More Dungeons in Fiction

So back here, I asked the question, "Does anyone know of any megadungeons in modern fantasy literature?"  I received a few answers (thanks for those, guys) and that gave me some food for thought.

I have a follow-up question, although it is only slightly different from the original, so the same answers might apply.  Does anyone know of any works of fiction that include a "Campaign Dungeon"?  In case you aren't familiar, the term basically means a dungeon that is the main (perhaps only) adventuring locale for an entire campaign of play.

You may be wondering--or perhaps you aren't--why I'm asking questions about dungeons in fiction.  The short reason is because I am actually in the process of writing a story (goal length 60-75k words) that is basically just that--a big old dungeon with a small group of adventurers going into it looking for riches.  My reason for asking is to help me determine if the idea is as unique (in fiction) as I think it is, or is it trite and old.  I have to admit that I haven't read any fantasy is a LONG time and may not know about something that is out there.

So, if you know of something, please speak up.  Thanks.

"Thanks!" and "WTF Blogger?!?"

So I asked a question in my last post about dungeons in fiction and I received some replies and I wanted to say thanks to those guys for answering my question.  They definitely provided some things for me to look into.

Now you may be asking yourself, "Why is he thanking them in a new post?  Wouldn't it make more sense to just throw a comment and thank them there?"

The answer to the second question is, yes, of course it would.

But that brings me to part 2 of this post.

WTF Blogger?!?

You see, for some reason that I am unable to fathom, I cannot see any specific Blogger blog post with comments.  I can read a blog and read the last X number of posts, but if I try to click on a specific post to read the comments associated with it, nothing.  My IE opens a new tab and then refuses to put anything into it.  That goes for any blog post, my own included.

(Now I know that many of you scoff at the fact that I use Internet Explorer, but I do.  It's never really bothered me before now.)

I guess the question is, is this an issue with Blogger, an issue with IE, or some other issue?

Can anyone help me?!

Question about Dungeons in Fiction

Or more specifically, megadungeons.  Are there any megadungeons who have played a significant role in fantasy (and/or any of its "offshoots") literature in the last twenty-five years?

The Mines of Moria are perhaps the most well-known example of a megadungeon in fiction.  And while they are important to the Lord of the Rings as an obstacle to be overcome by or as a road to be traversed by the Fellowship or, if I remember correctly, as a means to separate Gandalf from the others, they don't play much of a role in the story.  The time spent in their halls by that adventuring group (in words) isn't all that great compared to the entirety of the trilogy.

But are there any other examples of megadungeons in modern fiction?  I'm interested and would really appreciate any other examples.  Thanks!

Names, Names, Names

Speaking of names, what he said.

Also, thank you, Brendan, for pointing me toward this.  A handy little name generator that, based on my initial playing-around, works nicely indeed.

Artist Unfamiliar (before now) to Me

Stefan Poag is an impressive artist in his own right and has done some amazing work.  First, I say to Stefan, thank you for the drawings that you have done that have "leaked" out into the world.  I say "leaked" because I've not purchased anything with his art in it, but it is always a joy to look at.  And I'm really looking forward to his Drawing-a-Day.  I hope he posts all of his drawings.

Secondly, I want to say thank you to Stefan for pointing me toward Rich Longmore.

To Rich, I can only say, "Wow."  I love his aesthetic.  Some of his pieces are reminiscent of the best drawings from the Fiend Folio, but more "realistic" (Is that possible in fantasy art?).  At the same time, I feel like each of his pictures tells a story. 

(That is a phrase that I've heard many times about illustrations, perhaps too many, but, in the case of Rich's art, I think that it is completely appropriate.)

They are full of detail, action, and style.  Don't want to sound too much like my fifteen year old self from days past, but, "Awesome!"

Knowing that his art is in Carcosa is perhaps one more reason I may need to purchase that.

Map Roundup - 05 January 2012

Lost in Time (05 Jan 2012), a new blog (and new to me) posted these maps from the early days.  Love them.  Perfect mix of home-made awesome with a bit of skill thrown in.

Thankyou, Trollsmyth (04 Jan 2012) for this post about perhaps the last great map of hte United States.  (And you thought I only liked fantastic cartography?)  And, just in case, here is a link to the actual article.

Aaron over at Paladin in Citadel (04 Jan 2012) shows us Magic Realm, a pretty nifty looking board game about wilderness hex crawling.  I like board games that get built as you play them.  I've found them to be a lot of fun.  It sounds like a fun little game.  The actual hexes are pretty nice looking, too!

Not an extensive roundup, but all I have time for today.  Until next time...

D&D - Past, Present and Future

So where I am currently typing this, the New Year has not yet rolled in.  It is about ten minutes to midnight, and I am surrounded by sounds of explosions, large and small, welcoming the coming passage.

So, I guess first thing's first--Happy New Year to all of you who are already on the far side of this celebration.  I hope that you had a fun, and safe, time.

But on to the point.

I'm not a regular reader of the Escapist, but these articles caught my attention.  A guy by the name of Greg Tito has written three articles about D&D, talking about its Past, Present, and Future.  Interesting read, all in all, whether or not you agree with what he has to say or if you think that these articles have any relevance to the real world.  But I always enjoy hearing from "insiders" so I found these articles a fun read.  Perhaps you will as well.