Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons by Michael Witwer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Empire of Imagination: Gary Gygax and the Birth of Dungeons & Dragons is a fantastic biography of Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax. Written by author Michael Witwer as part of a masters’ thesis it nevertheless does not read at all like an academic work.
Empire of Imagination is written in some ways more like an adventure story than a biography. This suits me fine, as biography is not my favorite genre. More importantly, Witwer has found the perfect tone and setting for a tale of a man who spent his life telling stories.
Witwer very wisely chose to structure Empire of Imagination in short chapters somewhat like anecdotes. These short recollections of events lend themselves very well to the adventure style presentation. It’s an inspired touch, with the author structuring the entire work as a series of levels (broken up into +1 chapters) united into a loose narrative with vignettes of a Dungeon Master leading a player through a far-reaching quest. The result is a tale told much as though a group of friends was gathered around a game table sharing stories. Which is of course the point…
Empire of Imagination is neither a particularly quick or long read but I found myself reading it in spurts. Partially this is due to the aforementioned breaking up of the tale into serialized pieces that you can jump in and out of. But I think largely it is because the tale is bittersweet. As much as I was enjoying the book I found myself putting it down and not returning for a bit because I didn’t want to have tales of the creation of the beloved game and all of the wonderful memories it reanimated to stop or to be sullied by the inevitable fall from grace that always accompanies these stories. While it makes for good drama it is more than a little sad to see everything that Gary Gygax created come apart in predictable fashion. It is at this time that the book falls into a bit of the typical biography mold. But then, so too did Gygax’s story…
The book is clearly written with the input and/or approval of the Gygax estate, so I’m sure Gary gets the benefit of the doubt in all of the discussions of legal squabbles and the provenance of his works. But to this admittedly non-expert reader it comes off even-handed. No efforts are taken to whitewash the story or cover up Gygax’s foibles and failings. Others more familiar with all the details may well take exception to the handling of collaborators like Dave Arneson. The detailing of Arneson’s input and lack of involvement seems a bit one-sided, but I really have no first-hand knowledge to suggest this is not a fair telling. It’s quite possible we will never really know how accurate any accounting is regarding the creation of such a detailed game system especially considering the success that followed.
One of the most enjoyable parts about reading the book was that I was frequently reminded of products, games, books and stories that were so integral to my childhood and teen years. There were a host of stories that I had entirely forgotten about such as the Choose Your Own Adventure-style Endless Quest book series. I’m going to have to hunt in the attic to see if I can find any of my old copies!
I really loved reading Empire of Imagination, although to be fair I mostly listened to it. I purchased the ebook and audiobook at the same time, frequently listening and reading simultaneously. The narration for the audiobook is performed by the author’s brother, actor Sam Witwer and a better choice could not possibly have been found. His voice is deep and expressive and an excellent fit. I sincerely hope to hear more audio performances by Sam, and for that matter more stories told by Michael. The author notes in the acknowledgments that brother Sam was the Dungeon Master in their group. Hearing his narration as Empire of Imagination’s Dungeon Master in the interludes makes me wish I could sit down at the table with the brothers. Because the greatest takeaway from the book is a reminder of the spirit and desire that drove Gary Gygax; to get together with companions and play…
