyers."
How is a lawyer like a wizard? How does a courtroom resemble an epic battle? How is a casebook like the Dungeon Master's Guide?
I'm excited to be part of the "Berkman luncheon series" to give a talk called "How Dungeons & Dragons and Fantasy Prepare You for Law and Life," February 11, 2014, 12:30pm, at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society.
For this event, I'll be appearing in conversation with Jonathan Zittrain, a Harvard wizard (Professor at the Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and co-founder of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society --- whew!).
We'll discuss such issues, with the audience, as: How the skills, rulebooks and "laws" required to play D&D --- whether understanding complex "to hit" charts or inventing the backstory of an evil Witch King -- can especially apply to law students; the push and pull of laws and rules vs. imagination in a game like D&D, a book series like Harry Potter, or any fantasy world; and the role of the dungeon master/author/world-builder in the consistent (or inconsistent) application of these rules and standards, and how this all might apply to the imaginary world of law, too.
It is free and open to all, but please an RSVP here. You can also see it webcast live here as well, where you can also get more information.
More info on Ethan-themed events here.
I was lucky to be interviewed for a Discovery Channel program called "Forbidden" that has begun to air around the world. Last I heard, the program was being aired in Poland, Indonesia, and a zillion other countries. Not sure when it actually aired in the U.S., if at all. But someone kindly tracked down an excerpt on YouTube. Here's a snippet from the Nordic "dark Larp" segment I appeared in. I'm also supposed to be in other episodes about farmer role-playing (don't ask), people who dress up like animals, and mermaid subcultures. For some reason, I look a little grumpy in this still. I'm probably just role-playing.More information here.
Great news today! Huffington Post named Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks one of "14 Holiday Gifts For Any Middle-earth Lover's Library."
I am honored to be in the company of these other fine books. The post says Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks is "a moving and funny look at the saving grace and inspirational power of fantasy."
and:
"Journalist Ethan Gilsdorf travels around the world on a poignant and hilarious quest to rediscover his youthful love of fantasy role playing games and Tolkien. He explores Oxford, England (where Tolkien taught and wrote most of his books), Marquette University in Wisconsin (where he gets to hold manuscript pages from The Lord of the Rings) and New Zealand (visiting the locations where the film trilogy was shot). It's a moving and funny look at the saving grace and inspirational power of fantasy."
Thanks so much, Huff Post. Read more.
Thursday Dec 5 I'll be reading / presenting/ geeking out at Tufts University, thanks to an invitation from the Tufts student Science Fiction Fantasy Society.
Thursday Dec 5 I'll be reading / presenting/ geeking out at Tufts University, thanks to an invitation from the Tufts student Science Fiction Fantasy Society, mysteriously called "Beyond the Light." I'll be showing some slides about my adventures through geekery and fantasy and gamery worlds. There will be a trivia contest, and some give-aways, and I'll sign books afterwards. I even heard there will be grub! Yee haw. Looking forward to it. Free and open to the public, too. More info here on my events page.
BY ETHAN GILSDORF
In a new stunt-journalism story for the Boston Globe, I spent some time trying to address the problem of growing older, not being hip, losing my grasp of pop culture, and otherwise feeling old.
What happened to that 20- and 30-something dude I once was? I don't look that bad for a 47-year-old. But the idea of trying to be “hip” has been on my mind ever since I turned 47. As I write in the story:
Despite my nerdy backpack-wearing, laptop-carrying, latte-chugging lifestyle, I had begun suspecting I wasn’t the youngest person in the room anymore. My cultural sweet spot hovers somewhere between 1979 and 1999. Sure, I have a smart phone, and have built my obligatory social media identities, but I feel bumbling in my efforts to stay on top of technology. I don’t own a TV, so I miss out on the cult shows. The time when I’d endure long lines at clubs to see bands, even ones I’m oblivious to, was passing. I’m happy staying home and listening to my collection of obscure K-Tel records.
Also: People suddenly call me sir. As in: “Here’s your change, sir,” or “Let me just unlock that case where the teeth-whitening products are, sir.” Do the baggy jeans, cowboy shirts, and running shoes give off old-man cooties? Huh. As time marches forward, and I struggle to identify the latest band artistic icon, trending Internet meme, I wonder if I’ve fallen irrevocably behind.
