Dale’s Comments (group member since May 07, 2018)

Dale’s comments from the Di & D Reading Group group.

Terry Pratchett had a very profound insight into what it means to be a human being. This passage is one of the most deeply insightful and moving that I have ever read:

“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

This is the central thesis of The Rise And Fall Of The Third Chimpanzee in which Diamond argues that the thing that makes us human has far more to do with culture than genetics. Pratchett picks up on that in the very fun and informative The Science of Discworld II: The Globe if you like your non-fiction in easier to take chunks than Diamond give you.

The more I read, the more I am reminded of Robert Asprin https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rober.... Has he perhaps come back as a parahuman?

Slow, unengaging and uninspiring.

As a long term player (1980s) of D&D, I remember the plethora of modules, books and articles that Gary Gygax wrote - where are they in this biography? A biography of a writer has to deal with their body of work - its like reading a biography of Patton that doesn't mention the battles he fought.

I endured the young Gary in hopes that I would lern some things about his work, both creative and otherwise, within TSR and all I got was "he made D&D, he got rich, he got fired, he got poor" - this is a man who led and collaberated by some of the greatest RPG creators in the infancy of the genre and we learned next to nothing about any of them.

Further, the research appears to be based entirely on interviews 30-40 years after the fact. Where are the contemperaneous sources? Even if the corporate records of TSR no longer exist or are not publically available, TSR was a defendant and plaintiff is soooo many lawsuits - all of which have public records.

Let's get something better next time.

From Sydney, Australia, have read and listended to most of Scott's and your work. Enjoyed most of it.

Tell us something about yourselves.

I loved Tomb of Horrers as a player and DM and I know that's a prevocative thing to say to you but I am willing to defend the statement.