| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Dennis |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 12:37:34
To introduce fans of one novel line to the others, WotC has released a few crossover novels through The Abyssal Plague. But in my humble opinion, I think it would be better if they also publish an anthology featuring stories from all the worlds of D&D. Maybe fifteen from the Forgotten Realms, ten each from Dark Sun, Ebberon, Magic: The Gathering, and Dragonlance. They could have the celebrated authors from each novel line: Ed Greenwood, R.A. Salvatore, Elaine Cunningham, Paul S. Kemp, Richard Lee Byers, Lynn Abbey, Keith Baker, Robert J. King, Ari Marmell, Richard A. Knaak, Margaret Weis, and Tracy Hickman. They may even use it as a way to resurrect Ravenloft by including at least a dozen short stories from that setting. What do you think? |
| 26 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Dennis |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 18:04:34
I prefer novels to short stories. So I would rather have your suggestion. However, for "sampling" purposes, I'd go for short stories. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 16:56:25
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
Authors new to the setting, not to the genre, would be fine additions, I believe. But the bulk of the stories should be from the established ones.
A trilogy? They're already doing that with the Abyssal Plague. Well, not a trilogy exactly, but a series of [yet unknown number of] novels.
I think a trilogy would happen long before a single anthology containing 55 stories, as you have suggested. And going with a theme for each book gives you a greater chance of appealing to someone's specific tastes. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 15:56:21
Authors new to the setting, not to the genre, would be fine additions, I believe. But the bulk of the stories should be from the established ones.
A trilogy? They're already doing that with the Abyssal Plague. Well, not a trilogy exactly, but a series of [yet unknown number of] novels. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 15:37:02
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
If you were to choose a title for this anthology, what would it be? Other than what I wrote, of course.
How about Gateways to Dungeons & Dragons: An Fictional Overview of the Fantasy Worlds Comprising the Roleplaying Megaverse. I apologize for the verbal diarrhea, i had some questionable Taco Bell last night.
Isn't Taco Bell, by definition, questionable? 
I love their volcano burritos, but I did have two years where I didn't touch Taco Bell, after food poisoning...
Back on topic, I think the idea of an anthology covering multiple D&D settings is a good one, but giving the number of stories mentioned here, it'd work better as a trilogy than as one massive tome. It would be good to have each book organized around loose themes, too -- maybe one book on various races of each world, one focusing primarily on magic, one focusing on dragons and other iconic critters.
I know what you mean. I had some vicious food poisoning from McDonald's in 2003 and haven't touched it since.
Back on topic: a trilogy of cross-world anthologies would definitely spark my interest. It would all depend on the author selection though. I think WoTC likes to give new authors a shot by giving them a story in an anthology. Sometimes is works and sometimes it doesn't. I would prefer my anthologies to be full of stories from established authors. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 15:07:30
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
If you were to choose a title for this anthology, what would it be? Other than what I wrote, of course.
How about Gateways to Dungeons & Dragons: An Fictional Overview of the Fantasy Worlds Comprising the Roleplaying Megaverse. I apologize for the verbal diarrhea, i had some questionable Taco Bell last night.
Isn't Taco Bell, by definition, questionable?
I love their volcano burritos, but I did have two years where I didn't touch Taco Bell, after food poisoning...
Back on topic, I think the idea of an anthology covering multiple D&D settings is a good one, but giving the number of stories mentioned here, it'd work better as a trilogy than as one massive tome. It would be good to have each book organized around loose themes, too -- maybe one book on various races of each world, one focusing primarily on magic, one focusing on dragons and other iconic critters. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 14:42:29
To make it real short: Gateways to Dungeons & Dragons. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 14:13:14
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
If you were to choose a title for this anthology, what would it be? Other than what I wrote, of course.
How about Gateways to Dungeons & Dragons: An Fictional Overview of the Fantasy Worlds Comprising the Roleplaying Megaverse. I apologize for the verbal diarrhea, i had some questionable Taco Bell last night. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 23 Sep 2011 : 13:16:43
If you were to choose a title for this anthology, what would it be? Other than what I wrote, of course. |
| Therise |
Posted - 22 Sep 2011 : 04:31:37
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Not that I don't mind being mistaken for Mr Hickman, but perhaps I unintentionally led you astray with my posting earlier. And for that, I apologise. When I spoke of a "co-creator," I meant Weis in relation to Hickman.
I'm certainly not Tracy Hickman, though I wouldn't mind his job.
Ooh, you are a naughty, tricksy hobbit you are! Tricksy!
Still, I meant what I said about Dragonlance. 
Though it could've been less fangirl gushy. 
|
| Dennis |
Posted - 22 Sep 2011 : 02:06:00
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I'm certainly not Tracy Hickman, though I wouldn't mind his job.
When I first saw his name [in Vol. 1 of Legends], I really thought it's a woman. Just like Sydney Sheldon. I didn't know Tracy and Sydney are androgynous names. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 22 Sep 2011 : 01:54:22
quote:
Originally posted by Therise
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Still, I must disagree. As a co-creator of the DRAGONLANCE world, I've often felt that Weis manages to accomplish just as much as Ed when it comes to "filling in the blanks" of any fantasy world.