I decided to embark on a Middle Age Makeover. I concocted a quest to regain my musical, pop cultural, technological, and fashion mojo. You can read the results here.
Remember Myst? That amazing, groundbreaking, mind-bending game that mystified you back in the 1990s? Then came Riven in 1997. The two were the best-selling computer games of the 20th century.
Then, not much of interest from brothers Robyn and Rand Miller, the team who founded the game company Cyan and dreamed up these two revolutionary, open-ended adventure puzzle games which, compared to the lightning-fast reload speed of a Call of Duty, plodded along at the pace of a hibernating snail.
Those games plopped you onto a proto-steampunk island where, well, it wasn’t exactly clear what your goal was. But it was a fascinating ride. You wandered around, looking at every map and book, and being lured in by the preternatural quiet and creepy ambience soundtrack. What was a clue? What was a puzzle? What was a red herring?
As Myst celebrates its 20th anniversary, there’s some new activity. A new game from Cyan. One in the spirit of the first two, and one that just might provide the same tricksy thrills and head-scratching puzzles of Myst and Riven.
As I write for GeekDad, there's a new game in the works called Obduction. Check out the rest of the post here.
""Hi, I’m lit-fitness celebrity JK Rowling. If you’re busy like me, then stay tuned because I’m excited to share with you the most innovative piece of emotional and interpersonal exercise equipment ever. I’m talking about the fastest, easiest way to make lightning-fast decisions and get your empathy into its best shape ever. ... Introducing, the great American novel."
"Hi, I’m lit-fitness celebrity JK Rowling. If you’re busy like me, then stay tuned because I’m excited to share with you the most innovative piece of emotional and interpersonal exercise equipment ever. I’m talking about the fastest, easiest way to make lightning-fast decisions and get your empathy into its best shape ever. ... Introducing, the great American novel."
We’ve always agreed that books are fun, diversionary, and entertaining. Now they are apparently as good for you as a bowl of bran flakes and a jog around the park.
There's a spate of new studies and research supporting what we’ve suspected all along: Reading is good for you. (Thanks, Mom.)
On one level, this is good news. I mean, who should be grumpy about research helping to boost the cultural relevance of an art form?
But on another level, I’m skeptical, and a little depressed, by this new kind of literary analysis. (I also think post-structuralist, Marxist, feminist, post-colonialist, and deconstructionist literary theories take the joy out of literature, but that’s another rant.) Is relying on laboratory research to tell us books make us better human beings a positive development?
In my lastest post for the WBUR blog "Cognoscneti," I argue that all these new studies showing that reading good literature is scientifically beneficial to us is, well, kind of depressing, taking all the mystery and magic out of reading. Check out the full post here.
Remember the "Rock of Boston"? The Big Mattress? The Rock and Roll Rumble? The on-air hijinks, comedy, in-your-face personalities, the music? A new book called Radio Free Boston: The Rise and Fall of WBCN is out written by 'BCN disc jockey and music director Carter Alan, recalls the era when WBCN ruled the airwaves.
In my story for the Boston Globe today, I was able to sit down with Alan and talk to him about the groundbreaking station, and how it will be remembered. I also spoke with some of the major players at the station -- incuding Charles Laquidara, Oedipus, Ken Shelton, Tank, Mark Parenteau, Lisa Traxler, Adam 12, Tank Juanita, Sam Kopper, Matt Siegel, and others.
The story ended up being a little shorter than I had hoped. I tracked down as many players from WBCN's past as I could, and asked them to share what 'BNC will be most remembered for in the annals of rock and radio history, but a lot of the great material ended up on the cutting room floor.
Read my original story here, then check out the cut sidebar below.
And incidentally, check out Carter Alan, who's got a few book reading and signing events coming up, including: Wed., Nov. 13 at 7pm at The Book Shop, 694 Broadway, Somerville, MA, www.bookshopsomerville.com; Fri., Nov. 15 at 7pm at The Book Shack, 101 Independence Mall Way, Kingston, MA, www.thebookshack.net; Fri. Nov. 22 at 6pm at the Barnes & Noble, Braintree, MA; and Sat. Dec 7, at 7:30pm, Barnes & Noble, Salem, NH.
