Review and Thoughts on "Slaying the Dragon" by Ben Riggs

Two years ago most Gen Con events were virtual due to the Covid pandemic. I signed up for several sessions by Ben Riggs about the fall of TSR and the purchase of the company by Wizards of the Coast. Ben was an engaging and knowledgeable presenter, and I watched most of his sessions twice. I was very excited to hear he was publishing a book based on his research and this year the book was slated for release on my birthday. "Slaying the Dragon A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons" was at the top of my Amazon wish list and I was thrilled to receive a copy. With my own gaming preparation and 5e conversion efforts I do not get through as many books as I used to, but I absolutely devoured this enjoyable book. Mr. Riggs's writing is as engaging as the presentations I attended two years ago and the book is full of informative and interesting stories about the rise and fall of TSR. I enthusiastically recommend purchasing this book to anyone interested in learning more about why particular products were developed and TSR in the 80s and 90s and why the company failed and was sold to Wizards of the Coast. 

 I started playing Dungeons and Dragons around 1980 give or take a year. I remember the release of 2nd Edition when I was finishing high school and starting college. I also remember the explosion of settings in the 1990s. I was always more interested in my homebrew world(s) and \ or Greyhawk and could not bring myself to invest in or learn all of these settings. Mr. Riggs provides a lot of context as to why each of these settings was developed, and how ironically they contributed to the fall of TSR. 

 The tail end of the book was surprisingly emotional. Reading about the mass firings on a Friday before Christmas felt like a punch to the gut. Stories from the various former employees humanized what happened, and I found myself pausing and looking over the cover of the book to my wife remarking on how awful and depressing this was. The change in management style and the resurrection and rescue of Dungeons and Dragons by Wizards of the Coast was thankfully an enjoyable and uplifting ending to the story. I have 25 years of experience managing people and have had both great bosses and some who were not so great. The change in leadership style as Peter Atkinson took over is clearly conveyed and after the mass firing on Christmas eve before ended the book on a positive and uplifting note. I was left wondering if the story of TSR would make a good documentary or fictional film. I would watch it! It is unfortunate but very understandable that Loraine Williams, the woman in charge of TSR during the 80s and 90s did not want to be interviewed. Mr. Riggs does his best to fill in the gaps and gives her credit and praise where it is due. Perhaps someday she will speak on the record. 

 While watching Ben Riggs's presentations a few years ago, he wound up with a lot of information about the development of 3rd Edition Dungeons and Dragons. This information was fascinating and is completely absent from the book. Perhaps he has enough additional material for a sequel. Mr. Riggs's writing is easy to follow and understand and is touched with a bit of humor and wit. I would absolutely recommend "Slaying the Dragon" and hope he writes another book with his additional research.