From:	Tarek Okail Tarek_Okail@**********.com
Subject:	Jak Koke E-Mail (Concerning the SR Novels)
Date:	Fri, 16 Jul 1999 01:11:44 -0400

Jak--

>So my question is, finally, what role do you believe the SR
>novels should play in the larger plots of the SR Universe?

I don't understand the criticisms of your Dragon Heart
Trilogy. For me, game novels are designed to do two things: One,
establish or illuminate small areas of the game world, and Two,
resolve the *really big* plotlines. A lot of background material
and questions did get answered in the Dragon Heart trilogy, and
contrary to some listmember's opinions, I liked seeing this stuff.
I'd like to see more of it, though some of this background
material should be left for adventures and sourcebooks.
You also have to figure that this is all history; Interesting
as it is, the question of, say, "How did the Ghost Dancers learn their
magic?" is pretty much irrelevant to the everyday business of Shadowrun.
Yes, I said irrelevant. The business of Shadowrun and 'runners
is low-level intercorporate/international warfare.
While it may be fun for the players to have their GM work out
the details in a campaign, it's not all that fun for the GM sometimes.
Further, I prefer an "official" answer to many of these questions.

At the same time, I have to say that I disliked The Forever
Drug. I didn't object so much to the revalation of the Jewel of Memory
or the "Vaccine", so much as the fact that the book started out on one
track and then diverged onto another for no good reason. It would have
been an interesting read if the author had stuck with the "Will-o-wisp"
-as-drug plotline, but the addition of the two "Dunkelzahn's Will"
elements should have been left out. They should have been dealt with in
other ways and in other places.

Let's not forget that even if the "true" answer is revealed
in a novel, that doesn't mean that the plotline is over or forbidden;
For all the world knows, Dunkelzahn *was* assassinated. The hunt is
*still* on for his killer. Sure, the players may know better, but it
doesn't mean that the characters can't be hired to track down some
person or datum related to the Big D's death. If a playing group is
immature enough that they can't separate player knowledge from
character knowledge, they shouldn't be playing that plotline anyway.

So what if players can't play, say, the events of the Dragon
Heart Trilogy? They're not meant to play at that level. There can only
be so many at the top, and quite frankly, when you're talking about
major world-shaking events that are detailed in novels, you *need* to
be able to name the characters that are involved.

Shadowrun novels should still do those two things; Spotlight
the little details of the Shadowrun setting, and deal with the grand
plot elements that just can't be handled in a sourcebook; like Dead
Air and the Dragon Heart Trilogy have done.

Shadowmage