This is the fifth in my series of capsule reviews of non-fiction books that would be useful or inspiring in RPGs – Weird Books for Gamers This 1979 book is pretty simple. It's a collection of over 100 black & white maps of fictional worlds from various fictional works. There's a short description for each. … Continue reading Weird Books for Gamers V: An Atlas of Fantasy by J.B. Post

Here's a somewhat more academic work then the last few books. It's a review of various alternate theories of the origins of humanity from pseudo-scientist cranks, religious cults, and various grifters. It includes multiple Ancient Astronaut theories, various Creationisms, and a couple of ideas so bizarre, as to defy any easy categorization. Strange Creations: Aberrant … Continue reading Weird Books for Gamers IV: Strange Creations by Donna Kossy

This is the third in my series of capsule reviews of non-fiction books that would be useful or inspiring in RPGs - Weird Books for Gamers Here's a short biography on Marion "Joe" Carstairs, a 20th century heiress, competitive speedboat pilot, and eccentric. The Queen of Whale Cay: The Eccentric Story of 'Joe' Carstairs, Fastest … Continue reading Weird Books for Gamers III: The Queen of Whale Cay

If you're running any RPG set in the early 20th century, it's only a matter of time before a Zeppelin or other airship shows up. There aren't a lot of living people who have actually traveled on an airship, so it'd be helpful to have some idea what traveling in one was actually like. Dr. … Continue reading Weird Books for Gamers II: Dr. Eckener’s Dream Machine

Some of my favorite books for creating role playing game worlds have nothing to do with RPGs. I thought I'd start posting about some of them here, in case others find them useful. Things That Never Were: Fantasies, Lunacies & Entertaining Lies by Matthew Rossi (Goodreads) This is a collection of short essays on alternate … Continue reading Weird Books for Gamers: Things that Never Were by Matthew Rossi