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''Dragonlance'' is a
shared universe A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
created by Laura and
Tracy Hickman Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is an American fantasy author. He wrote the ''Dragonlance'' novels with Margaret Weis. He also wrote role playing game material while working for TSR, Inc., TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, ...
, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and
Margaret Weis Margaret Edith Weis (; born March 16, 1948) is an American fantasy and science fiction author, of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the ''Dragonlance'' role-playing game (RPG) world. She is ...
under the direction of
TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...
into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job interview. Tracy Hickman met his future writing partner Margaret Weis at TSR, and they gathered a group of associates to play the ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
''
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
. The adventures during that game inspired a series of gaming modules, a series of novels, licensed products such as board games, and lead miniature figures. In 1984, TSR published the first ''Dragonlance'' game module, ''
Dragons of Despair ''Dragons of Despair'' is the first in a series of 16 ''Dragonlance'' adventures published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) between 1984 and 1988. It is the start of the first major story arc in the ''Dragonlance'' series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
'', and the first novel, ''
Dragons of Autumn Twilight ''Dragons of Autumn Twilight'' is a 1984 fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on a series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') game modules. It was the first ''Dragonlance'' novel, and first in the Chronicle ...
''. The novel began the ''
Chronicles Chronicles may refer to: * ''Books of Chronicles'', in the Bible * Chronicle, chronological histories * ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', a novel series by C. S. Lewis * ''Holinshed's Chronicles'', the collected works of Raphael Holinshed * ''The Idhu ...
'' trilogy, a core element of the ''Dragonlance'' world. While the authoring team of Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis wrote the setting's central books, numerous other authors contributed novels, short stories and game supplements to the setting. Over 190 novels have used the ''Dragonlance'' setting; the ''Dragonlance''
campaign setting A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
has also been used for multiple editions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and for the
SAGA System The SAGA System is a role-playing game system that uses "fate cards" to determine the effects of actions. The cards have numbers, suits, positive and negative states, and role-playing cues that guide the gamemaster in telling the story and administ ...
. Following
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
's acquisition of TSR in 1997, Wizards licensed ''Dragonlance'' to Margaret Weis's company
Sovereign Press Sovereign Press, Incorporated is a publisher and distributor of role-playing games based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1998 by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin and is one of two companies that Weis owns. Games produced Sovereign P ...
to produce game materials; this licensing agreement ran from 2001 to 2007. ''Dragonlance'' is scheduled to return in 2022 with a new adventure module and the start of a new novel trilogy. The fictional ''Dragonlance'' world of
Krynn ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
contains numerous
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
, an extensive timeline, and a detailed geography. The history of Krynn consists of five ages. The novels and related game products are primarily set in the fourth age, The Age of Despair. Since the publication of '' Dragonlance: Fifth Age'' in 1996, the fifth age, the Age of Mortals, has been used. The Heroes of the Lance, created by Weis and Hickman, are the popular protagonists of the ''Chronicles'' trilogy. Along with ''D&D'' world of the ''
Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'', ''Dragonlance'' is one of the most popular shared worlds in fiction.


