I HATE game-fiction with a passion.

The key word the OP used is "entertained": the problem is that Hack Author Amateur-Hour is not entertaining, its fucking annoying and a waste of space and time in the book.  It comes from game designers being frustrated authors, and being under the impression that they're motherfucking hemmingway, when in fact 99 out of 100 of them don't get above the level of goddamned fan-fic writers.

Please spare us from game-fiction. Unless your name is Zelazny, I don't want your snippets getting the way of reading the rules.

RPGPundit

Pundit raises an interesting point. It would be alot easier to know if you should include opening fiction or not if we see an example of what it might look like. Do you have any short stories online somewhere?

I'm using very small snippets of fiction for Stone Horizons. 100 words or so each. They are not there to tell a story. They are not there to explain game mechanics. They are not there for metaplot purposes. They are not there as some kind of "Ooh, look at my writing chops." They are there for atmosphere, plot ideas, NPC ideas and as a 'guide' to the game world that is hopefully not as dry as a couple of chapters explaining everything in scientific terms.

RPGPundit;  Please understand that this is typed with full respect and honor intended, not to be argumentative.  But it seems to me that I struck a chord with you there!

 I've read all of your posts since I joined here and heartily enjoy your colorful text.  In fact, I salute you in your adept and proficient use of vulgarity.  However, I might like to clarify that my definition of myself as a 'hack' writer means that I am not Zelazny (to cite your example), or Stephen King, or "Mother-Fucking Hemmingway".  I have only managed to buy a house, feed my family, and buy a few vehicles from my professional writing over the past few years.

But you do raise an interesting point, and cited the examples for me.  Such games as the Star Wars ilk, Elric, Amber, and many others, are stronger because they are supported by a mass of fiction.  With those, you already have read the books, seen the movies, checked out the comics, etc.  This enriches the experience.

On the counter-point, a 200 page manual with 140 pages of Bob The Barbarian playing at being Conan is simply so much twaddle resulting from the mental masturbation of "Hack Author Amateur Hour", as you so vibrantly put it.  I agree with you on that point, but agree more with what One Horse Town, and the others have opined.  Prose has its place provided that it is used as a tool to support and illusrtate the rules.

And fan-fiction?  I don't read it for the most part.  Long fiction chapters of the game-designer's piffle disguised as profundity?  Can't stomach it!  I find all of that to be akin to masturbating with a cheese grater:  slightly amusing, but mostly painful.

James McMurray;  this is also intended with the utmost of respect and honor...

I do not post any of my works online, having no desire to litter the already overflowing web with pages of "hey, look at me".  And, once published, most works are somehting that I look upon in a somewhat embarassed, aah-shucks, manner.

I posted a snippet up on my original post at the start of this topic, but left out the rest of the chapter that explains the mechanics and draws ALL of the examples from the prose.  

If you'd like, shoot me an Email and I'll send you some pieces that I've had on the back-burner for awhile.  These are not copyrighted as of yet, and will at least give you an idea.

I honestly think that posting them here, or popping them up on one of my webpages for others to peruse is not germaine to the spirit and funciton of this forum.  I'd be happy to send stuff to you, or anyone else, most especially if you would be inclined to cruelly rip it apart (so I can grow in my trade).

One Horse Town;

Thank you!  That's my idea entirely.  And quite well said.

Like you, I hate that sterile explanation of things down in a scientific manner, without emotion, and lacking any spirit...and more importantly lacking fun.

Afterall, don't we play games to have fun, i.e. be entertained by ourselves and others?

Why shouldn't we be introduced to our setting, the culture, the way things work, and most important the philosophy behind the rules in a manner that is easy to read, entertaining, and that allows us to fully grasp not only the mechanics, but how the work, and how they apply to the game?