The recent passing of RPG icon Gary Gygax started me thinking about milestones, in what we nerds consider our kinds of heroic Fantasy. I can roughly sort things into four generational blocks. A century ago, there were pioneers that penned and painted many dream-scapes that became the foundation for numerous fantasy genres. I place giants like R.E. Howard and Lovecraft in this first echelon. The second generation was much larger, and those “Sci-Fi Boys” pushed fantasy stories into Hollywood and around the world. Their movies, comics, and novels are best-sellers even today.

Going back 30 years, the third generation conquered every type of market. Gygax and his associates produced D&D, which revolutionized “hobby gaming”. Lucas and his Trilogy surmounted all box office records, while “nerdy” TV shows became ingrained in our culture.  I feel bad for anyone who was born in the 1980’s…heh. Now, my generation “X” is carrying the ever-burning torch forward. I don’t think it is too soon to say our greatest contributions will be digital in nature, and just around the bend.

So what did I learn from pondering this slice of history? I learned that I can have one small hex on this giant fantasy map we’ve all made, and share my creations like Healbot Blues there. Thanks to my fellow “4th Gen” nerds, my contributions can be enjoyed anywhere there is a computer hooked to the internet. Now, I just have to conquer more hexes and build some castles!