Publication history


Creation

Hickman developed his world creation technique by writing and self-publishing with his wife Laura the adventure modules ''
Rahasia ''Rahasia'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module, self-published by DayStar West Media in 1980 and published by TSR, Inc. in 1983 and 1984, for the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, ''Basic Set'' rules of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' ...
'' (1979) and ''
Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
'' (1980), and writing TSR's ''Ravenloft'' module (1983). He was unemployed in 1982, and TSR offered him a job based on his submission of several modules. That year, while driving from Utah to Wisconsin to start a job with TSR, Hickman and his wife created the ''Dragonlance'' universe concept. During the trip, Hickman and his wife discussed two ideas they had had for several years: an entire world used to support a storyline, and a world dominated by dragons. Their ideas were well received by TSR, whose marketing department felt they had enough dungeons, but not enough
dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
. Hickman suggested a series of twelve modules, each featuring a different dragon. TSR employee Harold Johnson suggested that Hickman should try to get additional support from other TSR staff members and, after a period of months, Hickman had the support of
Jeff Grubb Jeff Grubb (born August 27, 1957) is an author who writes novels, short stories, and comics and a computer and role-playing game designer in the fantasy genre. Grubb worked on the ''Dragonlance'' campaign setting under Tracy Hickman, and the ''F ...
,
Larry Elmore Larry Elmore (born August 5, 1948) is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines, and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Dragonlance'', ...
,
Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...
,
Doug Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the '' Star Frontiers'' spac ...
, Michael Williams, and others with whom they discussed ideas for the project. Meanwhile, Weis was editing and writing various ''
Endless Quest The ''Endless Quest'' books were three series of gamebooks. The first one was released in the 1980s by TSR, while the following two were released by Wizards of the Coast. Originally, these books were the result of an Educational department establi ...
'' books for TSR. The ''Dragonlance'' group decided that novels should accompany the game modules; TSR reluctantly agreed and hired a writer. Hickman became the design coordinator for ''Project Overlord'', the cover name for what would later be known as the Dragonlance saga. TSR decided to create a franchise, including modules, board games, lead figures, and—for the first time—novels. Weis had been hired as an editor; with Hickman, she began working with the author hired to write the novels. They weren't satisfied with the author, and decided they should be the ones to write the books. They collaborated over a weekend, writing the prologue for the first five chapters of the first novel, ''
Dragons of Autumn Twilight ''Dragons of Autumn Twilight'' is a 1984 fantasy novel by American writers Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, based on a series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') game modules. It was the first ''Dragonlance'' novel, and first in the Chronicle ...
'', based on the module ''
Dragons of Despair ''Dragons of Despair'' is the first in a series of 16 ''Dragonlance'' adventures published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) between 1984 and 1988. It is the start of the first major story arc in the ''Dragonlance'' series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
''. TSR liked their treatment and gave them the assignment, firing the author. After two years of development, TSR released the module ''Dragons of Despair'' in March 1984 and the novel ''Dragons of Autumn Twilight'' in November 1984. TSR had doubts about the finished novel's sales potential, and attempted to order thirty thousand copies, ultimately ordering the minimum print run of fifty thousand. The success of the novel prompted TSR to publish more copies to meet demand. The novel was written after the completion of the first ''Dragonlance'' game modules. Weis and Hickman felt this was constraining and made the novel feel too episodic, so they reversed the process for the next books and completed the novels before the related modules were written. ''Dragonlance'' eventually received ancillary products such as novels, calendars, computer games, and books of artwork.


Further development

In the mid to late 1980s, a rift developed between TSR and the authors. Weis and Hickman were feeling under-appreciated and, when TSR turned down their ''
Darksword The ''Darksword'' series consists of the initial three books of ''The Darksword Trilogy'', a supplemental role-playing volume, and a single-volume sequel. It was written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman with cover art by Larry Elmore. It is the ...
'' series of novels, they went to
Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
. Bantam made them an offer, which they accepted, and they stopped writing ''Dragonlance'' novels for TSR. They returned to write '' Dragons of Summer Flame'' for TSR in 1995, thinking it would be their final ''Dragonlance'' novel. At the time, ''Dragonlance'' gaming had been converted to the
SAGA System The SAGA System is a role-playing game system that uses "fate cards" to determine the effects of actions. The cards have numbers, suits, positive and negative states, and role-playing cues that guide the gamemaster in telling the story and administ ...
, with limited success, and that, combined with TSR's general financial troubles, put the setting's future in doubt. Wizards of the Coast bought the troubled TSR in 1997, and Weis and Hickman then proposed the ''
War of Souls ''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many '' ...
'' trilogy, which was published in 2000–2002. All three novels made the ''New York Times'' bestseller list, and the setting was commercially revitalized. By 1998, the original ''Dragonlance'' trilogy had sold well over three million copies worldwide and spawned dozens of sequels. The central books of the ''Dragonlance'' series were written by the authoring team of Weis and Hickman; however, many other writers have made contributions, including Richard A. Knaak,
Douglas Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the ''Star Frontiers'' space o ...
,
Roger E. Moore Roger E. Moore (born July 11, 1955, in Winchester, Kentucky) is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of '' Dragon'' magazine and was the founding editor of ''Dungeon'' magazine. Early life Mo ...
,
Don Perrin Don Perrin (born 1 October 1964) is a Canadian writer and former military officer. Early life and education Born in Iserlohn, Germany, Perrin grew up in Kingston, ON, Canada, McMasterville, QC, Canada, Bromley, Kent, England, and Ottawa, ON, Can ...
,
Jean Rabe Jean Rabe is an American journalist, editor, gamer and writer of fantasy and mystery. After a career as a newspaper reporter, she was employed by TSR, Inc. for several years as head of the Role Playing Game Association and editor of the ''Polyhe ...
, Paul B. Thompson,
Tonya C. Cook Tonya may refer to: * Tonya (name), the given name, and people by that name * Tonya, Turkey, a town and district of Trabzon Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey * Tonya, Uganda * Ton'ya (問屋) trade brokers of ancient Japan See also * I, ...
, Michael Williams,
Nancy Varian Berberick Nancy Varian Berberick (born 1951) is an American fantasy author well known for her work in the Dragonlance series. Biography Her Wizards of the Coast biography mentions that she is fond of going through a thesaurus. She enjoys Beowulf, Norse ...
, and
Chris Pierson Chris Pierson is an American computer game designer as well as an author of several books in the ''Dragonlance'' saga. He has written many books for the series. Career Chris Pierson was born in Canada. Chris first wanted to write novels for the ...
. In 2001, Wizards of the Coast licensed
Sovereign Press Sovereign Press, Incorporated is a publisher and distributor of role-playing games based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1998 by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin and is one of two companies that Weis owns. Games produced Sovereign P ...
to publish further ''Dragonlance'' game materials. This began with the newly revised ''
Dragonlance Campaign Setting ''Dragonlance Campaign Setting'' is an accessory for the Dragonlance campaign setting, for the 3.5 edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Contents The ''Dragonlance Campaign Setting'' hardcover updated the Dragonlance ...
'' in 2003, which used the new ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd Edition rules. In April 2007, Wizards of the Coast had not renewed Sovereign's license, and ''Dragonlance'' RPG game supplements and accessories were only released through the end of the year. In October 2020, Weis and Hickman filed suit against Wizards of the Coast for breaching a licensing deal with Weis and Hickman for a new ''Dragonlance'' novel trilogy. ''
Boing Boing ''Boing Boing'' is a website, first established as a zine in 1988, later becoming a group blog. Common topics and themes include technology, futurism, science fiction, gadgets, intellectual property, Disney, and left-wing politics. It twice won ...
'' reported that "according to the lawsuit, Weis and Hickman agreed with Wizards of the Coast to produce the new novels in 2017, capping off the series and giving fans a final sendoff, but the company pulled the plug in August 2020". In December, Weis and Hickman filed to voluntarily dismiss without prejudice their lawsuit, and "the filing noted that Wizards of the Coast had not formally answered their lawsuit, nor had they filed for a summary judgement". Weis and Hickman's publishing agent affirmed a few weeks following this that a new trilogy of ''Dragonlance'' novels was in the works; the first of the new trilogy is scheduled to be released in August 2022. In December 2022, the first Dragonlance adventure module, titled '' Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen'', for 5th Edition will be released. The module will be set during the War of the Lance; Wizards of the Coast has stated that the module will not require prior knowledge of the setting or the novels to play the module. An integrated board game, titled ''Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn'', will also be released; it was designed by Stephen Baker and
Rob Daviau Rob Daviau is an American game designer known for creating legacy board gaming. Career He has guest lectured at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, and New York University on game design and has been a visitin ...
. ''Dragonlance: Warriors of Krynn'' is a
wargame A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
that focuses on military battles during the War of the Lance. Both games can be played independently; however, the adventure module includes rules for using the board game to resolve the military battles that occur in the narrative.


