D&D co-creator passes away

Gary Gygax, one of the creators of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, has passed away.

Mr. Gygax is mainly known for his part in creating D&D, but he also helped created a handful of other games and was also a novelist. While many writers might not consider Gary's death of much import, and I personally can't say I followed his life or was a huge fan, I feel it is important to keep in mind what an important role he played in modern fantasy ficiton.

Without D&D, we might not have much of the fantasy fiction we enjoy today. There might not have been Lord of the Rings movies or a George R.R. Martin. Many, many people have been influenced by role-playing games and more specifically D&D, including Peter Jackson and even Stephen Colbert.