A post Tracy Hickman sent to the Dragonlance-L mailing list in response to a thread posted there.

I certainly don’t have any knowledge of DL specifically averting a horrendous tragedy like Columbine. I absolutely agree with Spyros in that our society has trivialized violence and death itself. Nevertheless, I believe that stories properly told teach us who we were, who we are and, perhaps most important, who we could be. If the stories told among us in our society (whether by movies, books, television or music) stopped glorifying violence as an acceptable means of conflict resolution and glorified sacrifice, honor and ethics instead … then I believe the real world would be an improved place. “The Matrix” may have the effects budget and wonderful eye-candy … but “A Knights Tale” is something worth watching and worth making a part of us.

I will never forget one wonderful, big strong man who stood on the other side of our signing table at GenCon a year or so ago. He was over six feet tall, as I recall and broad shouldered. He couldn’t speak though we could tell he was trying to do so. He couldn’t look at us, his eyes cast down toward the floor. He was clutching a copy of Chronicles so hard in his hands that I thought he might crush the book. Tears were falling like rain from his eyes.

Margaret and I both reached out for him, brought him back around the table and held him.

When at last he spoke, he told us how Dragonlance HAD saved his life in every sense of the word.

So, on behalf of him and others we have met over the years who have passionately related similar, private and cherished tales to us, I quietly and respectfully must disagree that DL has never and could never save lives.

Tracy Hickman