Media


Campaign setting

TSR created ''Dragonlance'' as a campaign setting for the ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...
'' (''AD&D'')
roleplaying game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
in 1982, publishing the first of a series of
modules Broadly speaking, modularity is the degree to which a system's components may be separated and recombined, often with the benefit of flexibility and variety in use. The concept of modularity is used primarily to reduce complexity by breaking a sy ...
, ''
Dragons of Despair ''Dragons of Despair'' is the first in a series of 16 ''Dragonlance'' adventures published by TSR, Inc. (TSR) between 1984 and 1988. It is the start of the first major story arc in the ''Dragonlance'' series of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
'', in March 1984. They published the first world-spanning sourcebook, ''
Dragonlance Adventures ''Dragonlance Adventures'' is a 128-page hardcover book for the Dragonlance campaign setting for the first edition of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Contents ''Dragonlance Adventures'' is a supplement which details ...
'', in 1987. When ''AD&D'' was updated to the 2nd edition in 1989, the ''Dragonlance'' campaign setting was updated as well. However, in 1996, ''Dragonlance'' was converted to use the new
SAGA System The SAGA System is a role-playing game system that uses "fate cards" to determine the effects of actions. The cards have numbers, suits, positive and negative states, and role-playing cues that guide the gamemaster in telling the story and administ ...
, which uses cards to determine the effects of actions, with the publication of the '' Dragonlance: Fifth Age'' roleplaying game. When the 3rd edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' was released in 2000, ''Dragonlance'' was not initially updated for the new edition. In 2002, Margaret Weis's company
Sovereign Press Sovereign Press, Incorporated is a publisher and distributor of role-playing games based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1998 by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin and is one of two companies that Weis owns. Games produced Sovereign P ...
acquired the license to publish 3rd Edition ''Dragonlance'' material. The official update, ''
Dragonlance Campaign Setting ''Dragonlance Campaign Setting'' is an accessory for the Dragonlance campaign setting, for the 3.5 edition of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Contents The ''Dragonlance Campaign Setting'' hardcover updated the Dragonlance ...
'', was published in 2003 for the 3.5 Edition.
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
turned over all responsibility for maintaining the ''Dragonlance'' setting to Sovereign Press until 2007. The campaign setting was not supported during the 4th Edition era (2008-2013) of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. In March 2022, Wizards released the PDF ''Heroes of Krynn'' which is part of the "
Unearthed Arcana ''Unearthed Arcana'' (abbreviated UA) is the title shared by two hardback books published for different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Both were designed as supplements to the core rulebooks, containing materi ...
" public playtest series for the 5th Edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' commented that this "all but confirmed" the return of the Dragonlance setting. In April 2022, it was announced that the setting will be revisited in December 2022 with a new adventure module for the 5th Edition.


