Conference noted::sf

627.0. "Wizard War" by DEADLY::REDFORD () Sun May 29 1988 16:24

    by Hugh Cook
    Questar fantasy, 1986
    
    I picked this up on a recommendation from Baird Searles in IASFM.
    He was actually reviewing the sequel, so I guess I shouldn't blame
    him too much.  I'd heard of books that were transcriptions of
    role-playing games, but I never believed that someone would have
    the nerve to put their name to one. Well, Hugh Cook has.  There
    are scenes in this that sound like tape-recordings of sessions: 
    
        "Where's the dragon?" said Phyphor, blinded by the flare of 
    light.  "I can't see anything."
        "The dragon's thinking," said Miphon.  "Making a plan."
        "I thought it wasn't in any state to make plans."
        "Near-death can sober up anything, even a raging dragon.  It's 
    cautious now.  It's thinking."
        "What?"
        "I can't tell."
        "Is the dragon moving?"
        "No. It's on top of the cliffs."
        "Doing what?"
        etc.
    
    You've heard of computer-generated formula novels?  Well, the day 
    is at hand.  This wasn't actually produced by a machine, but it
    sounds like it was algorithmically generated, which is almost as bad.
    Sword and sorcery is pretty unoriginal to begin with, 
    but this is ridiculous.
    
    /jlr