The Riddle of Iron Part 6: On the Importance of “Appendix N”

Part 1. (What is Sword & Sorcery?)

Part 2. (The Tower of the Elephant)

Part 3. (Jirel of Joiry)

Part 4. (The Historic Riddle of Steel)

Part 5. (The meaning behind the Riddle of Steel in the ‘Conan the Barbarian’ motion picture)

Join me as I try to answer “The Riddle of Iron” in a continued journey to help move the great genre of Sword and Sorcery forward, for the glory of the #IronAge. 

Exhibit E: Appendix N

Sword & Sorcery has been enjoying something of a renaissance in recent years.

This resurgence in interest is bringing back the magazine print publishers (and short story markets) when just a few years ago it seemed like everyone was saying nobody reads short fiction anymore, that you have to write novels (and skip short stories) to make any waves and build your career in the industry, even when you’re just starting out.

A few days ago, an online debate sprung forth from the electric ether regarding the importance of reading old Sword & Sorcery versus new. In the ensuing earthquake, a schism within the #IronAge community revealed itself.

There aren’t two different camps on this matter so much as two different extremes: Those who feel Appendix N is not merely recommended, but required reading if you want to be any good at the subgenre, and those who feel you should read what’s current and write only to current market trends, maybe going as far back as the 1990s.

(But like with most disagreements, there were moderates and opinions everywhere in-between.)

One side argues there shouldn’t be some gatekeeper dictating required reading, while the other argues that today’s Sword & Sorcery often misses the intended point of the subgenre.

One side argues that classic pulps are a niche interest, while the other argues if you don’t read anything pre-1980, you aren’t just uninformed, you’re misinformed… because the pulp tradition was subverted by nefarious means (namely, by skinsuits working for Tradpub New York publishers).

One side argues new classics come out all the time, while the other side struggles to name a modern classic that’s good enough to warrant such praise. In fact, they say modern writers are illiterate in that they don’t even read the works by the author names they shill, and probably watch more Netflix than do anything cultured. This side is understandably frustrated by some of the modern Sword & Sorcery they see, claiming it’s evidence that these #IronAge contributors need to read more Appendix N, then come back and try again.

Experience Appendix N (Not Appendix E)

For those not in the know, Appendix N: Inspirational and Educational Reading was an appendix included in the back of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Master’s Guide volume 1. (It was one of many appendices, A through P, I believe.)

Appendix N was a list of all the influences game design legend Gary Gygax felt were crucial to creating the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons universe and mythos, a list created back in 1979.

“All of the above authors, as well as many not listed, certainly helped to shape the form of the game. For this reason, and for the hours of reading enjoyment, I heartily recommend the works of these fine authors to you.”

-Gary Gygax within Appendix N: Inspirational and Educational Reading.

Other authors and works were added to this list in the decades that followed, sometimes to the list’s detriment. AD&D 5th Edition (5e) has some fortunate and dreadfully unfortunate inclusions (called “Appendix E”) that show how far the Overton Window has shifted. It’s short-sighted and reckless to include works so modern – works that haven’t been around long enough to be subjected to the the test of time, let alone stand it.

But it’s worth noting that at some point Clark Ashton Smith and Fritz Leiber both got added to the roster after the initial list, apt inclusions, both.

Now you may be thinking: “What use could the spec-fic pulp that inspired AD&D be for those of us trying to break the mold? After all, writing about Elves and Dwarves arguing in taverns is the last thing we’d want to be doing if we wish to push the genre envelope.”

Or you could be thinking, “Where’s the list that focuses less on AD&D influences and more on Sword & Sorcery influences? After all, I’m much more a writer than a tabletop gamer.”

But if you read Jeffro Johnson‘s book on Appendix N published in 2017, titled “APPENDIX N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons“, you just might find the answers you seek.