Charles Laquidara in the early days (photo: courtesy of Carter Alan)
Voices Carry: WBCN Veteran DJs Through the Ages Recall 'BCN's Legacy
How will WBCN be remembered? The Big Mattress? Its Rock and Roll Rumble? The on-air hijinks, comedy, in-your-face personalities, or the music? We tracked down as many players from WBCN's past as we could, and asked them to share what 'BNC will be most remembered for in the annals of rock and radio history.
"I remember there was a time when you could hear 'BCN without a radio. Literally. You could start in downtown Boston and walk, if you wanted to walk the five miles to Cambridge, to Harvard Square ... Between the cars that were playing it, with their open windows, in the summertime ... and all the dormitories and all the apartments, the houses, it was like you could hear 'BCN from one end of the city to the other." --- Charles Laquidara, DJ, 1968–96
"All media going back to cave drawings ... reflect what is going on in their time and stimulate it. 'BCN happened at a time when socially, politically and musically it was unbelievably charged." --- Sam Kopper, first program director and morning DJ - 1968–71, live music broadcast producer and weekend DJ 1975 - 91, now PD/DJ of WBCN Free Form Rock, wbcn.com and 100.7HD3
"WBCN was like being in the Sons of Anarchy without the motorcycles." --- Ken Shelton, DJ, 1980–93
"It was an amazing thing to go in there every day and flip on a switch and talk to a couple million people in six states...To make people laugh and make them dance and make them enjoy their life. I miss that style of radio. There's nothing like that now." --- Mark Parenteau, DJ, 1978–97
"It was a different time. Radio was different. It's all commercial now ... Then, they were just a bunch of crazy hippies. .... I can trace my success to BCN. I dont know how I would have developed differently had I not had the 'BCN experience." --- Matt Siegel, DJ 1977–79, now at KISS 108
"The music meant something to the DJ and to the moment in which it was begin played... What's missing [now is] the human touch. The feeling that someone else was there with you." --- Paul "Tank" Sferruzza, Listener Line operator, van driver, producer, sports reporter, 1978–95
"I remember the owners telling me, distinctly, they said, 'You’re gonna make mistakes, and you’re gonna learn from your mistakes. But we like you because you’re intelligent and you’re not afraid to take chances.' Who says that?" --- Oedipus, DJ and Program Director, 1977–2004, now at RadioDBC.com and oedipus1.com
WBCN staff hanging with Elvis Costello on the release of his SPIKE album. 1989 (Courtesy of Warner Brothers Records)"There was a strong sense of history being made. 'BCN would play something and damn the torpedoes. If we believed in something we could go to the wall on it." --- Lisa Traxler, DJ, 1984–90
"The sense of family came across the airwaves. It was a radio station that you listened to find out what was going on ... The DJs were funny and smart and they lived the life." --- Janet "Juanita" King, DJ 1996–2001, 2002–09, now at WZLX
"It was part of the fabric of Boston ... 'BCN for years set the tone for radio stations of its ilk all across the country. But 'BCN as cultural phenomenon, through it s music and its personalities and its event and its presence, really was Boston. It united Boston." --- Adam "Adam 12" Chapman, DJ, 2003–09, now at RadioBDC.com
Who is Fili and who is Napoli? Balin vs. Buchholz? Ori or Ortiz?
Here's a "Beard Blueprint" --- my guide to the Red Sox vs. Hobbit dwarf beards.
According to The Hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield, head honcho of the dwarven company, had the longest beard. He also wore a sky blue hood with a large silver tassle. On the World Champion of American and Canada Red Sox squad, known to wear Navy blue war helmets and caps, I'd give Fullest Beard Award to Mike Napoli, Grayest and Wisest Beard to David Ross, Wildest Beard to Jonny Gomes and Creepiest Leprechaun Beard medal to Clay Buchholz. (For those making the Gandalf = Manager comparison, Sox skipper John Farrell resisted the urge to get all hirsute on us.)
Yes, these beards rule. But I can't help but think it's a shame that Ortiz wouldn't weave into his whiskers some silver or gold bling, or that Pedroia wouldn't let his grow into a great braided loop a la Bombur.
