Publishing History

Dragonlance is a celebrated fantasy series that originated as a shared universe for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Its inception was in the early 1980s when TSR, Inc., the company behind Dungeons & Dragons, sought to expand its product line with a series of novels and gaming modules set in a cohesive fantasy world.

The first novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, was published in 1984, penned by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. This book, along with its sequels Dragons of Winter Night and Dragons of Spring Dawning, formed the initial trilogy known as the Chronicles. These novels, centered around the heroic adventures of a diverse group of characters in the world of Krynn, became instant bestsellers and established the Dragonlance universe.

Following the success of the Chronicles, the Dragonlance series expanded rapidly. Weis and Hickman continued to explore the world of Krynn with the Legends trilogy, which delved deeper into the lore and history of the setting. Concurrently, other authors were invited to contribute to the expanding universe, resulting in numerous spin-off series, standalone novels, and short story collections.

The 1990s saw the release of the Second Generation and the War of Souls trilogy, which introduced new characters and continued the saga of Krynn. The Dragonlance series continued to evolve in the 2000s with the Lost Chronicles, which filled in gaps from the original trilogies, and the Dark Disciple series, among others.

Throughout its history, Dragonlance has been published by various companies, including TSR, Wizards of the Coast, and Penguin Random House. The series has garnered a dedicated fan base and has significantly influenced the fantasy genre, leaving an indelible mark on the world of Dungeons & Dragons and beyond.