It starts with a beautiful introduction by John C. Wright. Within the span of several pages, Wright manages to both capture the essence of Sword & Sorcery and validate Appendix N for those who are writers and not gamers:

“…the list is nothing exceptional: nearly anyone alive in those days (as I was) and was familiar with fantasy or science fiction reading of the time (as I was) asked to compile a list of the essential books and authors would, no doubt, have issued nearly the same list.

The world was smaller in those days, and we who read science fiction were a breed apart, in our own quarter, and a bookish fan could have read or been familiar with all the talented writers in the field, and the many of the untalented.”

-John C. Wright from APPENDIX N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons

I’ll mention now the infamous Lin Carter was included as an influence, who IMO doesn’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with most of the giants on the list. But for the most part, the 1979 list is a fantastic one to build off of.

It also doesn’t include C.L. Moore, which is perfectly fine, but I think my post on her proves that reading almost any Sword & Sorcery from the pulp era can be valuable. Even Gary Gygax said, “as well as many not listed,” in the quote I mentioned earlier, so it seems he’s okay with you deviating from the list a bit, too.

Having everyone trained on the exact same list of influences can stifle, in theory, so it’s a good idea to read a variety of works from and not from the era. From and not from the list. Works from the genres you like and some outside of your genre. James Joyce’s* Araby (1914) and Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (1930) are fantastic, for example. And why not read Richard Adams’ Watership Down (1972)? Hell, why not play Final Fantasy VI (1994)?

*Be warned, I have it on good authority that most of James Joyce’s works were subversive and deconstructive in nature. But I believe the short story Araby is highly evocative and well-written.

Hammering the Message Home

Jeffro’s message in his essays is loud and clear: Stories in the pulp era were unshackled from Current Year, allowing the human imagination to run wild, and the greatest stories from the pulp era remain timeless because they were written in service of the truth.

He can come off as abrasive sometimes when encountered online, but I believe this is because Jeffro wants to agitate and goad the #IronAge into becoming something more than it currently is. I believe he sees people making an honest effort, but there’s a lot of potential not being realized. A modern scene that simply isn’t as good as what had come before.

And if so, I’ve noticed it as well: IronAgers have been coddling each other perhaps a bit too much, showering each other with praise no matter how objectively good or bad the final product is. Like the participation trophies, this behavior can create a bubble, a security blanket that’s a little too easy to get comfy-cozy in.

Now it’s great to support each other and give positive reinforcement (I just posted about how great it is to have a supportive group of friends), but there’s that ever-present danger of stagnation. Once writers reach a certain level, they’re going to start needing more brutal honesty, even if it has to be dispensed with kid gloves on.

The creators’ hearts are in the right place, but perhaps some are stuck in a rut, especially those who dismiss Appendix N. My guess is Jeffro wants this Sword & Sorcery renaissance to succeed (or he wouldn’t have cared enough to have written such an awesome set of essays), and in order to do that, perhaps we must break free of all the social conditioning we’ve been experiencing since 1980. We must evaluate why these works are timeless to remind ourselves what the truth even is.

He’s like one of those teachers who tells you, “You can’t,” specifically because he wants you to prove him wrong. That’s called negative reinforcement, and it can be one hell of a motivator.

I’ll not mince words: If you’re part of the #IronAge, you need to be able to handle the intense heat and the smack of iron against iron. The slag needs to go.

Someone says you’re not widely read enough? Prove them wrong and read more until you can talk circles around them. Someone says your work doesn’t speak to the truth? Find the truth. Find your flippin’ voice. Prove them wrong. A critic hits you with a 1-star review? You learn from it and come back stronger, more refined. You prove you’re resilient. You prove them wrong.

Iron is FORMED in the fire. It loves being beaten and quenched and beaten some more. If you’re iron, you’re much stronger than gold, silver, tin, copper, or bronze. And you have the potential to become steel.

Show naysayers you’re made of stronger stuff. Shrug it off, keep creating, keep reading both new and old. Find inspiration, even where you least expect it. Take negative criticism and let it be the fuel you burn to prove them wrong.

More to come.