Honoring Kim Mohan

Let's help get Kim Mohan inducted into the Sci-Fi Hall of Fame

I’m occasionally asked if there’s anyone I wish I could get to come on the show as a guest. And while there’s definitely a “wish list” of folks I’d like to get on, there’s also a list of folks it’s who are sadly no longer available—folks like Gygax and Arneson. But right there at the top my list is also Kim Mohan.

Kim is one of those people who was so influential, it’s doubtful that the hobby of TTRPGs or the world of modern sci-fi/fantasy fiction would be the same without him … but he’s also a name that most casual fans (and even many devotees) are unfamiliar with. That’s because Kim was an editor … and editors almost never step up and take a bow.

As an editor, Kim worked on EVERY edition of D&D from the original hardcovers to 5E supplements. For a good portion of that time he served as Editor in Chief—or Managing Editor or Senior Editor, the title changed, but the responsibilities were always to set the editorial tone and mentor the staff.

Over the years he also was editor on Dragon Magazine, Dungeon Magazine, Star Wars Insider, and Amazing Stories (yes, THAT Amazing Stories). There isn’t a person who has worked on any of those properties in the past half-century that doesn’t owe a debt of gratitude to Kim Mohan. I got to work with Kim for about ten years … and I can’t express how grateful I am for his insight, his wisdom, his kindness, and his friendship.

Sadly, Kim passed away in December of 2022. I’d always hoped and often encouraged him to write a memoir about his time at TSR. But he’d chuckle and say, “No one would want to read that.” And I could never convince him how wrong he was. When I first put the idea for 50 Years in the Dungeon together, one of my first thoughts was that I wished I’d thought of it sooner so that I could have had Kim as a guest.

The Museum of Pop Culture here in Seattle is home to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. They are currently taking nominations from the public for 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. There’s a groundswell among those of us who knew Kim well to get his work recognized and enshrined in the hall. (They already have his papers as part of their permanent collection.)

Nominations are open to the public. And I’d encourage anyone who has ever been touched by Kim’s work (and I think that’s probably EVERYONE reading this post) to submit his name for nomination. It’s a very simple form you can find here. Just write in EDITOR: KIM MOHAN (Amazing Stories, Dungeons & Dragons) under Creator.

Let’s see if we can get Kim’s name out of the shadows and into the spotlight he so richly deserves.