Hey, it's an another update!. I haven't updated this page since July 29, 2009 but today is actually September 14, 2009.
To get this web page started, I'd like to say a few words about who I am. My name is Ken(neth Eugene) St. Andre. I was born April 28, 1947 in Ogden, Utah, but have lived my entire life, not counting a few months in far-flung locations like Hawaii and Massachussetts, in Phoenix, Arizona. I never quit my day job as a librarian for the Phoenis Public Library system, but I'm an active member of SFWA, though my qualifications are slight.
Like the other members of SFWA, I sometimes write things. I've been in this organization for so long now, that I forget why they let me in. I think it was Mike Stackpole's fault. I believe we got in for the Wasteland computer game back in 1988, establishing a new precedent for what was considered to be published SF. In truth, Wasteland made me more money as an SF author than anything else I ever wrote.
My real claim to fame comes from having created TUNNELS AND TROLLS way back in 1975. Although it came out several months after the original Dungeons and Dragons, it was the first role-playing game in the U.S. to actually bear a copyright notice. The revised seventh edition is now out, called Tunnels and Trolls 7.5. (That's a joke. There was a Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 and a Tunnels and Trolls 5.5 also.) We skipped the 6th edition as unlucky. (Various pirate 6th editions exist, however.)
I am writing things all the time and I am thinking about doing a Chaotic 8th edition of Tunnels and Trolls in 2011, just before the world ends in 2012. I also wrote/created/designed or helped write/create/design the games Stormbringer, Monsters! Monsters!, and Wasteland. All of those other games are pretty much defunct now, but because I never gave up on or quit promoting Tunnels and Trolls, that game is going stronger than ever.
Much to my satisfaction, I am still alive. I am at this time 62 and 5/7 years young, and probably still the least published and least important active member of SFWA. Good thing we don't have to publish a novel a year or something to maintain membership--get in once, and send the renewal fee every summer. About all I do for SFWA is recommend things for the Nebula awards and show up at Arizona SF conventions.
There is good news this year on the personal publishing front. Fiery Dragon is doing well enough with T & T 7.5 that they are publishing another multi-product set called the T & T Delvers Package which should have been out in time for GenCon, but they missed it. It has finally been published, and I'm hoping to get my contributor's copies soon. That's my only royalty for publishing with them. Considering I'm a world famous game designer, you'd think I could get a publisher that pays real money for royalties. You'd be wrong.
GRIFFIN FEATHERS and other tales of Trollworld--a full-length, albeit fairly short fantasy novel set in my gaming universe--was published in 2008 by Outlaw Press. I joked with Patrick Neilsen Hayden about getting Tor to reprint it, and he asked why it wasn't on his desk. I don't think I'm ever going to send it to him. I'd like to think it's not your standard swords and sorcery epic, but I don't have enough faith to actually get out there and push it. I have an even earlier novel with James Shipman called DRAGON CHILD: JUST A THIEF FROM KHAZAN. It's rather picaresque. Find them if you can! This year I've had one tiny short story published in THE BOOK OF EXODI. I'm very pleased to tell you all these books are availabe from Amazon.com. I don't think they're on Kindle though.
I have my own personal club for T & T fans--Trollhalla. If you'd like to find out about it, or possibly join, go to Trollhalla. This is for hardcore gamers and fantasy game addicts only.
An internet game has taken control of my mind and my time for the last 5 years. It is called Runescape. It has many failings, but is still totally addictive, at least to me. Check it out at: Runescape. I am now a high level character-- not the highest, but level 132 combat is pretty good. 138 is the top combat level. Competition to stay at the top is very tough and I'm slipping, but my character is still godlike to most of the players. (hee hee) Personal stuff: my challenge for this year has been prostate cancer. It was being treated with radiation beam therapy. I will have my last treatment inside the tomography machine on Wednesday the 16th. That should cure me, for the next ten years or so. Despite the Adventures in Medicine, I am still living in Phoenix and working for the Phoenix Public Library system as the longest surviving librarian I (the bottom rank--I never get promoted) in the city. Toni Garvey, head of the entire library system, came out and threw a little party for me last month. I have been working for Phoenix Public Library for over 35 years now. I got a letter from the City Manager, and learned that less than 2% of the city workforce lasts for 25 years or longer. As you can see that puts me in the 99th perecentile for city service longevity. Booyah! I find myself among the senior surviving rpg designers in this country. With the recent deaths of Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, there is no one I can think of who's a rpg designer that has lasted longer than me. However, there are quite a few people who have been in gaming just as long or longer and whose first games aren't that much later than mine. The old generation of rpg game designers is still going strong.
This is version 7, created on September 14, 2009. Note to self: you reversed your usual password today--remember that next time you try to update this page.
--I=====> KenYou can reach me by e-mail at: kenstandre@yahoo.com