Game inspired books.

Dominus Nox · August 31, 2006, 11:51:01 PM

Do you like game inspired books and if so what ones?

I think some of the "Black library" books based on warhammer 40,000 are good novels. The "Guant's ghosts" books are fine, "Lord of the Night" was an excellent work both as a stand alone book and as a new look at the long established WH40K mythos. The Eisonhord trilogy was very good, and so was "15 hours".

I haven't read any other game novels, altho I'd love to read a traveller novel if someone would write one! I've even considered writing a traveller novel myself, and might someday...

So what game inspired novels have YOU read and what did you think of them?

joewolz · September 01, 2006, 12:14:47 AM

I don't know if it counts, but I have Planetfall! the novel inspired by the old infocom text games. I thought it was pretty funny.

I'll second Gaunt's Ghosts.

Vellorian · September 01, 2006, 12:42:23 AM

I enjoyed Stackpole's novels inspired by the Dark Conspiracy game. I also liked the Torg novels. The Shadowrun books were hit and miss (mostly miss).

S. John Ross · September 01, 2006, 12:45:39 AM

Quote from: joewolzI don't know if it counts, but I have Planetfall! the novel inspired by the old infocom text games. I thought it was pretty funny.

The late, great George Alec Effinger's Zork novel was a hoot, too, speaking of those.

Hastur T. Fannon · September 01, 2006, 05:47:16 AM

I've read a lot of the Shadowrun books and some of the Warhammer. Nothing special, though I liked the first 3 Shadowrun books quite a lot. Dunno how I'd feel about them 15 years (ouch) later

I've read the first 10 or so chapters of Tim's upcoming Year of the Zombie novel. Oh boy. Think of Tom Clancy being gang-banged by Richard Lymon and Chuck Palunik. You know how most horror novels start with the main characters having a fairly normal life before it all falls apart? Tim's inverted it - the iconic characters from the YotZ flavour text are all living in very different hells before the Rising. For many of them, the life they build afterwards is actually better than the one they had before

Caesar Slaad · September 01, 2006, 08:49:14 AM

Brust's Dragaera books are the clostest thing that I think counts.

I generally disdain franchise fiction, and game fiction tends to be worse.

Zachary The First · September 01, 2006, 08:51:46 AM

Well, Raymond Feist's Krondor/Riftwar books were based off his group's D&D world, I hear. They aren't exactly my speed now, but they did help get into the fantasy genre when I was younger.

KrakaJak · September 05, 2006, 06:58:59 PM

The Games Workshop Novels are getting better and better. Nothing I'd recommend to people that aren't already fans of the setting. But enjoyable.

I enjoyed a few of the Requiem Novels. Greg created some great characters in Bishop Birch and "Scratch". They're pretty much the only reason I read them.

Ummmm...That's really all I've read. I know a bunch of guys who have read EVERY Dragonlance novels. They're still stocked and sold @ Border's too. I've heard the old school Masquerade series is pretty addictive.

That's all I got

Aos · September 05, 2006, 10:14:04 PM

Steven Eriskon's books take place in a world initially designed as a rpg setting, and they're pretty good.

ColonelHardisson · September 06, 2006, 12:38:00 AM

I don't often find many good books based on games. The best I've read are Paul Kidd's "Greyhawk" novels. Fun, well-written, vivid characterization, lots of rousing action.