As I disclaimer, I should make clear I haven’t read this earlier book, and nor (after reading this preview chapter) do I intend to.
This is the second book Gaider has written in the DA universe (the first was DA: Stolen Throne) and follows on from the events in that work. The first chapter has been released online to wet our appetite, and the book is to be released on the 13th of October (not that that's stopped a few 5 star reviews appearing on Amazon.) Let’s see if it’s any good. I suspect the motive for most consumers is for an interesting and well-written yarn in a universe they like, in anticipation of the computer game. These books, however, tend to be very bad.ĭavid Gaider, I hope, has no pretensions to high art with his novels. The day when video games can be considered at least middle-brow is not yet here.īooks, on the other hand, have impeccable artistic credentials, and so writing an ip tie-in is a good way for your video game, pen and paper RPG, miniature war-game or whatever else to gain the trappings of intellectual respectability. Even the best examples fall a long way short of high art. Although some games manage to don the mantle of intellectual gravitas, there’s always the sense of it being a not-quite-secure façade. Video games have always struggled with artistic credibility. 290 Introduction to Legend Entertainment. 216 Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders. 207 The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff and the Schnibble.
Credits and Acknowledgements Contributors Brad Allison: Scooby-Doo: Classic Creep Capers Kevin Anderson: Gateway, Superhero League of Hoboken, Sanitarium, Teenagent Michael Boyd: Neverhood Corwin Brence: Heart of China, Alien Incident Ed Burns: Hugo John Cameron: Tass Times in Tonetown, Beavis and Butthead Paul Chênevert: Myst Jason Johnson: Neuromancer Ryan McSwain: The Dark Eye, Blade Runner (co-author), Orion Burger, The Space Bar, KULT, Nightlong, BloodNet, Wayne’s World, Normality, Below the Root, Cosmology of Kyoto, Gadget, Obsidian, Bad Day on the Midway, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Snoopy, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Bureau 17, Tequila & Boom Boom, 9: The Last Resort, Morpheus Samuel Melzner: Secret Files, Rex Nebular, Spellcasting, Gray Matter, Shadow of Destiny Harry Milonas: Blade Runner (co-author) Aiden Monnens: Blazing Dragons Collin Pierce: Zork Michael Plasket: Indiana Jones, Strong Bad, Loom, The Chzo Mythos John Szczepaniak: Lost Eden, The Fish Files, Snow Job, Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken Ryan Woodward: The Dig All others by Kurt Kalata Cover “feelies” designed and photographed by Kate Eggleston ( ), except for Purple Tentacle cross-stitch portrait by Brandi Swenson Copy editing by Kevin Anderson, Samuel Melzner and John Szczepaniak Special thanks goes to Kevin Gifford for the Japanese Shadowgate translations Rick Barba and Peter Spear for their excellent strategy guides anyone and everyone involved in the production of ScummVM and DOSBox Ashley Day and Jack Allin for their help setting up interviews Jeremy Parish, whose books inspired this one Ryusui for filling in the blanks for Pegasus Prime my parents for continuing to buy me games in my youth my brother Alan for lending me his old laptop and Sophia Freire for her endless encouragement.