Novels

The main storyline of the original ''Dragonlance'' series has been written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, with multiple books written by other authors, covering years between and sometimes during the main events. * The ''
Chronicles Chronicles may refer to: * ''Books of Chronicles'', in the Bible * Chronicle, chronological histories * ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', a novel series by C. S. Lewis * ''Holinshed's Chronicles'', the collected works of Raphael Holinshed * ''The Idhu ...
'' trilogy relates the events since the meeting of the Companions until the end of the
War of the Lance The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the '' Dragonlance Legen ...
and the defeat of the Dragon armies of Ansalon. * The ''
Legends A legend is a historical narrative, a symbolic representation of folk belief. Legend(s) or The Legend(s) may also refer to: Narrative * Urban legend, a widely repeated story of dubious truth * A fictitious identity used in espionage Books, co ...
'' trilogy covers the
Blue Lady's War ''Dragonlance Legends'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the sequel to the ''Dragonlance Chronicles'', and focus on Raistlin and Caramon. The t ...
, as well as the past adventures of Raistlin and
Caramon Majere Caramon Majere (326 AC - 38 SC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance books. He is depicted as a fighter and is one of the main characters in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first Dragonlance trilogy, the ''Dragonlance Chronicles''. C ...
, culminating in Raistlin's attempt to achieve
godhood Divinity or the divine are things that are either related to, devoted to, or proceeding from a deity.divine
. The books feature time travel, and focus on events in Istar before the Cataclysm, as well as the ensuing Dwarfgate Wars. * ''
The Second Generation ''The Second Generation'' is a collection of five novellas in the fantasy genre by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. It is part of the Dragonlance series. Plot introduction This book is in fact five novellas by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Th ...
'' is a single compilation book which picks the most important tales from the ''Tales'' series and details the children of the Companions, all of whom become players in the later story. This book is considered to be part of the main storyline, as it must be read to understand the events that happened between the War of the Lance and the Chaos War. This novel develops characters that would later be seen in the ''
War of Souls ''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many '' ...
'' trilogy. * '' Dragons of Summer Flame'' covers the
Chaos War "Chaos War" is a Marvel Comics storyline that began publication in October 2010 across nine comic book series: the five-issue miniseries ''Chaos War'', written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, supplemented by seven branded miniseries or one-sho ...
, also known as the Second Cataclysm. The gods and mortals join forces to defeat Chaos in his attempt to destroy Krynn. The war ends with the withdrawal of Chaos and the gods of Krynn in a divine agreement to keep the world safe. * '' Dragons in the Archives: The Best of Weis and Hickman Anthology'' is another compilation of short stories which were previously published in other anthologies. These stories take place at different points of time in the world of Krynn. This book provides backstory to some of the characters and situations presented in the ''
War of Souls ''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many '' ...
'' trilogy. * ''
The War of Souls ''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many '' ...
'' trilogy begins as a strange storm courses through Krynn, heralding the
War of Souls ''The War of Souls'' is a trilogy of ''New York Times'' best selling novels published between 2000 and 2002. The trilogy focuses on the titular fictional war (the War of Souls) set in the popular ''Dragonlance'' fictional universe. Like many '' ...
. The end of the war brings the return of the gods,
Takhisis Takhisis is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' universe. She is depicted as the main goddess of evil in the setting and head of the Dark Pantheon. Titles and forms Within the Dragonlance universe, Takhisis was a sister of Gilean a ...
's death, and the departure of Paladine as head of the good gods in order to maintain the balance between Good and Evil. * '' The Dark Disciple'' trilogy follows the death of
Takhisis Takhisis is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' universe. She is depicted as the main goddess of evil in the setting and head of the Dark Pantheon. Titles and forms Within the Dragonlance universe, Takhisis was a sister of Gilean a ...
and the departure of Paladine, when the lesser gods strive to maintain dominance. * The '' Lost Chronicles'' trilogy is a companion to the original ''Chronicles''. Each book of the trilogy fills in sections of the story previously left untold. It tells the story surrounding the recovery of the Hammer of Kharas, how the Companions retrieve the dragon orb from Ice Wall, how
Kitiara Uth Matar Kitiara Uth Matar is a fictional character appearing in the Dragonlance campaign setting created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. She is the daughter of a disgraced Solamnic Knight named Gregor Uth Matar and his first wife, Rosamun. She is als ...
and
Lord Soth Lord Soth, the Knight of the Black Rose, is a fictional character appearing in the fantasy realms of ''Dragonlance'' and later ''Ravenloft''. He is depicted as a death knight and fallen Knight of Solamnia from the world of Krynn. Development Ac ...
became allies, and how
Raistlin Majere Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in '' Dragonlance Legends'' in which he ...
took the Black Robes in Neraka.