Note: Since this chart, some of the Sox beards have gotten even longer. And weider. And wilder.
I just discovered that the audio archive from the 2012 Boston Book Festiva panel I moderated --- called The Hobbit: There and Back Again --- is available to listen to here.
I just discovered that the audio archive from the 2012 Boston Book Festival panel I moderated --- called "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" --- is available to listen to here.
The panel featured Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, author of The Art of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012) and Corey Olsen, aka "The Tolkien Professor" and author of Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit"
Ethan reads, makes world safe for geeks. Sometimes he wears these grampy pants.
I've appeared at conventions like Pax East, Gen Con and DragonCon; read at book festivals in Atlanta, Brooklyn and Boston; spoken at universities like MIT, Notre Dame, Bryn Mawr and LSU; and appeared at dozens of bookstores, book groups, high schools, libraries, and other venues.
I've fought (badly) with foam swords in public. I'm not afraid to wear my chainmail and tunic. I've taught 25 newbies how to play Dungeons & Dragons in one evening.
If your bookstore, library, book group, writer's festival, college/university, high school, club, game shop, convention, bar, cafe, mother, etc. would like to book me to give a talk, slide-lecture, organize a discussion, teaching a writing class, or have moderate a panel or Q&A, let me know.
Ethan reads, makes world safe for geeks. Sometimes he wears these grampy pants.
I love to give talks and readings, slide presentations, moderate panels, teach creative writing and role-playing games, and inspire people to geek out.
I've appeared at conventions like Pax East, Gen Con and DragonCon; read at book festivals in Atlanta, Brooklyn and Boston; spoken at universities like MIT, Notre Dame, Bryn Mawr and LSU; and appeared at dozens of bookstores, book groups, high schools, libraries, and other venues.
I've fought (badly) with foam swords in public. I'm not afraid to wear my chainmail and tunic. I've taught 25 newbies how to play Dungeons & Dragons in one evening.
If your bookstore, library, book group, writer's festival, college/university, high school, club, game shop, convention, bar, cafe, mother, etc. would like to book me to give a talk, slide-lecture, organize a discussion, teaching a writing class, or have moderate a panel or Q&A, I am a hired gun looking for a microphone to speak into and some dice to roll. More info here.
For booking, rates and program details, contact me here.
For a schedule classes I'm already teaching, see this.
Here are some of the events I can happily bring to your lecture hall or dungeon. Custom topics and talks also possible.
Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: The Lecture:
An overview of my award-winning book, with a reading, and (if you want) slide-lecture that encapsulates my journey into fantasy and gaming subcultures (D&D, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, World of Warcraft, medieval re-enactors), what explains the appeal of these fantasy worlds, and my own journey to accept my inner geek.
How Dungeons & Dragons Saved My Life:
An inspiring talk about my personal history playing D&D and other role-playing games, and how they influenced me, changed my life, and helped me become a creative, socialized, and (mostly) full-adjusted human being I am today. With images from my personal gaming collection and the history of role-playing games.
I've Always Wanted to Play D&D, But ....: A Three-Hour Fantasy Role-Playing Game Experience:
Using a quick-start method and simplified version of the rules, I've developed a 3 to 5 hour D&D-like experience that even non-nerds can understand. In one session, you and your pals can play characters, go on an adventure, solve problems and defeat evil in your unique way, help tell a memorable story -- and have a great time. Dortitos and Mountaimn Dew can be arranged.
Writing Workshops:
Teen Writing Adventure (three-hour or day-long writing classes for kids); Adult Writing Bootcamps (same thing for adults: fiction, nonfiction, poetry); How to Be a Freelance Writer (Tips, strategies and craft basics for writing articles, essays and op-ed for publication)
Personal Coaching and Manuscript Editing:
I have more than 15 years experience as a freelance writer and teacher of writing. I'm available for editing, consulting, and coaching (and butt kicking), and to help guide and provide feedback for anyone out there working in nonfiction, essay, op-ed, personal essay, memoir, poetry and fiction. I also consult on book promotion.
by Ethan Gilsdorf
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) may be approaching its 40th birthday next year, and rapidly losing younger players to the irresistible eye-candy of digital gaming. But in one particular sector, the role-playing game business is still booming: Older gamers like me.
