Return to the mystical world of Krynn, where the heroic Companions continue their fantastical adventures—and face their greatest challenge yet With the return of the dragon minions of Takhisis, the Queen of Dragons, the land of Krynn has become more dangerous than ever. But as the nations of Krynn prepare to fight for their homes, their lives, and their freedom, longstanding hatreds and prejudices interfere. When fighting breaks out among the races, it seems the battle is lost before it even begins. Meanwhile, the heroic Companions have been torn apart by war. A full season will pass before they meet again—if they meet again. Raistlin has made an ominous prediction, one that implies not all of the Companions will survive the fight. His warning, along with sinister dreams, haunt the friends as they search for the weapons that will stop the Dark Queen in her tracks: the mysterious Dragon Orbs and legendary Dragonlance. Another riveting tale in the Dragonlance Chronicles, Dragons of Winter Night is an action-packed adventure in which the true value of love and friendship is measured against the backdrop of a catastrophic war between good and evil. Dragons of Winter Night is the second book in the Dragonlance Chronicles.

An illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, illustrations, and visual ephemera behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE DIANA JONES AWARD From one of the most iconic game brands in the world, this official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the brand, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. Inside the book, you’ll find more than seven hundred pieces of artwork—from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements, and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts, and more from the now-famous designers and artists associated with DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. The superstar author team gained unparalleled access to the archives of Wizards of the Coast and the personal collections of top collectors, as well as the designers and illustrators who created the distinctive characters, concepts, and visuals that have defined fantasy art and gameplay for generations. This is the most comprehensive collection of D&D imagery ever assembled, making this the ultimate collectible for the game's millions of fans around the world.

Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Horror Fiction provides comprehensive coverage of the major authors and works in these popular genres. Each entry includes a brief discussion of the author's life and work and includes a full bibliography. Each entry on

A fantastic collection of draconic tradition! Since the Bronze Age, people have been fascinated, enchanted, and even frightened by tales of mystical dragons. With this book, you will unravel the history and mystery behind these serpentine beasts with folklore, mythology, and poetry from every tradition in the world. From the Slavic Zmey Gorynych, bearing its three fire-breathing heads, to J.R.R. Tolkien's Smaug, who laid entire towns to waste, the thrilling stories surrounding these fierce monsters are sure to captivate anyone who has ever dreamed of running into one during his or her travels. Whether you're interested in exploring the history and culture or just want to learn more about your favorite types of dragons, the legendary tales in this book will transport you to a time when these mythical creatures ruled the land, sea, and sky. Complete with hundreds of imaginative illustrations, Dragons reveals the magnificent beauty of these mesmerizing creatures as well as their terrifying power over civilizations.

Experience the War of the Lance as you’ve never experienced it before—from evil’s point of view—in this thrilling retelling of the events seen in Dragonlance Chronicles In the captial city of Neraka, Kitiara uth Matar and Emperor Ariakas hatch a plan to retrieve a dragon orb and thereby destroy Solamnia and the Companions in one fell swoop. But when the guardian of the dragon orb, Highlord Feal-Thas, disagrees with this plan, Kitiara must go to Ice Wall to force him to accept Ariakas' will. But her journey does not end there. Thrown out of favor, she conceives a daring plan to enlist the aid of the most feared beings on Krynn—Lord Soth and the Dark Queen. Meanwhile, Laurana and the Companions retrieve the dragon orb and take it back to Solamnia—not knowing that they bring their allies' doom with them. A fascinating retelling of the famed War of the Lance, The Lost Chronicles series is a marvelous complement to the original Chronicles trilogy as well as an exicting, accessible read for those new to the Dragonlance universe.

There is a very great deal we can learn by examining an author’s sources, to which countless source studies of Beowulf, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, James Joyce, and many others stand as proof. But this book J.R.R Tolkien: A Critical Study is about examining his all works. His works were made, what right do we have to gainsay him? Finding a satisfactory answer to that question is partly the subject of this collection. For the moment, suffice it to say that we believe scholars have every right, and that the value of what we can learn about an author and his works, as well as the greater appreciation this engenders. This critical study is concerned with both the theory and the practice of source criticism, as applied to the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien. Over the past forty years or so, source study has emerged as one of the most popular approaches in Tolkien studies. And with good reason, for it has long been known that Tolkien drew from a wide range of disparate sources in the construction of his legendarium from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and beyond. An understanding of the sources Tolkien utilized, as well as how and why he incorporated them can enhance readers’ appreciation of his works immeasurably. There has long been a need for a carefully constructed book that addresses two basic aspects of this specialized field of Tolkien studies. First, it should describe the theory and methodology for proper source criticism of Tolkien’s works. Second, it should demonstrate source criticism, translating theory into praxis.

