Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground by Stu Horvath

Dungeons and Dragons is the most popular tabletop roleplaying game in the world, but the medium has always been bigger than that. Just ask Stu Horvath, co-host of the Vintage RPG Podcast and author of Monsters, Aliens and Holes in the Ground. Horvath walks the reader through the past 40 years of RPG history, "from D&D to Mothership," to demonstrate how the seeds of today's games were planted decades ago. His book is both heartfelt tribute to the hobby and clear-eyed assessment of its blind spots. Plus, it's a curated collection of RPG cover art that looks good on a coffee table.