I grew up playing D&D, religiously, back in the Reagan Administration. My original "Monster Manual," "Dungeon Master Guide" and sack of polyhedral dice are still precious to me. Lucky for me, I hung onto my trove of rule books that were still covered with a layer of Cheetos dust. Other old-school games weren't so lucky. ("Thanks, Mom, for giving my stuff to Goodwill when I went off to college!") Now all grown up, and sometimes with children of their own, these gamers miss that place that face-to-face dice-rolling and storytelling experience played in their lives.
But fear not, old-school roleplaying games (RPGs) are back, one reissue at a time.
Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the company that owns the D&D brand, has embarked on a new campaign in the past year to recapture older gamers whose magic-users and paladins slayed many an orc and beholder and pillaged many a graph-paper-charted land. All year longWotC has been reprinting new editions of ancient tomes from the heyday of tabletop role-playing games. On November 19, the granddaddy of them all arrives: a deluxe edition of The White Box, the original D&D set (aka OD&D) first published by Tactical Studies Rules, or TSR, Inc, back in 1974. (In a Wired.com exclusive, a new photo of the final product prototype is pictured here.)
The White Box "was the very first roleplaying game, introducing concepts that have persisted throughout later editions," said Liz Schuh, director of publishing and licensing for D&D. "Many of our players have strong emotional connections to our classic products."
They better. This new White Box retails for $149.99.
All this nostalgia comes as D&D hits "middle age." In 2014, D&D, the first-ever commercially-available role-playing game, turns 40. Next year also brings (barring any delays) the release of the game's next iteration, D&D Next.
Is all this product retread a crass commercial move on the part of WotC, or a genuine desire to re-connect gamers in their forties, fifties and even sixties to their beloved dungeon-crawls pasts?
Whatever the interpretation, this is some powerful Spell of Nostalgia that WotC is casting. Go ahead, resist. Roll a saving throw versus
The campaign began last year, with new limited-editions of the 1st Edition rulebooks: the beloved AD&D "Monster Manual" (1977), "Player's Handbook" (1978), and "Dungeon Master’s Guide" (1979). Then, in January, WotC launched dndclassics.com, a site allowing oldbies to download in PDF format hundreds of forgotten and out-of-print gaming products, from the legendary 1978 module D3: Vault of the Drow to a 1981 edition of the D&D Basic Rulebook. Also released earlier this year: two volumes of compilations of classic adventures including one called "Dungeons of Dread" that features favorites like "Tomb of Horrors" and "Expedition to the Barrier Peaks." Second edition core rulebook "Premium" reprints came out in in May. Of course, official D&D merch --- from T-shirts, belts and iPhone cases --- is also being hawked. All of these products are replicated down to the last "to hit" chart and goofy drawing of kobolds, and gelatinous cubes (just testing you: gelatinous cubes are invisible).
That "White Box" facsimile set includes the original three OD&D booklets (Men & Magic; Monsters & Treasure; Underworld & Wilderness Adventures) plus the four supplements (Greyhawk; Blackmoor; Eldritch Wizardry; Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes); a packet of "reference sheets"; and 10 funky-looking (but not historically accurate) dice. In a nod to the OD&D's original brown wood-grain cardboard box, it's all housed in a fancy engraved wooden case. The booklets' interior art looks the same, but the box's cover modern fantasy art (see photo) might annoy purists.
Original "white box" sets are rare, and can sell for $500 or more on eBay. With the reprints, anyone can own a piece of D&D history. Sort of.
Game designer James M. Ward, a veteran TSR employee who wrote the games Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha, and co-authored the core rulebook Deities & Demigods, took a more skeptical view towards WotC's decision to release items from the game's golden age. "Just think of the profit for releasing something they didn’t have to pay for or edit," Ward said. "It’s a move to make lots of money considering consumers are really liking the idea of old style material."
