Is Dungeons & Dragons the foundation upon which modern geek culture stands?

The role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons has been with us for many a decade now which means we pretty much take it for granted, but it's hard not to overstate its importance to geek culture. This writer takes a look back at where the game came from and how it survived to the present and what effect it had on our times.

The game has been demonized over the years as being a bad influence on kids, but those of us who played it and grew up to be relatively normal adults realize what a bunch of bull that it is. Too bad no one told that the courts in Wisconsin. They upheld a ruling that that state's prisons can forbid inmates from playing the game because it leads to "gang" activity. Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

The original creators of D&D are now dead and many of their contemporaries are starting to grow older and join them in the Grey Havens. Some are starting to think its important to start preserving their histories before they all die off. Even documentarians are making films about the hobby. And if you like to read fiction inspired by role-playing games that is not written as a marketing tie-in, there's a new anthology inspired by gamers.