A few days ago I asked on Facebook what non-RPG book has most influenced the gaming style of my friends. You can probably guess some of them right off the bat – Lord of the Rings, Dune, Discworld, etc. But a few of them were a little interesting, enough to where I wanted to share them with you as possible recommendations. (Each book title links to the item in Amazon).
“Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman”
This is probably not too surprising and probably falls into the category of books you probably would’ve guessed. But of all Gaiman’s work, I think Neverwhere is personally my favorite. Croup and Vandemar in particular, although I have been told I often play variations of the Marquis de Carabas in certain games.
“Pawn of Prophecy by Dave Eddings, because it showed me you could start with the most bog-standard genre tropes possible and still tell an original, engaging story.”
Although I’m not familiar with Dave Eddings, I like the premise of this recommendation where good writing can transcend what’s considered a tired trope.
“The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics, As a GM it was useful.”
This is probably one of my favorite answers, because good writing for comics books is more than just the prose. It’s the requirement to be concise – get to your story quickly, keep your dialogue purposeful and consider the perspective of presentation.
“What Do YOU Care What other People Think? by Richard Feynman.”
If you’re not familiar with Richard Feynman, he was a theoretical physicist that worked on the Manhattan Project, as well as a semi-professional bongo player (Seriously). Feynman is probably the closest we will ever truly come to Buckaroo Banzai in real life – clever, polymath in multiple fields but a true lover of art and people. I think everyone should know Feynman.
“Save the Cat by Blake Snyder”
YES. YES. YES. Stop what you’re doing right now and get this book. This is one of the most important books for writers no matter what your field, although it’s intended for script writing. This really is important to bring your plots and narratives to the next level.
“It’s not a book, but there’s this all caps rant David Mamet sent to the creative team on The Unit, and it sums up a lot.”
Oh Mamet, you crazy fella. I had read this once before but re-read it when I got this suggestion. In case you don’t know Mamet (and really you should), he is the renown playwright responsible for “Glengarry Glenross” and countless of amazing movie scripts (House of Games, Homicide, Spartan, The Spanish Prisoner). He was also the showrunner for the underrated TV series “The Unit” and it’s clear he has some strong opinions about writing. Being Mamet, he has the right. Being Mamet, there’s also a lot of F-bombs.
“MASTERY by Robert Greene”
I had not heard of this book until this recommendation but immediately acquired it for reading. Robert Greene is the author behind the 48 Laws of Power, 33 Strategies of War and the Art of Seduction. If you have not read any of these, I also recommend picking one of these immediately. Will you give you a progress report on Mastery when done.
“I can’t answer with a single book. But it’s probably the Dragonlance Series, Or the works of Lovecraft, or, honestly How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
This answer surprised me, mostly the last answer because I received a few times. Dale Carnegie’s book is a well known business tome, but I had never considered it in how it applies to games, game design and mastery. It’s something to think about, because it addresses the fact that games are only as a good as the player dynamic. Without that, it’s just a bunch of stats.
“Probably the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Several came out a few years before the series of the same name in the 70’s before i discovered D&D. The game has always been about player choices and the ramifications and consequences of those choices.”
This was a good answer, because it defines where I think a lot of us got our first start in story narratives with flexible outcomes. I don’t know how many times I personally scoured the Scholastic Book Fair for the next edition of Choose Your Own Adventure (my personal favorite was always “Your Code Name Is Jonah’.)
…and of course, I received this answer.
“The only RPG book I need: A Practical Guide to the Operational Use of the RPG-7 Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher.“
Yep. There’s always one.
Do you have a recommendation? Shoot it to me, I’d love to hear it.