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sThis is a guest post by Deuce Richardson: Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of Gary Gygax’s death. Obviously, Mr. Gygax was a titanic force in the birth and success of fantasy role-playing games. I, myself, was a D&D gamer and DM during the ’80s and ’90s. However, I was a reader and scholar of SFF/horror […]
The Rageaholic on Elric: The White Wolf
Saturday , 15, December 2018 Appendix N, Comics, Just Released Leave a commentLike many, I too thought that the French adaption of Michael Moorcock’s Elric would not fulfill the promised four book run. And although I found the first volume too disturbing for my comfort yet still among the best comics I have had the privilege to review, I am glad to see the wintry third volume finally hit shelves […]
Sensor Sweep: Ray Capella, Queen of Communist Cannibals, H. Rider Haggard
Monday , 2, July 2018 Sensor Sweep 4 CommentsWriters (Pulp Hermit): Ray Capella- From Alhambra, California, Ray was a noted illustrator for a number of SF & Fantasy journals before coming over to the Fading Shadows magazines. He contributed a lot of interior and cover art for our SF titles, as well as illustrating heroic characters like Doc Savage and The Shadow. But […]
Now in Audiobooks: APPENDIX N
Sunday , 21, January 2018 Appendix N, News, Publications Leave a commentAppendix N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons is a detailed and comprehensive investigation of the various works of science fiction and fantasy that game designer Gary Gygax declared to be the primary influences on his seminal role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons. It is a deep intellectual dive into the literature of SF/F’s past that […]
When it comes to Appendix N, let’s be honest – there’s a little bit of a pecking order. Even most mainstream, casual readers have certainly heard of the likes of Tolkien and Lovecraft, probably Burroughs, and maybe Howard. Among genre fans and older gamers (which often overlap) and the true believers of the Cult of […]
Not too long ago I finally got through Sterling Lanier’s Hiero’s Journey. Although it undeniably put forth some creative and inspiring ideas, I wasn’t overly impressed. Jeffro’s noted that the book was one of the primary influences of Gamma World, and though I’ve never played it, reading the basic description of the game’s setting is indeed evocative […]
Leaning into Leigh Brackett
Saturday , 24, June 2017 Appendix N, Authors, Before the Big Three, Pulp Revolution, Short Fiction 20 CommentsLeigh Brackett is something of a staple here at Castalia House and for the Pulp Revolution crowd at large, but I must admit it’s taken me quite a while to get to her stuff. I’ve seen Alex’s reviews, of course, and I’ve noted her constant exclusion by the “women have historically been excluded from SFF!!1” […]
The Double-Edged Sword of Dogmatism
Saturday , 13, May 2017 Appendix N, Authors, Before the Big Three, Fiction, Uncategorized 12 CommentsLast week, I wrote an observation about Lovecraft’s works. In the comments, several readers mentioned The Shadow over Innsmouth, a tale I had embarrassingly not read at the time. I rectified this error soon after. And wow, what an amazing story! An imaginative gem from beginning to end, with steadily mounting tension, an inspired explanation to the […]
I recently mused on Twitter that Jack Vance may be my favorite Appendix N author, despite the fact that none of his books that I’ve read so far would likely top my favorites list. I’ve explored this ambivalence in the past, in other dimensions, and for the most part it still holds. Still, I’m finding that […]
I’ve nearly finished with the Solomon Kane stories, but there’s still a lot of chew on. My most recent Howard-inspired musing flows from a line in “The Blue Flame of Vengeance.” Please excuse me as I meander a bit; of course I welcome you to join me. “While evil flourishes and wrongs grow rank, while […]