Wizards

The story of the arcane table-top game that became a pop culture phenomenon and the long-running legal battle waged by its cocreators. When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success--and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As the game's fiftieth anniversary approaches, Peterson--a noted authority on role-playing games--explains how D&D and its creators navigated their successes, setbacks, and controversies. Peterson describes Gygax and Arneson's first meeting and their work toward the 1974 release of the game; the founding of TSR and its growth as a company; and Arneson's acrimonious departure and subsequent challenges to TSR. He recounts the "Satanic Panic" accusations that D&D was sacrilegious and dangerous, and how they made the game famous. And he chronicles TSR's reckless expansion and near-fatal corporate infighting, which culminated with the company in debt and overextended and the end of Gygax's losing battle to retain control over TSR and D&D. With Game Wizards, Peterson restores historical particulars long obscured by competing narratives spun by the one-time partners. That record amply demonstrates how the turbulent experience of creating something as momentous as Dungeons & Dragons can make people remember things a bit differently from the way they actually happened.

This is a timely companion to the books and films of magic and sorcery that are capturing everybody's imagination. It tells the story of magic and its famous practitioners, both historical and fictional, from Merlin and Dr Dee to Gandalf and Professor Dumbledore.

Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer, and many more join this magical brew [that] will enchant young adult readers and their elders as well. (Publishers Weekly) In Wizards, today's master fantasists turn their hands to tales of these magical beings, living in both ancient and modern times, as well as in fantasy realms that never were. Featuring stories by New York Times bestselling authors Neil Gaiman, Eoin Colfer and Garth Nix as well as tales from Kage Baker, Peter S. Beagle, Terry Bisson, Orson Scott Card, Terry Dowling, Andy Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Elizabeth Hand, Nancy Kress, Tanith Lee, Patricia A. McKillip, Mary Rosenblum, Tad Williams, Gene Wolfe, and Jane Yolen.

Harry Potter has given the study of popular culture a unique platform for exploring the nature of human identity. "Potter Studies" is developing into a vibrant interdisciplinary field of scholarship. This collection of new essays examines issues surrounding race, class, gender, sexual orientation and personal virtue, both in the wizarding world and in our own. The contributors discuss an array of meanings and contexts in the Harry Potter universe relating to identity issues, and the ways in which these manifest in fandom cultures and real-world schools and businesses.

Nita's little sister Dairine signs her up for a wizardly "cultural exchange" program, sending Nita and her partner Kit halfway across the galaxy. But nothing about wizardry--not even vacation--is simple enough.

Lancelot The Wizards Cat is one of those cats who loves to get in and out of the most fantastic adventures ever. His master the Wizard does tend to be a bit on the old side in the way he tells Lancelot off because he has a bad temper that old people have with their cats if they love them. It really is not that much of a temper but Lancelot is quite mischievous anyway so there. This collection of short stories tells of funny and exciting mishaps that Lancelot gets up to with his master and the stories in this book are magical and enchanting. There are magic twists and wonderful turns and leaps of funny and amazing accidents that will have you in stitches or maybe you might be magically turned into a tasty treat to be eaten up? That is a fantastic coincidence for Lancelot. Does this give you a clue? The clues are this - Lancelot, magic, a beach and a crummy temper. The most wonderful clue of all for you to bear in mind is this... There are no ideas too bold for Lancelot to magic with a certain tail in mind. He is the cleverest and stunningly magically wonderous cat you will ever meet. This is what the wizard knows. This is what you will know. Treasure this idea in your heart as you read this book of tales of feline funny fun. Magic.

Which wise old bird is always by the little wizard's side? Find the answer to this and 15 other entertaining puzzles by rubbing the blank space on each page. 16 black-and-white illustrations. Printed one side only.