Summer Reading

...and Inspiration
I like to see a suggested reading list included in game products. Over the decades since TSR published the first Dungeon Masters Guide I have worked my way through most of the authors listed in Appendix N. I have also noted titles and authors in other such reading lists or list of sources and frequently sought out those books. Near the beginning of this summer I picked up Sean Patrick Fannon's Shaintar Legends books written for the Savage Worlds system. Shaintar is Mr. Fannon's epic high fantasy world he has been running for decades. He is kind enough to provide the reader with a list of books he finds inspirational for the kind of fantasy he enjoys running at his table. Many of the titles included on his list are high fantasy epics written in the 1980's and '90's, titles I have seen on the bookshelves of dealers for years, but never read...perhaps because they didn't appear in Appendix N?

This summer I have started my reading journey through Mr. Fannon's list. The Belgariad is a five volume series by David Eddings telling the story of a prophesy fulfilled in a new manner. The prophesy has two possible outcomes and the actions of a number of special people will determine if good prevails or evil wins out. The cast of characters I find interesting and the story engaging. The story takes the reader on a long journey, much like Prof. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The world Mr. Eddings creates is original and fun to discover. His take on magic is based on will and I found thought provoking. The gods are very much present in this tale, speaking directly to characters and occasionally manifesting as physical beings. Much like Middle Earth, it is the world, however, that takes center stage.

Guy Gavriel Kay seems to be one of Mr. Fannon's favorite authors and I am quickly seeing why. Mr. Kay is the chap who assisted Christopher Tolkien in publishing some of the professor's unfinished works on Middle Earth. He is also a very talented story teller in his own right. The Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is I believe Guy Gavriel Kay's earliest work and a single read through has put it high on my list of favorite books. The story is about five college students transported to the magical world of Fionavar where an epic struggle between good and evil is about to play out. Obviously these five students from our time play a significant role in the events about to unfold, or "be woven into the tapestry". This is a first rate story beautifully written.
Guy Gavriel Kay has written a number of fantasy novels since the Fionavar Tapestry. To only one I have read to date is titled The Last Light of the Sun. Although set in a world of his own creation, it seems Mr. Kay draws heavily on Vikings and Dark Ages England for this novel. One of the characters is the legendary Kind Alfred the Great in all but name. Mr. Kay mixes in a heavy dose of fairy magic and gives The Last Light of the Sun life of its own. Mr. Kay has a knack for getting inside his character's head, making them seem real, with real issues that I as the reader can identify with. I find the characters and plot captivating and it is a novel that will stay in my head for a long time.

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels are also featured in Mr. Fannon's suggested reading list. So far I have only read the first of these novels, Wizard's First Rule. I find this novel a bit haunting. Mr. Goodkind can definitely tell an epic tale and his characters got inside my head in a way that seldom happens reading fiction. The author's ability to inspire an emotional response in his reader I found almost disturbing...exhausting. Mr. Goodkind takes the reader along with his characters on their journey and at the end I almost felt like the journey had been my own. I suppose this is high praise for Mr. Goodkind's ability as an evocative writer.
I have long held the belief that one of the best ways to work on improving our referee skills is to read a lot. Nothing takes the place of refereeing a lot to improve one's ability in that area, but once the referee has mastered the chosen rules system, reading for inspiration (and enjoyment) while thinking "How might I use these ideas at my table?" is the best way I know to prepare oneself for running a good game. "Be inspired, be inspiring!" If the referee is having fun, it is contagious and everyone will likely enjoy the game. Having a library of ideas in one's head from which to draw upon during preparation for and the playing of the game is invaluable. The best referees I have seen could reach into their imagination or storehouse of knowledge (I am seldom sure which) and pull out something wonderful for just about any situation. Having read a lot and given much thought to their milieu, these referees spoke with authority which made their game come alive.