Video games

Eight
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s are set in the Dragonlance world. They belong to six different
genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
and were released within five years, from 1988 to 1992. ''DL01 - Dragons of Despair'' and ''DL02 - Dragons of Flame'' (corresponding to the events in the first novel, ''Dragons of Autumn Twilight'') were adapted into the video games '' Heroes of the Lance'' and '' Dragons of Flame'', respectively. Instead of being role-playing video games, they are
platform game A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
s using the Silver Box
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
. ''DL03 - Dragons of Hope'' and ''DL04 - Dragons of Desolation'' (corresponding to the events between the first and the second novel) were adapted into the video game ''
Shadow Sorcerer ''Shadow Sorcerer'' is a role-playing video game published in 1991 by Strategic Simulations. The game is the sequel to ''Heroes of the Lance'' and '' Dragons of Flame''. It is based on the third and fourth Dragonlance campaign modules, '' Dragons ...
''. Released in 1991, this early
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
game is a direct sequel to the first two games and a prequel to ''War of the Lance'' (1989). ''DL11 - Dragons of Glory'' is a self-contained tabletop strategy game (corresponding to the events in the background of the third novel, ''Dragons of Spring Dawning'') that was adapted into the
turn-based strategy A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a Strategy video game, strategy game (usually some type of wargaming, wargame, especially a wargaming#Unit or map scale, strategic-level wargame) where players take Time-keeping systems in games, turns when pla ...
game ''
War of the Lance The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the '' Dragonlance Legen ...
''. '' DragonStrike'' is a 1990
combat flight simulation game Combat flight simulators are vehicle simulation games, amateur flight simulation computer programs used to simulate military aircraft and their operations. These are distinct from dedicated flight simulators used for professional pilot and mili ...
whose plot begins halfway through the previous video game. The 1992 NES remake is a
scrolling shooter In computer displays, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display, vertically or horizontally. "Scrolling," as such, does not change the layout of the text ...
that features an ending different from the one in the novels, but following and fixing a "bad ending" from ''DL14 - Dragons of Triumph''. Neither game is based directly on any tabletop module. The Gold Box trilogy (''
Champions of Krynn ''Champions of Krynn'' is role-playing video game, the first in a three-part series of Dragonlance ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' "Gold Box" games. The game was released in 1990 in video gaming, 1990. The highest graphics setting supported in ...
'', '' Death Knights of Krynn'', and ''
The Dark Queen of Krynn ''The Dark Queen of Krynn'' is the third in a three-part series of Dragonlance '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' " Gold Box" role-playing video games. The game was released in 1992. Plot At the beginning of the game, the characters are summoned b ...
'') are the only
role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
s based on Dragonlance. They tell an original story that begins shortly after the events in the 14 tabletop modules. Apart from those, the
MUSH In multiplayer online games, a MUSH (a backronymed variation on MUD most often expanded as Multi-User Shared Hallucination, though Multi-User Shared Hack, Habitat, and Holodeck are also observed) is a text-based online social medium to which mult ...
game ''DragonLance'' is based on Krynn during the final stage of the
War of the Lance The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the '' Dragonlance Legen ...
.


