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Gygax, Gary
(1938-2008) US Game designer and author, in the latter capacity almost exclusively of Fantasy novels [see Checklist below]; he also wrote as E Gary Gygax. His importance to sf and allied genres stems from his role in the progression from a Wargame with added fantasy elements – Chainmail (1971 Guidon Games; rev 1972; rev 1975) with Jeff Perren – into the seminal fantasy Role Playing Game Dungeons and Dragons (1974 TSR; rev 1977; rev 1980; rev 1983; rev 2000; rev 2003; rev 2008) with Dave Arneson, a co-operative game run under the control of a Dungeon Master or Gamemaster.
Of direct sf relevance is his Victorious German Arms: An Alternate Military History of World War Two (1973 chap) as E Gary Gygax, with Terry Stafford, an exercise in Alternate History in which – as indicated by the title – Hitler Wins. Gygax's Greyhawk fantasy sequences [see Checklist below] build on the "Castle Greyhawk" setting of his own early fantasy role-playing game scenario, which also gave its name to Greyhawk (1975 chap) with Robert J Kuntz, the first important supplement to the Dungeons and Dragons rulebooks [not listed below]. [DRL]
see also: Adventure; Computer Role Playing Game; Richard Garriott; Hypertext; Metamorphosis Alpha; Kim Mohan; Online Worlds; Postal Worlds; Strange Adventures in Infinite Space; Sword and Sorcery; Videogame.
Ernest Gary Gygax
born Chicago, Illinois: 27 July 1938
died Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: 4 March 2008
works
series
Sagard the Barbarian
- The Ice Dragon (New York: Pocket Books/Archway, 1985) with Flint Dille [in the publisher's Hero's Challenge gamebook series: Sagard the Barbarian: pb/Richard Corben]
- The Green Hydra (New York: Pocket Books/Archway, 1985) with Flint Dille [in the publisher's Hero's Challenge gamebook series: Sagard the Barbarian: pb/Richard Corben]
- The Crimson Sea (New York: Pocket Books/Archway, 1985) with Flint Dille [in the publisher's Hero's Challenge gamebook series: Sagard the Barbarian: pb/James Warhola]
- The Fire Demon (New York: Pocket Books/Archway, 1986) with Flint Dille [in the publisher's Hero's Challenge gamebook series: Sagard the Barbarian: pb/James Warhola]
Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue
- City of Hawks (New York: Ace Books/New Infinities, 1987) [Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue: pb/Ray Rubin]
- Sea of Death (New York: Ace Books/New Infinities, 1987) [Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue: pb/Jerry Tiritilli]
- Come Endless Darkness (New York: Ace Books/New Infinities, 1988) [Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue: pb/Ray Rubin]
- Dance of Demons (New York: Ace Books/New Infinities, 1988) [Greyhawk: Gord the Rogue: pb/Jerry Tiritilli]
Greyhawk: Greyhawk Adventures
- Saga of Old City (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, 1985) [Greyhawk: Greyhawk Adventures: pb/Clyde Caldwell]
- Artifact of Evil (Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: TSR, 1986) [Greyhawk: Greyhawk Adventures: pb/Clyde Caldwell]
Mythus
- The Anubis Murders (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1992) [Mythus: pb/Larry Elmore]
- The Samarkand Solution (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1993) [Mythus: pb/Boris Vallejo]
- Death in Delhi (New York: New American Library/Roc, 1993) [Mythus: pb/Larry Elmore]
- Infernal Sorceress (Redmond, Washington: Paizo Publishing, 2008) [Mythus: pb/Andrew Hou]
collections and stories
- Victorious German Arms: An Alternate Military History of World War Two (Baltimore, Maryland: T-K Graphics, 1973) as E Gary Gygax, with Terry Stafford [novella: chap: pb/]
- Night Arrant (New York: Ace Books/New Infinities, 1987) [coll: pb/Jerry Tiritilli]
links
Entry from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2011-current) edited by John Clute and David Langford.
Accessed 17:38 pm on 25 April 2024.
<https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gygax_gary>