One of the best things about used book hunting is when you come across a title that’s long been out of print. A book that still has a perfectly good story, yet for whatever reason, you just can’t find it at your local Barnes & Noble. I’d been searching for a copy of William Dear’s true crime classic “The Dungeon Master” for a few years now, so when I finally stumbled across a beat up hardcover, I had to stop what I was doing and dive in.
This is the story of James Dallas Egbert III, a child prodigy who began studying computer science at Michigan State University from the age of 16. Egbert lost himself on the huge campus, suffered from depression and loneliness, and also struggled with drug abuse as he came to terms with his own homosexuality. Egbert’s one outlet was playing Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing game which had become a nationwide craze during the late ‘70s. Some MSU students had even taken to playing out live-action versions of their adventures in the cavernous steam tunnels which ran throughout campus, and Egbert fell in with this crowd. On August 15, 1979, after writing out a cryptic suicide note, Egbert left his dormitory room, entered the steam tunnels, and disappeared.
What followed was a month-long media frenzy, as reporters from across the country descended on Lansing to chase the story. This was back in the days before social media, of course, pre-dating even cable news. The pundits of the day held forth that “D&D” must be some sort of gateway into cult-like behavior, and that playing this game somehow led to Egbert’s disappearance. The notoriety of the case attracted a Texas-based private investigator, author William Dear, a flamboyant man who never shies away from publicity. Dear’s first-hand account of the case is as much a work of self-promotion as it is a case study, and he goes into great detail about having to duck pesky journalists while chasing leads. Egbert’s unusual story would eventually go on to become a modern-day legend, serving as the inspiration behind Rona Jaffe’s book “Mazes and Monsters”, with a movie adaptation starring a young Tom Hanks.
I won’t give away this book’s ending on principle (even though a quick Google search will reveal what becomes of James Dallas Egbert III), but I will say that there’s no happy ending here. But even if it is a pretty depressing story, “The Dungeon Master” is still a worthwhile read. The saga of a teenager facing insurmountable social pressure is surprisingly relevant today, and even as books like “Ready Player One” wax nostalgic about the era, it’s important to remember that every generation has their fair share of problems.