A few good books...

[Rush]

Sorry...no time today to view all of the posts in "general" chat today. If these books were previously posted...ah well.

Two books for role-play fans:

Dream Park (by Nivens and Barnes). Let's see...a group of gamers enters a holographic game hosted by Dream Park. During the game, someone steals a certain something from Dream Park's research and development department. In the process...someone dies. The clues point to one of the gamers. Enter the Griffin, Dream Park's head of security. He has to enter the game as a player, hunting down the killer without revealing his true identity, and, without disrupting game play...yadda, yadda...

Caverns of Socrates (by McKiernan). Okay...the story: an industry creates a game system run by an artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, the artificial intelligence goes crazy...trapping the gamers inside the game...yadda, yadda...

Other books for role-play and fantasy folk:

McKiernan's "Mithgar" series. If you liked Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga...you will like McKiernan's "Mithgar" Novels. Dennis McKiernan has a site up on the web, and there are several fan sites featuring his work...yadda, yadda...oh, by the by, Caverns of Socrates is "not" a Mithgar novel...

That's about it for now...thank you for playing. We have some wonderful parting gifts for you...

---Rush.

[llew silverhand]

Thanks for the info - I will have to check these out.

Of course, there is always Joel Rosenberg's series about a group of pen and paper RPGers in the real world that get transferred into their gaming world - that was a decent series from what I remember (sorry don't have more details than that at the moment).

[Rush]

Joel Rosenberg? You know...I remember reading a book, or books (in the long, long ago) which sound like (from your description) his books. Doesn't matter, tho, because I am going to pick them up, and I thank you very much for posting that info!

Also, David and Leah Eddings did some good work with the Belgariad (series of 5 books) and the Mellorian (a sequel set of 5 books). Ah...I'm not really sure of the spelling on those, tho. Good fantasy fun with those. Even made me down right chuckle out loud at certain parts.

Something the hard core role-player should not miss, is a Book (and a movie staring Tom Hanks) called Monsters and Mazes, based upon a very true story. It's not the best book/movie you will ever see, but it's very interesting. Four college kids find each other, each being dungeons and dragons players, and together they get a game going...

---Rush.

[Rush]

BOOK SPOILER-!!!


Llew Silverhand...if you stop back here, I forgot to ask.

I have this fragmented memory...

When they get to this fantasy world, does the magic-user among them accidently cast a fire ball at one of their supply crates?

---Rush.

[Randomizer]

Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame series started with The Sleeping Dragon and now has a spinoff series parodying the The Three Musketeers.

You can't forget the late Robert Asprin's Myth Adventure series.

[llew silverhand]

Guardians of the Flame - thank you!

Can't recall about the wizard-crate scenario - it's possible.

I'm actually reading the Myth Series right now - and picked up Phule's Company to read as well. Thieves World Anthology was a good read too.

I've read the Belgariad. Sword of Truth. Most of the Krondor Series by Feist. Wheel of Time. Dennis McKiernan.

Been thinking about picking up Annals of the Black Company by Glen Cook (read it back in jr. high) - apparently there is a d20 RPG system out now based on that series/universe.

Gods, I have so many books at home - books on shelves, books on the floor, books on the table, books in boxes. The first book I ever picked out for myself to keep that I remember was from the library summer reading program - C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair - I think that book really sparked my love for fantasy series.

Again, thanks for starting this topic - always fun to think back on all those books I've read.

[Rush]

For McKiernan fans out there..."City of Jade" is out in hard cover. Another Mithgar novel, just when you thought McKiernan gave up on that wonderous Realm. I picked it up....cost me like 23 dollars and some tax.

---Rush.

[Rush]

Dennis McKiernan's web site:

http://home.att.net/~dlmck/

---Rush.

[Rush]

Here's one of Yahoo's message and chat groups on McKiernan, if anyone is interested.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oneeyedcrow/

---Rush.

[Rush]

Has anyone mentioned the Elf Quest books anywhere upon these boards? I had quite a few of them at one point, and even role-played the rules and regs for them in the past. They were these great big paper-backs. Someone stole them, and I was sad (heh).

Also, Terry Brooks wrote a few good books. Look for him at your local book store, and when you find them, look for those which say "Shanara" on them. The Elfstones of Shanara depicts one of the best ever detailed fantasy battles I've ever come across.

If you plan on picking them up, the order for the first three (although I liked the Elfstones the best) go something like this:

The Sword of Shanara.
The Elfstones of Shanara.
The Wishsong of Shanara.

Happy reading...

--Rush.

[llew silverhand]

I just started reading Phule's Company by Robert Asprin - enjoying that so far.

I'll be taking out Confessor from the library soon as well - final book in the Sworth of Truth Series by Goodkind.

[Rush]

Just a bit of information in passing for the readers among us:

In 47 B.C., Roman troops destroyed Egypt's Alexandria Library, the classical world's largest archive of knowledge. As many as 100,000 ancient Greek and Roman texts were lost forever.

I wonder if any of them were fantasy-based?

Oh...for anyone thinking that I am attempting to show off my knowledge, and/or my education here...you are wrong. I read that bit of history awhile back in Uncle John's "Slightly Irregular" Bathroom Reader#17....(grins).

---Rush.

[CrazyBernie]

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Darksword Trilogy and Deathgate Cycle = Thumbs up. You might recognize the authors from the Dragonlance Novels.

[Rune_74]

You know I started reading the dresdan files....man that would make a cool crpg.....or an adventure game.