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Gary Gygax: Modern Troubadour
by Joe Face, Account Processor
If you've ever been attacked by a level 20 Halfling brandishing a two-handed Supreme Bastard Sword of Fire +2, you have Gary Gygax to thank for it. If you rolled your eyes and scoffed "Halflings don't use Bastard Swords!" then March 4, 2008 was a day of mourning for you. Gygax, the creator of Dungeons and Dragons (or D&D, as it is popularly known) has died.
Gygax established himself as the god of geekdom in 1974, when he, along with Dave Arneson, created the fantasy-based Role Playing Game in which players act out the adventures of Warlocks, Dwarves, Bugbears and Barbarians, offering an early chapter in the book of Nerds, a tome that has grown to include video games, Star Wars (or Star Trek, depending on what flavor nerd you are encountering), and Bill Gates. He leaves behind a legion of followers who will fondly remember him as the reason they were unable to find a date to the prom.
In a gesture of respect, Orcs and Elves across the land offered a temporary truce in their ongoing war with each other. Pressed to make a statement, a famous wizard who wished to remain anonymous was moved to tears: "He was a good buddy of mine," the sorcerer said, using his long, white beard to dry his eyes. "One time he took my pointy hat and accidentally turned himself into a muskrat. Oh, the fun we had!"
Although D&D has encountered critics, particularly from parents who feared the cult-like, anti-social atmosphere surrounding the games, Gygax's creation may be remembered fondly as a return to bard-like storytelling: each quest (or campaign, as it is sometimes called) is developed through the participants' own imaginations. Driven by a leader/referee called "The Dungeon Master," each game is guaranteed to be different from all previous iterations, with decisions made and actions determined by rolls of a dice. Need to climb over a wall of spikes? Roll a 20-sided die and see if you're successful.
Furthermore, the success of D&D has ensured increased interest in the fantasy, historical, and mythological genres in film, television, and literature. One can draw a direct correlation between Dungeons and Dragons and the success of shows such as "Xena: Warrior Princess," films like "Pirates of the Caribbean," and yes, Harry Potter.
But perhaps most importantly, Gygax fostered a forum in the 70's and 80's where geeks, dorks, and nerds could turn to embrace their own individual strengths. These gamers were not physically gifted sports heroes, after all, but lonely adolescents with textbooks stuffed in their backpacks. In a society which rewards the star quarterback, the Dungeons and Dragons community provided a place where like-minded friends could journey and accomplish great deeds, swing swords and find great treasures, an otherwise impossible task in a magic-less world. As fantasy becomes more mainstream, Gygax's creation serves to remind us of how silly it is that we have replaced our knights in shining armor with sports idols who have merely managed to overcome competitive odds. Man may defeat his brothers in competition, a D&D enthusiast might state, but is a victory really so meaningful if accomplished with nary a dragon in sight?
Below please find a list of books related to gaming and subculture. For your convenience, this list is also available in a MS Excel spreadsheet. click here.
FANTASY ROLE-PLAYING GAME: A NEW PERFORMING ART
• AUTHOR: MACKAY, DANIEL
• PUBLISHER: MCFARLAND
• LC CLASS: GV
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $32.00 PAPER (201)
• ISBN: 0786408154
• ISBN-13: 9780786408153
• B&T YBP
GAMING AS CULTURE: ESSAYS ON REALITY, IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE IN FANTASY GAMES
• EDITOR: J. PATRICK WILLIAMS
• PUBLISHER: MCFARLAND & COMPANY
• LC CLASS: GV
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $35.00 PAPER (224)
• ISBN: 0786424362
• ISBN-13: 9780786424368
• B&T YBP
HALF-REAL: VIDEO GAMES BETWEEN REAL RULES AND FICTIONAL WORLDS
• AUTHOR: JUUL, JESPER
• PUBLISHER: MIT PRESS
• LC CLASS: GV
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $35.00 CLOTH (233)
• ISBN: 0262101106
• ISBN-13: 9780262101103
• B&T YBP
MAKING OF A COUNTER CULTURE: REFLECTIONS ON THE TECHNOCRATIC SOCIETY AND ITS YOUTHFUL OPPOSITION
• AUTHOR: ROSZAK, THEODORE
• PUBLISHER: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
• LC CLASS: HN
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $22.95 PAPER (303)
• ISBN: 0520201221
• ISBN-13: 9780520201224
• B&T YBP
MEN OF TOMORROW: GEEKS, GANGSTERS, AND THE BIRTH OF THE COMIC BOOK
• AUTHOR: JONES, GERARD
• PUBLISHER: BASIC BOOKS
• LC CLASS: PN
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $26.00 CLOTH (384)
• ISBN: 0465036562
• ISBN-13: 9780465036561
• B&T YBP
NERDS: WHO THEY ARE AND WHY WE NEED MORE OF THEM
• AUTHOR: ANDEREGG, DAVID.
• PUBLISHER: TARCHER
• LC CLASS: LC
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $24.95 CLOTH (274)
• ISBN: 1585425907
• ISBN-13: 9781585425907
• B&T YBP
PLAYERS' REALM: STUDIES ON THE CULTURE OF VIDEO GAMES AND GAMING
• EDITOR: J. PATRICK WILLIAMS
• PUBLISHER: MCFARLAND & COMPANY
• LC CLASS: GV
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $35.00 PAPER (308)
• ISBN: 0786428325
• ISBN-13: 9780786428328
• B&T YBP
SECOND PERSON: ROLE-PLAYING AND STORY IN GAMES AND PLAYABLE MEDIA
• EDITOR: PAT HARRIGAN
• PUBLISHER: MIT PRESS
• LC CLASS: GV
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $40.00 CLOTH (408)
• ISBN: 0262083566
• ISBN-13: 9780262083560
• B&T YBP
THIS VIRTUAL LIFE: ESCAPISM AND SIMULATION IN OUR MEDIA WORLD
• AUTHOR: EVANS, ANDREW
• PUBLISHER: VISION
• LC CLASS: HM
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $17.05 PAPER (275)
• ISBN: 1901250598
• ISBN-13: 9781901250596
• B&T YBP
TOLKIEN AND C.S. LEWIS: THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP
• AUTHOR: DURIEZ, COLIN
• PUBLISHER: PAULIST PRESS
• LC CLASS: PR
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $16.00 PAPER (244)
• ISBN: 1587680262
• ISBN-13: 9781587680267
• B&T YBP
WHY FAIRY TALES STICK
• AUTHOR: ZIPES, JACK DAVID.
• PUBLISHER: ROUTLEDGE
• LC CLASS: PN
• CONTENT LEVEL: ADV-AC
• $27.95 PAPER (332)
• ISBN: 0415977819
• ISBN-13: 9780415977814
• B&T YBP
YOUTH SUBCULTURES: EXPLORING UNDERGROUND AMERICA
• AUTHOR: GREENBERG, ARIELLE
• PUBLISHER: LONGMAN
• LC CLASS: HM
• CONTENT LEVEL: GEN-AC
• $20.00 PAPER (235)
• ISBN: 0321241940
• ISBN-13: 9780321241948
• B&T YBP
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