Whoa! I've been here (lurking for a long time prior to posting) for years and never knew that! You're Tracy Hickman? SWEET!
Not that I don't mind being mistaken for Mr Hickman, but perhaps I unintentionally led you astray with my posting earlier. And for that, I apologise. When I spoke of a "co-creator," I meant Weis in relation to Hickman.
I'm certainly not Tracy Hickman, though I wouldn't mind his job. |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 22 Sep 2011 : 00:44:29
In 7th grade waaaay back, I had to pick a book to read and come in as one of the characters in the book. The inner nerd in me came flying out when I made a cardboard shield and sword and spoke in really poor Olde English. Yup, I was Sturm from Dragonlance.
I'd love to get back into DL and an anthology would be a great way to do it. Particularly if it brought back the Great Wheel or some Spelljammer to connect the worlds. |
| Therise |
Posted - 21 Sep 2011 : 23:56:32
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Still, I must disagree. As a co-creator of the DRAGONLANCE world, I've often felt that Weis manages to accomplish just as much as Ed when it comes to "filling in the blanks" of any fantasy world.
Whoa! I've been here (lurking for a long time prior to posting) for years and never knew that! You're Tracy Hickman? SWEET!
I loved Dragonlance, still do! And my top favorite D&D supplements of any edition were the "Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home" books. Those were as wonderful as the Volo Guides, and I adored those. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 21 Sep 2011 : 11:54:03
I don't know if WotC specified the things to include in Soulforge, or if Weis made them all up herself. Between "filling in the blanks" with nothing but tropes and just leaving the blanks alone to let readers guess and formulate their own conjectures, I'd go for the latter.
I did like the Legends trilogy, though. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 21 Sep 2011 : 02:20:15
Still, I must disagree. As a co-creator of the DRAGONLANCE world, I've often felt that Weis manages to accomplish just as much as Ed when it comes to "filling in the blanks" of any fantasy world.
|
| Dennis |
Posted - 21 Sep 2011 : 02:10:43
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Curious.
I don't think I've ever found any of the DRAGONLANCE novels to be "empty" when compared to the Realms.
In fact, I'd often thought some of the earlier DL novels, like the "Legends" trilogy suffered, just a little, from having too much crammed into just three books.
Soulforge, for example. There are parts in that novel that I like, but most are simply too generic, too "empty." Perhaps Weis wanted to emphasize that, as most great wizards are, Raistlin also came from a humble beginning. But dwelling too much on it, not to mention adding a rather bland cast, was exactly that---bland. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 17:05:00
Curious.
I don't think I've ever found any of the DRAGONLANCE novels to be "empty" when compared to the Realms.
In fact, I'd often thought some of the earlier DL novels, like the "Legends" trilogy suffered, just a little, from having too much crammed into just three books. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 17:01:36
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I'd probably buy it...and skip all of the Dragonlance/Eberron stories
I would read most, if not all of the Realms stories. I couldn't care much for DL.
I gave Dragonlance a chance by reading a few select novels which I thought I would enjoy. I always found them lacking though.
Could you elaborate on this?
I am afraid that i can't elaborate much since it has been a LONG time since i have picked up a Dragonlance book. It's not that i didn't find the books enjoyable, it's more that they just felt empty compared to the Realms books (or other fantasy books in general) that i was reading at the time. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 16:57:52
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I'd probably buy it...and skip all of the Dragonlance/Eberron stories
I would read most, if not all of the Realms stories. I couldn't care much for DL.
I gave Dragonlance a chance by reading a few select novels which I thought I would enjoy. I always found them lacking though.
Could you elaborate on this? |
| Dennis |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 16:44:37
Actually, to me, it's both of the extremes: sometimes lacking, and sometimes so full that it's brimming. The latter would have been great, if only the focus of the details weren't on things I couldn't care for at all. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:53:22
quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I'd probably buy it...and skip all of the Dragonlance/Eberron stories
I would read most, if not all of the Realms stories. I couldn't care much for DL.
I gave Dragonlance a chance by reading a few select novels which I thought I would enjoy. I always found them lacking though. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:34:36
quote:
Originally posted by entreri3478
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I'd probably buy it...and skip all of the Dragonlance/Eberron stories
I would read most, if not all of the Realms stories. I couldn't care much for DL. |
| Dennis |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:31:04
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I first thought to post it in the "Fat or Present" thread...
So I would expect it to be a really thick book, and preferably in hardbound. Or at the very least, trade paperback. |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:29:00
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
That's a lot of stories for a single book...
I'd probably buy it...and skip all of the Dragonlance/Eberron stories |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:20:28
That's a lot of stories for a single book... |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 20 Sep 2011 : 14:12:50
I know this is a tad off topic but what exactly does the Abysall Plague dealing with? I picked up the Dark Sun book in the series because i was excited to see a new Dark Sun novel published, but will i be lost if this is the only one i read?? |