Role-playing game historian Ben Riggs unveils the secret history of TSR— the company that unleashed imaginations with Dungeons & Dragons, was driven into ruin by disastrous management decisions, and then saved by their bitterest rival. "Ben Riggs manages to walk the fine line between historical accuracy and fun about as well as anyone and SLAYING THE DRAGON is equal parts historical accuracy and entertainment. It was an essential read for me while directing and producing the Official D&D documentary but I’d recommend it to anyone regardless of the subject material. It’s a wild and fun ride through the turbulent history of one the most influential brands in our lifetime." - JOE MANGANIELLO Co-created by wargame enthusiasts Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the original Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game released by TSR (Tactical Studies Rules) in 1974 created a radical new medium: the role-playing game. For the next two decades, TSR rocketed to success, producing multiple editions of D&D, numerous settings for the game, magazines, video games, New York Times bestselling novels by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and R. A. Salvatore, and even a TV show! But by 1997, a series of ruinous choices and failed projects brought TSR to the edge of doom—only to be saved by their fiercest competitor, Wizards of the Coast, the company behind the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Unearthed from Ben Riggs’s own adventurous campaign of in-depth research, interviews with major players, and acquisitions of secret documents, Slaying the Dragon reveals the true story of the rise and fall of TSR. Go behind the scenes of their Lake Geneva headquarters where innovative artists and writers redefined the sword and sorcery genre, managers and executives sabotaged their own success by alienating their top talent, ignoring their customer fanbase, accruing a mountain of debt, and agreeing to deals which, by the end, made them into a publishing company unable to publish so much as a postcard. As epic and fantastic as the adventures TSR published, Slaying the Dragon is the legendary tale of the rise and fall of the company that created the role-playing game world.

The first of its kind, this annotated guide describes and evaluates more than 400 works in English. Rothschild's lively annotations discuss important features of each work-including the quality of the graphics, characterizations, dialogue, and the appropriate audience-and introduces mainstream readers to the variety and quality of graphic novels, helps them distinguish between classics and hackwork, and alerts experienced readers to material they may not have discovered. Designed for individuals who need information about graphic novels and for those interested in acquiring them, this book will especially appeal to librarians, booksellers, bookstore owners, educators working with teen and reluctant readers, as well as to readers interested in this genre.

This essential reference book details everything the novice needs to know about the genre and everything the well-read fan is calling out for. Lavishly illustrated and expertly informed, it is edited by Tim Dedopulos and David Pringle, editor and co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Interzone magazine, and features forewords by legendary authors Terry Pratchett and Ben Aaronovitch. They have assembled a team of expert contributors to compile a visually stunning, informative and fascinating guide to the world of fantasy, from its origins and early trailblazers to the cultural phenomena of today's mega fantasy properties.

A richly illustrated, encyclopedic deep dive into the history of roleplaying games. When Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson released Dungeons & Dragons in 1974, they created the first roleplaying game of all time. Little did they know that their humble box set of three small digest-sized booklets would spawn an entire industry practically overnight. In Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, Stu Horvath explores how the hobby of roleplaying games, commonly known as RPGs, blossomed out of an unlikely pop culture phenomenon and became a dominant gaming form by the 2010s. Going far beyond D&D, this heavily illustrated tome covers more than three hundred different RPGs that have been published in the last five decades. Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground features (among other things) bunnies, ghostbusters, soap operas, criminal bears, space monsters, political intrigue, vampires, romance, and, of course, some dungeons and dragons. In a decade-by-decade breakdown, Horvath chronicles how RPGs have evolved in the time between their inception and the present day, offering a deep and gratifying glimpse into a hobby that has changed the way we think about games and play. The deluxe edition will include a foil-stamped cover and slipcase with a cloth binding, a ribbon, gilded edges, and an 8.5x11-inch card stock poster of the regular edition.