Hiero's Journey (Sterling E. Lanier) - Appendix N and Beyond!

Title: Hiero's Journey
Author: Sterling E. Lanier
Appendix N Status: Part of the original Appenix N list by Gary Gygax

     One of the books that was part of Gary Gygax's (in)famous "Apppendix N" in the original Dungeon Master's Guide, this book is not so much fantasy as sci-fi, or as the book itself proclaims, "A Romance of the Future." The story is set about 5000 years after a nuclear holocaust (which was probably supposed to have taken place in the late 20th century), in the northern parts of central and eastern North America that were once Canada (now "Kanda") and the United States. The protagonist (dare I say "hero?") of the tale is Hiero, a priest of the "Universal Church" (based on a survival of the Catholic Church, but having jettisoned celibacy) and a sort of ranger. Hiero is sent on a mission into the unknown wilderness on a mission for his church, accompanied by a sort of moose-horse mount called a morse (named "Klootz"). It may sound silly, but it is not.

     There are lots of great fantasy elements here that clearly informed early D&D - the hero, his mission into the wilds, exploration of dangerous wilderness and "dungeons" (ruins from before the nuclear holocaust known as "the Death"), dangerous monsters (mostly mutations spawned by radiation, including some sentient species), and so forth. Other particularly D&D type elements include:

* Psionics - not referred to as "psionics," but that is clearly what these mental disciplines are. And many of the descriptions of psionic combat sound like they informed D&D psionics.
* "Points of Light" - an old D&D element revived as a major theme in 4th edition D&D, the idea of civilization being rare, that civilized settlements are "points of light" in a vast wilderness of darkness.
* Ancient Wonders - one of the great themes of D&D is the exploration of "dungeons" and other ruins in search of ancient wonders and treasures, which necessitates an older time of civilization and glory that left behind such wonders. The post-apocalypse setting of this book provides a built-in justification for ancient wonders, of technology rather than magic.

      There are also some lesser possible influences, like the sentient psionic fungus realm of "the House," which reminded me strongly of some fungal menaces in D&D and of the demonic Zuggtmoy in the Temple of Elemental Evil.

     Overall, I found Hiero's Journey exceptionally readable and surprisingly enjoyable, and recommend it to all gamers, Old School or not, seeking inspiration in Appendix N. Enjoy!