My "Appendix N"

One of the cooler things that came out of the OSR was the recognition of "Appendix N" of the DMG, entitled "Inspirational And Educational Reading." It was and remains a source of discussion and consideration.  For my part, I've read quite a few of the recommended books, many of those based entirely on their appearance on the list (keep in mind, I was 16 when the DMG came out -- fantasy and science fiction were tiny subsections of bookstores, provided you had access to a bookstore).

Of course, in OSR circles, "Appendix N" has come to be shorthand for a certain style and approach to gaming.  And there's nothing wrong with that.  But it's not necessarily all to my taste (nor should it be).

I've lately found myself thinking about my personal "Appendix N."  The books that inform my particular taste and style of D&D-shaped fantasy.  As I've been re-reading some of my prime influences of late, I thought I'd devote the occasional blog entry to this topic.  While I'm at it, I think I'll add TV, movies, and  even music, because those have certainly impacted my gaming aesthetics as well.

That's the idea, anyway.  So far, I've only finished one of the books, and I discovered most of the others aren't available as eBooks, so I'm going to have to go searching through my piles (librarians have stacks, I have piles) to find them.  But, it seems a decent idea.

Of course, I've also got to finish my read-through of Mind Games eventually.  Maybe I can do that in between these entries.