Fantasy is now an established and lucrative genre with a dizzying array of popular iterations across literature, games, and film. But the story of how hobbits, dungeons, knights, and dragons took over our collective imaginations is a long, complex one, with many surprising twists and turns. Historian Justin M. Jacobs explores the origins of the modern fantasy genre, from the evolution of obscure Gothic novels to the iconic works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, and the co-creators of Dungeons & Dragons.   

Jacobs, a professor of Chinese and global history at American University, is the author of several books, including Plunder? How Museums Got Their Treasures. He is currently designing a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by Chinese history.

Session Information

The Creation of Dungeons & Dragons

When the fantasy roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons appeared in 1974, it bore the cumbersome subtitle of “rules for fantastic medieval wargames campaigns playable with paper and pencil and miniature figures.” Jacobs unpacks the cultural, social, and economic developments captured by this subtitle. He also examines the influences that co-creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson integrated into the game’s design—from centuries-old Prussian war games and the burgeoning field of psychological roleplaying to the surprising counterculture embrace of The Lord of the Rings and Conan the Barbarian in the 1960s and ‘70s.     

Additional Sessions of A History of Fantasy Series

• October 22: Evolution of Fantastic Storytelling
• October 29: Robert E. Howard and Pulp Fantasy
• November 5: J.R.R. Tolkien and High Fantasy
• November 19: Fantasy After Dungeons & Dragons

General Information

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