I decided to get some Dragonlance up in here! I've professed my love for Dragonlance in the past, so I won't go into it again in this post. The covers that Larry did for the books in the Chronicles trilogy are forever bound up with my childhood, and my eventual discovery of the joys of D&D. Therefore, I have a strong association between his art and the game; this fact no doubt causes much disapproval among the grognards out there.
But listen, kids: I read the Dragonlance books well before I got into D&D. So when I talk about the world of Krynn, it's not in connection with a set of modules that people continually hold up as the worst examples of published railroading. Nope, it's a world that I visited over and over in the Chronicles and the books that followed, a world that I escaped into on many occasions during a less-than-ideal childhood. So, like most of the people in the OSR, I say a hearty "NO THANKS!" to the Dragonlance modules. But the novels I will always cherish.
It's amazing how the talismans of youth can become such a part of us. Seeing the cover to Dragons of Autumn Twilight has never failed to stir longings for adventure in my soul! The cliche that characters in beloved books are like old friends is so true. Seeing Tanis and his compatriots is like coming home, every time I look at them.
Hey, you wonderful folks out there, feel free to share your own Dragonlance appreciation! I'd love to hear some dittos on this one!
I enjoyed the "first" books, but not so much the "next" generation.
ReplyDeleteThe lose of magic after the war between the Gods and Chaos forever changed the world for me and my view of it. Haven't followed the novels since that time and have never played "the game/modules."