I kept telling him in my opinion the forgotten realms and D&D based novels were young adult/teen books, the writing style, character developement and story arcs were for the most part easy to follow and simplistic, that I considered them hack and slash books. I said books like Lord of the Rings, Memory Sorrow and Thorn, The Wheel of Time, The Way of Kings, were better developed with intricacy lacking in the D&D style books (He kept referring to the ones I listed as "Big tit small brain books."

He kept telling me that I was wrong, that the D&D books allowed one to fill in the missing details with their own imagination and as such were more advanced in style than the ones I provided as examples.

I told him I couldn't be wrong it was my opinion. Just like he couldn't be wrong of his view of D&D books because they were his opinion of them.

Then I blew his mind by saying that though Tolkien was the grandfather of modern fantasy literature I did not believe him to be the best writer for it, that I held others above him in story and writing style. I gave him the example of the difference between the Iron Tower Series by McKiernan and LoTR by Tolkien, The Iron Tower was out and out a homage to LOTR but I felt the writing was so much better than Tolkiens.

he again said I was wrong, and I again said literally "Dude, I can't be wrong it's an opinion, it is just different than what you might think. You might disagree, but that is the what I think about those subjects."

 

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I loved the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, and other D&D books as a kid. But there is no doubt in my mind those are young adult books.

The AD&D books are very clearly aimed at teens.

There is no sex, the violence is toned down, there is no moral ambiguity, etc.

I would entertain the argument that some of them are aimed at adults who have never read before and thus don't know what they are missing with the simplistic narratives but there is very definitely something shallow and hackneyed about the majority of AD&D novels.

 

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I love the Forgotten Realm series. RA Salvatore had a summer home in Ponce Inlet down here in Florida. He had nice statues of his charectors in his lawn inside the gates. He sold it to the wrestler Kevin Nash.

 

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Have to agree, but I wanted to say that out of what you listed it is the lack of moral ambiguity that clearly sets the AD&D/Forgotten Realms books into the teen/young adult category. Everything is cut and dry, the good guys are the good guys and the bad guys are the bad guys. Imagine how Drizt would have turned out if GRRM had written him...eesh.


And as for the OP's friend reference to tits, tell him to grow up. In stories aimed at adults sometimes sex happens.

After thinking about it, I blame Twilight. I can fully understand how any fan of D&D books would be very upset and defensive about their books being mentioned in the same category as that series.

^ haha true dat, although I consider Twilight more teen then young adult

 

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So do choose your own adventure books, but you don't see us touting them as awesome examples of adult fantasy literature

 

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^

Great pic.

 

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