Other

The series has inspired mention in music as well, including " Wishmaster", a song by
Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neva ...
based partially on the master and apprentice relationship between
Raistlin Majere Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in '' Dragonlance Legends'' in which he ...
and
Dalamar This is a list of characters in the ''Dragonlance'' series of fantasy novels and related fantasy role-playing game materials. It includes accounts of their early lives in the series. Characters Alhana Starbreeze Alhana Starbreeze, Silvanesti El ...
. The Swedish
metal band Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed ...
Lake of Tears Lake of Tears is a Swedish heavy metal band originally formed in 1994, generally considered to play gothic metal/gothic rock and doom metal. However, their sound has expanded to include psychedelic rock and progressive rock elements. The band ...
also recorded a song called "Raistlin and the Rose" on their 1997 album ''Crimson Cosmos'', while the German group
Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.A Night at the Opera''. Also Danish/American band Pyramaze recorded in their 2008 album ''Immortal'' song "Caramon's Poem". Another German metal band, Evertale, released ''The Chronicles Chapter I'' EP in 2008 and the full album ''Of Dragons And Elves'' in 2013 - both releases were composed entirely of songs inspired by and relating to Dragonlance. Yet another German metal band, Pegasus, bases all its material on the Dragonlance mythos. A Russian concept album (2009-2010) and musical (premiered 2014) based on Raitslin's story, '' The Last Trial'', was created by Anton Kruglov and Yelena Khanpira. In 2008, '' Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight'', an animated movie based on the first ''Dragonlance'' book of the same name, was released
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
. The animation was produced by
Toonz Animation Toonz is a 2D animation software program. The base application is currently managed by Dwango as open-source software under the name OpenToonz. An extended commercial variant for professional individuals and studios, Toonz Premium, is being de ...
, and featured the voices of
Lucy Lawless Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined '' Battlestar Galactica'' seri ...
,
Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer William Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a British-Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox drama series '' 24'' (2001–2010, 2014), for which he won an Emmy Award, a Golden Glo ...
,
Michael Rosenbaum Michael Owen Rosenbaum (born July 11, 1972) is an American actor and podcaster. He is known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman television series ''Smallville'', a role that ''TV Guide'' included in their 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Vill ...
, and
Michelle Trachtenberg Michelle Trachtenberg (; born October 11, 1985) is an American actress and model. Trachtenberg began her career at age three, appearing in a number of commercials, films, and television series as a child. Her starring role on the Nickelodeon tel ...
. In late 2011, Holysoft Studios Ltd. released the first part of a German audio adaption of the Chronicles Trilogy, with subsequent releases of the later trilogies being announced. In
comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
, Krynn has been represented on the 1988 ''
Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving in t ...
'' series by
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
and TSR. More recently,
Devil's Due Publishing Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...
and
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
have also produced a number of comic book series: ''The Legend of Huma'' (2003), ''Chronicles'' (2005) and ''Legends'' (2008).


World

The ''Dragonlance'' world is described in dozens of books and novels. The setting contains numerous
characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
, an extensive timeline, and a detailed geography.


Setting

''Dragonlance'' is set on the world of Krynn. The majority of the novels take place in the various regions of Ansalon, a small continent, though some have taken place on the continent of Taladas, located northeast of Ansalon. The world's major gods are the High God and his children: good Paladine, neutral Gilean, and evil
Takhisis Takhisis is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' universe. She is depicted as the main goddess of evil in the setting and head of the Dark Pantheon. Titles and forms Within the Dragonlance universe, Takhisis was a sister of Gilean a ...
. The gods are opposed by Chaos, who seeks to destroy Krynn. Depending on the time period, the evil
chromatic Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are most often used to characterize scales, and are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, ...
and the good
metallic dragon In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature. As a group, ''D&D'' dragons are loosely based upon dragons from a wide range of fictional and mythological sources. Dungeons & ...
s are rare or plentiful.
Humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
are Krynn's most common humanoid race, but
elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
, dwarves, kender,
gnomes A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its character ...
, and
minotaurs In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
occupy the world as well. Clerics derive magical powers from their gods, and wizards derive their power from the three moon gods, good Solinari, neutral Lunitari, and evil Nuitari. Hickman had previously served as a
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
missionary in
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
for two years, and uses
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
in ''Dragonlance'' spells. During Krynn's various wars, armies of draconians are used as troops. Draconians are created by corrupting a dragon egg, thereby creating a reptilian humanoid. Any dragon egg can be used to make a draconian, although the ones most commonly used are good dragon eggs because the evil kings want more evil dragons to hatch. Other gods of the setting include the gods of good Branchala, Habbakuk, Kiri-Jolith, Majere, and Mishakal; the gods of neutrality Chislev, Reorx, Shinare, Sirrion, and Zivilyn; and the gods of evil, Chemosh, Hiddukel, Morgion, Sargonnas, and Zeboim.


Fictional history

The history of the world of Krynn, and thus the settings for both the novels and gaming supplements, is roughly split into five separate ages. The first age is the time of creation, when the gods are born and Krynn is formed. The Age of Dreams, the second age, is marked by the rapid growth of the world's first great civilizations and the appearance of myriad new races. This era is also marked by three great wars between dragons and their minions. Following the Third Dragon War, in the Age of Might, the Cataclysm obliterates the great empire of
Istar ISTAR stands for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing t ...
and changes almost the entire surface of Krynn. A 300-year depression follows this event, in what is called the Age of Despair. This period also marks the
War of the Lance The ''Dragonlance Chronicles'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which take place in the Dragonlance setting. This series is the first set of Dragonlance novels, and is followed by the '' Dragonlance Legen ...
. When Dragonlance was first introduced to ''Dungeons & Dragons'', events such as the Lost Wars happened during The Age of Despair. Later Age of Mortals novels and game supplements took Krynn into the Fifth Age (the Age of Mortals).


