Why Dark Sun is my Favorite AD&D Setting

I was talking to a friend of mine about our favorite D&D settings and I began teasing him about his favorite, Forgotten Realms. I pointed out that it was too easy, with good epic level NPCs, safe cities ruled by good kings, and flowers that don't try to kill you.
"Why adventure at all?" I teased, "Elminster and that Drow guy can take care of it, right?"
He laughed it off, corrected me that the Drow guy was Drizzt, and then asked, "Well, what's so great about Dark Sun?"
I told him I loved the harshness of the setting. That every city is ruled by a tyrant, slavery is rampant, water and food are scarce, and that heroes in Dark Sun are the most heroic, because there's no eternal reward for being good.
We then moved on to other topics, but I wanted to expand on what I told him and try to convince other RPG fans to give Dark Sun a try.

Belgoi by Gerald Brom

Second Session - Mysteries of the Keep

Cast
Julius: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Dave. Speaks Balician and Tyrian.
Alaxander: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Ben. Speaks Balician and Elf.
Kalino: Human male fighter/preserver. Played by DM. Speaks Rammin and Tyrian.
Vashti: Human female clairsentient/water cleric. Played by my wife. Speaks Nibnese and Gith.
Guacamole: Pterran male ranger. Played by Clyde. Speaks Pterran and Giant.
Demetrius: Human male. 25 years old. Shepherd. NPC. Speaks Nibnese.
Salvador: Human male. 41 years old. Mason. NPC. Speaks Nibnese.
Agathon: Human male. 17 years old. Shepherd. NPC. Speaks Balician.
Cletus: Human male. 40 years old. Vinter. NPC. Speaks Balician.

Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.

While exploring the upper level of the ruined keep, Alaxander found a weak spot in the floor and fell into the ground floor. He was okay, besides a bruised ankle. After confirming Alaxander was okay, Julius tried to jump over the hole. He failed and fell into the ground floor, as well. Guacamole found a large room with two doors, that would avoid the hole, and decided to go that way instead. The large room was nearly empty, sand had piled up in the corners of the room and there was rubble, where the roof had collapsed. There was a mostly intact fireplace still standing along one wall. While passing through the room, a five foot centipede crawled out of the fireplace and attacked.

This is when shotguns would be helpful.

The Shepherd and the Defiler. A Dark Sun Fable.

During the 188th King's Age, Dragon's Contemplation, an intelligent Defiler lived, who was wonderfully skilled in the preparation of herbs. For years he had been occupied in searching for a peculiar kind of grass, the roots of the grass could be burned and if a man is thrown into the flames, the body would turn into gold. It occurred to this Defiler, while following a herd of carru, that he observed one of the carru eating the very grass he was so anxious to procure. He immediately rooted it up and asked the shepherd, who was near to assist him, to gather firewood. When he had collected the wood and kindled a flame, into which the grass was thrown, the Defiler, wishing to render the shepherd the victim of his avarice, asked him, under some pretense, to make a few circuits around the fire. The man, suspecting foul play, watched for his opportunity and seized the Defiler. He then threw him into the fire. Upon seeing the Defiler's body turn to gold, the shepherd abandoned his carru and decided to retire to the city. On his way to the city, with his bags of gold, the shepherd ran afoul of Elven raiders and was never heard from again.

First Session - The Taste of Freedom

Cast
Julius: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Dave.
Alaxander: Human male psychokinetic. Played by Ben.
Kalino: Human male fighter/preserver. Played by DM.
Vashti: Human female clairsentient/water cleric. Played by my wife.
Guacamole: Pterran male ranger. Played by Clyde.

Note: Clyde's wife made plans for him on our game day, so my 7 year old son played his character instead. Clyde had failed to name his character, so my son did that for him too.

Day 1, Week 1, Dominary, Friend's Vengeance, 190th King's Age, High Sun

It was high sun. Alexander, Julius, Agathon, and Cletus were sharing a slave wagon as it travelled toward Tyr. The wagon had bone bars and a wood floor. The top was bone and canvas, but the angle of the sun prevented the men inside from benefiting from the shade it provided. Guacamole, Vashti, Demetrius, and Salvador were in the same scenario. Although they had benefited from Vashti's extra water ration per day.
The caravan was eleven wagons, pulled by kanks. The slavers were keeping a close watch on the slaves, but when a sand storm threatened them on the horizon, they had no choice but to roll protective canvas flaps down in front if the slave cages. They sandstorm could scour the skin off their slaves and they would not sell for very much then. They slavers then hid themselves away to wait out the storm.

A sandstorm? Now's our chance.