Rise of the Dungeon Master : : Gary Gygax and the Creation of D & D

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Gygax, Gary
On Shelf At: Malletts Creek Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / Nonfiction / Biography / Gygax, Gary	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"Rise of the Dungeon Master tells, in graphic form, the story of Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, one of the most influential games ever made. Like the game itself, the narrative casts the reader into the adventure from a first person point of view, taking on the roles of the different characters in the story. Gygax was the son of immigrants who grew up in Lake Geneva, WI, in the 1950s. An imaginative misfit, he escaped into a virtual world based on science fiction novels, military history and strategic games like chess. In the mid-1970s, he co-created the wildly popular Dungeons & Dragons game, determining the rules and inventing the signature 20-sided dice. Starting out in the basement of his home, he was soon struggling to keep up with the demand. Gygax was a purist, in the sense that he was adamant that players use their imaginations and that the rules of the game remain flexible. A creative mind with no real knowledge of business, he made some strategic errors and had a falling out with the game's co-creator, his close friend and partner, David Arneson. By the late 1970s the game had become so popular among kids that parents started to worry -- so much so that a mom's group was formed to alert parents to the dangers of role play and fantasy. The backlash only fueled the fires of the young fans who continued to play the game, escaping into imaginary worlds. Before long, D & D conventions were set up around the country and the game inspired everything from movies to the first video games. With D & D, Gygax created the kind of role playing fantasy that would fuel the multibillion dollar video game industry, and become a foundation of contemporary geek culture"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Library Journal Review
Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

History submitted by timdufresne on August 10, 2018, 4:20pm This is an interesting time in roleplaying. Much of the assumptions that informed Gygax's vision are being overthown and challenged in good ways, more diverse players and storytelling, new types of games, the rise of actual plays and streaming. Now is a good time to reflect on the history (good bad and ugly) of this hobby, but realize that history is being written (and rewritten) as we speak.

Wow submitted by ann arbor air on June 12, 2021, 2:24pm Omg this book is great Ai

Roleplaying roots submitted by FordAlpha on July 7, 2023, 11:52pm My teenage son who plays D&D enjoyed reading this graphic novel biography about how D&D came to be. I knew little about the hobby before his friend group started playing, and I found this history enlightening. I appreciate timdufresne's comments (review above) about the evolving world of RPGs and recommend that this biography of Gygax be read in that light.