Dragonlances

Dragonlances are weapons first created in the Third Dragon War, designed with the purpose of killing evil
dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
, and are the only weapons with which mortals who cannot use magic can kill dragons. Dragonlances have this power because of the way in which they are created, which requires the use of "two god-blessed artifacts". Dragonlances are rare and not commonly traded. There are lesser dragonlances, which are made when only one of the artifacts is used to create them, and greater dragonlances, which are made when both artifacts are used to make them. Greater dragonlances are blessed with the power of Good, unlike lesser dragonlances. There are two sizes of dragonlance. The smaller footman's dragonlance is around eight feet long and functions as a
pole weapon A polearm or pole weapon is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is fitted to the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, thereby extending the user's effective range and striking power. Polearms are predominantly ...
, while the larger mounted dragonlance is around sixteen feet long and most commonly used when mounted on a dragon.


Characters

The Heroes of the Lance are the protagonists of the ''Chronicles'' trilogy, the first series of ''Dragonlance'' books. They were created by Weis and Hickman, then fleshed out as
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
s in gaming sessions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' at Hickman's apartment. One player at this initial gaming session was game designer Terry Phillips, who was playing as Raistlin. According to Hickman in the foreword to ''The Soulforge'', " ewere just settling in to the game when I turned to my good friend Terry Phillips and asked what his character was doing. Terry spoke...and the world of Krynn was forever changed. His rasping voice, his sarcasm and bitterness all masking an arrogance and power that never needed to be stated suddenly were real. Everyone in the room was both transfixed and terrified. To this day Margaret
eis Eis or EIS may refer to: Education * Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne, in Australia * Educational Institute of Scotland, a trade union * Ekamai International School, in Bangkok, Thailand * English for Integrated Studies, a program in T ...
swears that Terry wore the black robes to the party that night". In a "Traveling Road Show" put on to publicize the novels, the Heroes of the Lance were played by various people. Authors Gary and Janet Pack played the half-elf
Tanis Half-Elven Tanis Half-Elven is a fictional half-elven character in the Dragonlance series of books, which were published by TSR, and are now published by Wizards of the Coast. He is first introduced in the book '' Dragons of Autumn Twilight'' by Margaret ...
and the kender
Tasslehoff Burrfoot Tasslehoff Burrfoot (often called Tas) is a fictional character of the Kender (fantasy), kender race from the Dragonlance series of novels, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. He was born in Kendermore (Krynn), Kendermore. His parents are ...
, respectively. Author
Douglas Niles Douglas Niles (born December 1, 1954, in Brookfield, Wisconsin) is a fantasy author and game designer. Niles was one of the creators of the Dragonlance world and the author of the first three Forgotten Realms novels, the ''Star Frontiers'' space o ...
played the dwarf
Flint Fireforge Flint Fireforge is a fictional dwarf character appearing in the Dragonlance series of books. The dwarf Flint Fireforge is one of the six Heroes of the Lance. He is the second of thirteen children. He was born and lived in (for a time) the village ...
. TSR employee Harold Johnson played the Solamnic knight
Sturm Brightblade Sturm Brightblade is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' series of role playing games and novels, based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons franchise. The character was created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman and is published by Wizar ...
. The rest of the Heroes are the barbarians
Goldmoon Goldmoon (also known as ''Goldmoon of the Que Shu tribe'' or just ''Goldmoon of the Que Shu'') is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' fantasy series of List of Dragonlance novels, novels and Role-playing game, role playing games, origin ...
and Riverwind, elf
Laurana Kanan Laurana Kanan (also known as ''Lauralanthalasa Kanan''), is a fictional character, one of the Heroes of the Lance in the ''Dragonlance'' fantasy series, written by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, originally published by TSR, Inc. and later by Wi ...
, and humans
Caramon Majere Caramon Majere (326 AC - 38 SC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance books. He is depicted as a fighter and is one of the main characters in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first Dragonlance trilogy, the ''Dragonlance Chronicles''. C ...
(Raistlin's brother) and
Tika Waylan This is a list of characters in the ''Dragonlance'' series of fantasy novels and related fantasy role-playing game materials. It includes accounts of their early lives in the series. Characters Alhana Starbreeze Alhana Starbreeze, Silvanesti El ...
. Weis played Fizban the Fabulous. In the beginning, Margaret Weis had problems depicting
Tanis Half-Elven Tanis Half-Elven is a fictional half-elven character in the Dragonlance series of books, which were published by TSR, and are now published by Wizards of the Coast. He is first introduced in the book '' Dragons of Autumn Twilight'' by Margaret ...
in the novels. Tracy Hickman finally told her that "he's
James T. Kirk James Tiberius Kirk is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in ''Star Trek'' serving aboard the starship USS ''Enterprise'' as captain. Kirk leads ...
of the Starship ''Enterprise''". After that explanation, Margaret had no more difficulty writing about Tanis. Other noteworthy antagonists, and sometimes protagonists, are the Death Knight
Lord Soth Lord Soth, the Knight of the Black Rose, is a fictional character appearing in the fantasy realms of ''Dragonlance'' and later ''Ravenloft''. He is depicted as a death knight and fallen Knight of Solamnia from the world of Krynn. Development Ac ...
and
Kitiara Uth Matar Kitiara Uth Matar is a fictional character appearing in the Dragonlance campaign setting created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. She is the daughter of a disgraced Solamnic Knight named Gregor Uth Matar and his first wife, Rosamun. She is als ...
, the half-sister of Raistlin and Caramon, and leader of one of the
Dragonarmies of Ansalon This is a list of characters in the ''Dragonlance'' series of fantasy novels and related fantasy role-playing game materials. It includes accounts of their early lives in the series. Characters Alhana Starbreeze Alhana Starbreeze, Silvanesti El ...
. According to Hickman, Lord Soth is the most unpredictable character to write about, saying: "Every time that character made an appearance in one of our books he would try to run off with the story".


