Author's note: Telling the story of a storyteller -- Introduction -- Prologue: Memory Lane -- Midwestern mischief -- Fright night -- Checkmate -- Here, there be dragons -- Tomb of horrors -- No one at the wheel -- Low times at Lake Geneva High -- The real world -- Dueling passions -- Another woman? -- The one that got away -- Sunday in the park with Gary -- Playing games -- Fateful encounter -- Tactical studies, anyone? -- Chainmail -- Genesis -- The muse -- Bedtime! -- Publishing : a Catch-22 -- The art of making art -- Casualties of wargaming -- A makeshift solution -- Kask strength -- Fun and more games -- Gary's other job -- It's like Dungeons & Dragons, but advanced -- Trouble in paradise -- A devastating loss -- The dictator -- Parting ways -- There's no business like show business -- The coup -- Trojan horse -- New beginnings -- Dangerous journeys -- Justified -- Silver and gold -- King of the nerds -- The end of the road -- The legacy -- The butterfly effect -- The road goes ever on -- A man for all seasons -- Appendix A: Gary Gygax timeline -- Appendix B: Gary Gygax : a life's work.