From the tabletop resurgence that’s been happening over the past few years, it’s clear that older gamers miss the dice-rolling and face-to-face interaction of an analog dungeon crawl. Even the the original TSR brand had been rebooted (not by Gygax's heirs or Wotc) and has released a publication, aptly named Gygax Magazine, in the spirit of the old Dragon and White Dwarf magazines. GenCon, Pax and Pax East prove there's an audience for non-digital entertainment. Older school-style RPGs such Pathfinder, from rival company Paizo Publishing, routinely outsells the last version of the D&D, the much-maligned 4th edition, released in 2008.
This "Old School Renaissance" is a welcome resurgence for people like Tim Kask, the first employee TSR ever hired and former editor of "Dragon" magazine. Kask and other older gamers maintain that newer iterations of D&D stripped out all the fun. "The game got so tabulated and charted that people forgot to ask questions," he said. "I think what has been ruled to death is that sense of wonderment, of not exactly knowing what is around the next corner."
So it makes sense that WotC also hopes some of the gamer will find their way back to a purer form of D*&D -- namely, the storytelling and mystery. "When you lose that, roleplaying," Kask said, D&D "becomes just killing at the zoo.”
If Wizards of the Coast wants to take old gamers like me on a journey down memory lane -- or back into memory's dungeon -- I can't complain. Maybe I'll never play that fancy White Box edition. In fact. I'm pretty wedded to my AD&D rule set from the 1980. But just to hold these new/old tomes, and flip through them, and roll the dice again ... Ahhh. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, D&D's co-creators, may be dead, but their legacy of Doritos-eating, dice-rolling and bantering around some basement table lives on. Hopefully, with these D&D reissues, enough younger players will also find their way to that experience.
So even if your original DM's Guide got tossed back in the Reagan Administration, you can game again, and play whatever version of D&D you like.
"From my way of thinking," James M. Ward said, "nothing was lost."
Tolkien & other nerds: I recently had the pleaure of nerding out about The Hobbit (and the new Desolation of Smaug trailer) and other Tolkien, D&D and fantasy topics with the Tolkien Professor, aka Corey Olsen, and Noble Smith (my collaborator over at Dungeons & Dorkwads)
The Tolkien Professor chats with authors and uber-geeks Ethan Gilsdorf and Noble Smith. Ethan Gilsdorf is the author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms. Noble Smith is the author of The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide to a Long and Happy Life.
You can find them both at the webpage Dungeons and Dorkwads.
Download this episode here, or subscribe to The Tolkien Professor on iTunes.
Once again (for the third year running), I particuated in a fantastic collaborative audio fiction project called Books, Actually.
If you missed this year's edition --- "Books, Actually: What If?" --- at the 2013 Boston Book Festival, you can listen to it here.
Books, Actually is The Drum's collection of interlaced stories set in and around the Boston Book Festival. A thief, a teenaged poet, a coxswain, and a disgruntled author are just a few of the characters created by Boston authors Catherine Elcik, Ethan Gilsdorf, Katrina Grigg-Saito, Ted Weesner, Becky Tuch, Clarence Lai, Stace Budzko, and Henriette Lazaridis Power.
Hear them all, or go directly to a selected story. Here are the authors and the times on this audio file where Elcik (00:31), Gilsdorf (6:20), Lai (11:47), Power (17:12), Weesner (22:51), Tuch (29:23), Budzko (35:39), Grigg-Saito (37:17), Elcik (42:21).
I had a great time at the Boston Festival of Indie Games, geeking out and waxing nostalgic with Brian "Clerks" O'Halloran about how D&D changed (and warped) our lives and saved our asses.
Our slide-lecture / unreheased stand-up comedy talk was officially called:
"Back in the Dungeon – A conversation with Brian O’Halloran and Ethan Gilsdorf on how D&D changed their lives"
Digital gaming all began with graph paper dungeons, a handful of dice and the Monster Manual. Join actor Brian O’Halloran (“Dante Hicks” in Clerks) and writer and critic Ethan Gilsdorf (author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks) as they geek out about the importance and impact of Dungeons & Dragons and other RPGs and tabletop games on the gaming industry, and how these old-school games changed their lives for good, not evil (mostly). There’ll also be giveaways of Ethan’s book and other goodies We’ll end with a Q&A, book signing, and autograph session immediately following the event.
Thanks Brian and thanks BostonFIG.