Locations

The world of Dragonlance is set on the planet of Krynn, with most of the action taking place on the continent of Ansalon. Some of the key countries and areas on Ansalon are the Plains of Dust, Solamnia with its great metropolis, Palanthas, the Blood Sea Isles, the Empire of Ergoth, Istar, and Sancrist, the elven kingdom of Silvanesti, as well as the dwarven realm of Thorbardin. Important cities and towns and other locations include Solace (location of the Inn of the Last Home, and Sad Town), the High Clerist's Tower, Palanthas, Kendermore, Port Balifor (location of the Pig and Whistle Tavern), and the various Towers of High Sorcery.


Races

Like in many ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...
'' campaign settings, the fictional world of the ''Dragonlance'' campaign is shaped by the division by race, with white humans as the central focus, but also including elves, goblins, and many others. With the species in many cases clearly assigned to "good" and "evil", some critics have suggested that the setting had the potential to raise racist expectations. The authors take an active stance against racist ideology and ensure that a "fascistic genocidal campaign to wipe-out species that are considered 'impure'" would have catastrophic consequences. In contrast, the need for tolerance and cooperation between the races is emphasized.


Reception

''Dragonlance'' is one of the most popular shared worlds, worlds in which writers other than those that created them place adventures. The first ''Dragonlance'' trilogy, ''Chronicles'', launched the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' line of novels, with many of its characters spun off into other novels. Along with ''
Forgotten Realms ''Forgotten Realms'' is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a ...
'', ''Dragonlance'' is TSR's most popular series of novels. According to ''The 1990s'' by Marc Oxoby, what is most notable about the series is that "what may at one time been considered disposable, escapist literature" found "unprecedented popularity" in the 1990s. All of the ''Dragonlance'' novels remained in print during the decade, turning Weis and Hickman into literary stars and boosting sales of their non-''Dragonlance'' novels. Although the series was initially published in paperback, its success led to hardcover printings. The hardcover version of ''Dragons of Summer Flame'' had an "impressive" first printing of 200,000 books. Every ''Dragonlance'' novel by Weis and Hickman since 1995 has been released in hardcover, and some previous novels have been re-released in hardcover collector's editions. ''Dragonlance'' made TSR one of the most successful publishers of science fiction and fantasy in the 1990s. By 2008, there were more than 190 novels in the ''Dragonlance'' franchise. Weis and Hickman's ''Dragonlance'' novels have made over twenty bestseller lists, with sales in excess of 22 million. The pair's novels have been translated into
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
,
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
,
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
,
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
,
Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...
,
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, French,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
,
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
,
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
, Greek and Turkish and have sold well in the United States, Britain, and Australia. Not all critics have praised ''Dragonlance'' and its creators. According to author Stephen Hunt, Wendy Bradley of '' Interzone'' magazine does not think highly of their work. Hunt feels that it is unusual for authors to receive such loathing among "fantasy's literary mafia", saying: "Behind every critic's scorn laden insult, there that unsaid thought at the end: 'But I could have written that! ''Visions of Wonder'', edited by
David G. Hartwell David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also no ...
and
Milton T. Wolf Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free ...
, and published by the
Science Fiction Research Association The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), founded in 1970, is the oldest, non-profit professional organization committed to encouraging, facilitating, and rewarding the study of science fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media. ...
, argues that ''Dragonlance'' is published under the "omnivore theory" of publishing. In this theory, the readership is made up of teenagers, and completely replaces itself every three to five years. This allows publishers to release subpar novels and still reach a small yet profitable audience.


See also

*


Citations


General sources

*


External links


Dragonlance.com (Official Gaming Site)

Dragonlance - Official ''The Fifth Age'' Online Comic

Dragonlance Movie Site
- official site for news about movies based on ''Dragonlance''. {{D&D topics Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings