On the 6^th March 2008 a man called Gary Cygax died. It is a name that probably does not mean a great deal to many but he was one of the creators of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

The fantasy genre is possibly the oldest form of story telling and the invention of Dungeons & Dragons breathed new life and created new interest in the fantasy works of JRR Tolkien. Some believed that the role-playing game was basically The Lord of the Rings in a game format.

D&D’s heyday was in the late 1970s and the 1980s and this had a very positive effect on the careers of fantasy authors such as David Eddings and Terry Pratchett.

Although Dungeons & Dragons may always be regarded as the ultimate in geekiness it gave the fantasy genre a much-needed boost in the public conscience and helped it to be in the good health that we find it today.