Who wrote the novel Mazes and Monsters?
Rona Jaffe wrote the 1981 novel Mazes and Monsters. The book became a social problem novel that followed patterns where mental health conditions drive the plot forward.
Questions about Mazes and Monsters (novel)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What happened to James Dallas Egbert III in the late 1970s?
James Dallas Egbert III was a Michigan State University student who vanished into campus steam tunnels in the late 1970s. He had played Dungeons and Dragons before entering underground pipes with the intent to end his life, but he survived and hid at friends' houses for several weeks instead of returning home.
When did the CBS television adaptation of Mazes and Monsters premiere?
The movie adaptation premiered on the network in 1982 with Tom Hanks starring as the lead gamer. He was twenty-six years old during production and portrayed a character whose obsession prevents him from distinguishing reality from fantasy.
Why did psychiatrist Thomas Radecki cite Mazes and Monsters in 1985?
In 1985 psychiatrist Thomas Radecki cited a fictitious letter written by a character in this novel as proof. He claimed that Dungeons and Dragons had caused the death of gamers based on the book's content while serving as an anti-television violence activist for the National Coalition on Television Violence.
How did negative media reports affect sales of Mazes and Monsters?
Sales of the book benefited in the early 1980s from other negative media reports regarding D&D and similar games. Groups like Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons promulgated these negative stories to drive public interest and create a commercial success for Jaffe's work during this period of cultural anxiety.