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A version of this article appeared in Knights of the Dinner Table #131 (September, 2007).
Most of the works reviewed in this column over the past year have been influential in the early development of fantasy role-playing games. But the birth of role-playing spawned, nearly simultaneously, the birth of game related novels. Some of the earliest and most obvious examples include the first game novel, Andre Norton's Quag Keep, the Dragonlance novels, but much game-inspired fiction was not tied so directly into a game setting. Rather, a generation of fantasy writers grew up gaming and much of their fiction is at least partially influenced by those experiences.
Jim C. Hines ‘Goblin Quest’ series was clearly inspired in large part by gaming, and presents an alternative view of the traditional dungeon exploration motif that is so beloved by old time role-players. The hero of Hines’ tale is Jig, a runty goblin who is drawn into adventures through circumstance and an unusual dose of common sense (unusual for a goblin, at any rate).
In Goblin Quest Jig is captured by adventurers while on patrol outside his tribe’s lair, and forced to guide them through the dungeon his tribe helps to populate. The adventurers, (two princes, their dwarven tutor, and an elven thief) are searching the catacombs for a powerful artifact; they believe it lies at the very bottom of the dungeon. Jig survives, aided by his pet fire spider and a long-forgotten god.
In Goblin Hero Jig’s status in the world has moved up, not a comfortable position in goblin society as he is seen as a threat by tribal leaders. Again his world is threatened and he finds himself trying to save not only goblins, but ogres as well, against dangerous magical foes. These foes, pixies from another dimension, are even more dangerous then the dragon and human adventurers he faced in the first book.
In the final novel, Goblin War, Jig is caught up in the sort of war between humanoids and humanity that is the staple of so many fantasy novels or roleplaying campaigns. Jig discovers that both sides intend harm to the goblins. The recurring motif that the humans and others consider the goblins to be vermin is fully explored here. Jig's solutions are far from perfect, but he manages to save the day for the majority of the less malevolent folks involved.Hines’ Goblin novels are marketed as fantasy comedy, similar to Robert Asprin’s Mythadventures, or Piers Anthony’s Xanth novels. But the novels are not particularly comedic. There is comedy, generally found in the absurdities inherent in goblin culture, but the novels are thankfully a straight take on goblin society, from the goblin point of view, rather than a continuous flow of bad puns and short jokes. The goblin society in the books is not candy-coated; they are mean-spirited back-stabbers who fail most often because they cannot trust each other. They eat whatever sort of meat they can acquire, whether sentient or not, including goblin when nothing else is available and they gladly pick on whatever is smaller or weaker than they are.
Jig is not Drizzt Do’urden for Goblins. He does not question his society but merely tries to survive within it, at least at first. He is neither brave nor strong and while he recognizes goblins for what they are, he still champions his race over others. Jig is peculiarly realistic hero, fully within his society and yet able to see it from the outside, as well. He's a remarkable literary creation, really.
Jig is remarkably likeable as well; Hines achieves this end in part by the stereotypical trope in which the handsome noble prince is really an arrogant, cruel, evil fool. This has been done to death in the Shrek movies and plays even less well in these novels. However, the humans are so unlikable that Hines can allow Jigs to retain his less savory goblin habits (such as a taste for dwarf flesh) and retain the reader’s sympathies.
A dwarven priest provides the closet thing to a voice of reason in the original book, and a royal princess in the final book shows that not all of the humans are arrogant, cruel, or foolish. Still, if the books have a weakness it is that Hines fails to treat non-goblin characters with the same sense of balance and individuality he provides the goblins.
From a gaming point of view, the books are a gold mine for gamemasters. Hines presents a believable dungeon ecology and cultures, any gamemaster who takes the time to similarly imagine daily life in his dungeons will find determining the inhabitants’ reactions to invasion much easier. The examination of goblin culture is particularly enlightening, as previously they have always stood in the shadows of orcs. And Hackmaster fans may find Hines’ treatment of Pixies in Goblin Quest intriguing. There are helpful portraits of wizards, priests, and witch doctors, as well.
I recently reread the series as audiobooks: Goblin Quest, Goblin Hero, and Goblin War. These are full cast performances, with a narrator for the text and the dialogue read by different actors for the various characters. Additionally, they have mood music and sound effects added. They were done by Graphic Audio and described as a "movie for your mind." I enjoyed them, though I wouldn't want all books to be read that this way.
Hines novels are fun and interesting. Though many works have run with the idea of transforming a traditional antagonist into protagonist, seldom has anyone done so with a race as universally despised as goblins. Shrek and Drizzt may come from those who traditionally go bump in the night, but their respective races at least have reputations of fearsomeness to fall back on. Adventurers fear ogres, and drow. Goblins lack even that advantage, making Jigs' accomplishments and Hines’ audacity that much more compelling.
