University of Glasgow Talk on Fantasy Fiction and D&D

[Vile Traveller]

Fancy getting a bit academic about the whole Appendix N thing?

D&D and Fantasy Fiction: Giants in the Oerth

The University of Glasgow's Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic presents a talk about the literature behind D&D.

How has fantasy literature influenced and inspired the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons? How has the relationship between the two fantasy media developed over time? Join us on 28th January 2021 at 6pm (GMT) for an event discussing the history of this much beloved game. Tolkien scholar and RPG designer/editor John D. Rateliff will discuss its early roots in the works of twentieth-century fantasy authors, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Robert E. Howard. His talk will be followed by a Q&A.

The event will also include a short introduction to contemporary Dungeons & Dragons by Grace A. Worm – with a brief, but fun, dip into how to play!

To participate in the Zoom webinar, book your ticket here: www.eventbrite.com/e/dd-and-fantasy-fiction-giants-in-the-oerth-tickets-135728980033

We are also planning to stream this event via our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCv3mkKQUDyZ_OcP-uLqJTMA/

[doublejig2]

Awesome. I'd sign up for an MA in Fantasy Lit, if I had the time, just to use the whole program on creating a campaign.

I found this course online: Why I use D&D to teach ethics. Interesting.

[Deleted]

Well, he's got a black cat. As far as I'm concerned, he's qualified.

[muddy]

Jan 8, 2021 11:55:48 GMT -6 Vile Traveller said:

Fancy getting a bit academic about the whole Appendix N thing?

D&D and Fantasy Fiction: Giants in the Oerth

The University of Glasgow's Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic......

Fantastic city, beautiful University AND a "Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic"? Are they hiring?

[Zenopus]

FYI, John Rateliff is both a former TSR employee and a Tolkien Scholar, best known for authoring The History of the Hobbit.

He blogs at Sacnoth's Scriptorium, and has a new post up about his upcoming talk.

He lives in the U.S. and is still active in playing RPGs. At NTRPGCon in 2019, he was there and I happened to play in a game with him (run by stormberg), and was able to get him to sign my copy of Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, which he authored.

Back in the '00s, he gave an interesting talk called "The Brief History of Tolkien RPGs". You can find a roundup of links to it (transcript and video) here on my blog.

[dicebro]

Jan 8, 2021 12:44:30 GMT -6 doublejig2 said:

Awesome. I'd sign up for an MA in Fantasy Lit, if I had the time, just to use the whole program on creating a campaign.

I found this course online: Why I use D&D to teach ethics. Interesting.

The student who played Kant decided that sneaking (into a dungeon) was unethical. Therefore he walked inside and loudly announced himself.  Hilarious!  Good for a dialogue about ethics, but not a good lesson on how to play D&D. 🤣

[Vile Traveller]

increment and his new book just got name-dropped.

[Zenopus]

I have been/am listening. Just plugged our forum in the Chat since John talked about the original D&D rules, including quoting Gygax from the "Forward".

I just asked a question about Dunsany's influence on D&D because I know that Rateliff wrote his dissertation on Dunsany.

[Starbeard]

I signed up but had to miss it last minute. How did it go? Is there a recording somewhere?

[Zenopus]

Yes, it's on YT, link can be found here:

zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2021/01/d-and-fantasy-fiction-giants-in-oerth.html

[Vile Traveller]

Jan 28, 2021 12:57:05 GMT -6 Zenopus said:

Just plugged our forum in the Chat since John talked about the original D&D rules, including quoting Gygax from the "Forward".

Ah, that was you, Zach! The chat was very lively indeed, it was a bit hard to keep up with both that and the speakers at the same time.

The intro was a bit of a surprise, I doubt there was a single person in the audience who needed to have D&D or RPGs in general explained to them. The quick game before the main talk was cute and a useful idea for taking to schools and the like, but again hardly of the same relatively academic bent of the main event. And I say this as a former member of academia who has had blended learning beaten into their brain for the last 5 years or so.

Nevertheless. An entertaining and somewhat educational evening, probably nothing terribly new in there for those who have delved the development of RPGs, but a heartening reminder that this hobby is as strong as it's ever been, and no longer easily dismissed as a nerdy fad of little worth or consequence. And nice to see that no-one else really takes Gary seriously when he says Tolkien had no influence on D&D ...