Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks
Encyclopedia
Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks (full title: Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms) is a book
by author Ethan Gilsdorf
and a work of travel literature
, memoir
and immersion journalism
that explores fantasy
and gaming
subculture
s.
First published in 2009 by the Lyons Press, the book has won several awards, including being named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Books Awards/Massachusetts Center for the Book. The book is available in paperback, as well as hardcover, and various electronic formats for the Kindle
, Nook
and other devices. The book has been described as "An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming."
Furthermore, the product description for this book also says: "In this enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former Dungeons & Dragons
addict Ethan Gilsdorf
embarks on a quest that begins in his own geeky teenage past and ends in our online gaming future. He asks, Who are these gamers and fantasy fans? What explains the irresistible appeal of such "escapist" adventures? And what could one man find if he embarked on a journey through one fantasy world after another? In Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, Gilsdorf crisscrosses America
, the world, and other worlds—from Boston
to Wisconsin
, France
to New Zealand
, and Planet Earth to Middle-earth
to the realm of Aggramar. He asks D&D players, LARPers, medieval re-eanctors, World of Warcraft
players, Harry Potter
fans and convention goers—old, young, male, female, able-bodied and disabled—what attracts them to fantasy worlds, and for what reasons. What he discovers is funny, poignant, and enlightening.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by author Ethan Gilsdorf
Ethan Gilsdorf
Ethan Gilsdorf is an American writer, poet, editor, critic, teacher and journalist. He was born in Dover, New Hampshire, and raised in the nearby town of Lee. He has lived in Northampton and Amherst, Massachusetts; Brattleboro, Vermont; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Paris, France; and currently lives in...
and a work of travel literature
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
, memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
and immersion journalism
Immersion journalism
Immersion Journalism or Immersionism is a style of journalism similar to gonzo journalism. Like Gonzo, immersionism details an individual's experiences from a deeply personal perspective. An individual will choose a situation, and immerse themselves in the events and people involved...
that explores fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and gaming
Gaming
Gaming is the act of playing a game.Gaming may also refer to:* A synonym for Gambling; playing games of chance for money.* Playing a role-playing game, in which players assume fictional roles....
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
s.
First published in 2009 by the Lyons Press, the book has won several awards, including being named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Books Awards/Massachusetts Center for the Book. The book is available in paperback, as well as hardcover, and various electronic formats for the Kindle
Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader developed by Amazon.com subsidiary Lab126 which uses wireless connectivity to enable users to shop for, download, browse, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and other digital media...
, Nook
Nook
Nook may refer to a small corner formed by two walls.Nook may also refer to:*A slang name for a person reading; also known as a "book nook"*"Nook", a science-fiction TV series Lexx episode...
and other devices. The book has been described as "An amazing journey through the thriving worlds of fantasy and gaming."
Furthermore, the product description for this book also says: "In this enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
addict Ethan Gilsdorf
Ethan Gilsdorf
Ethan Gilsdorf is an American writer, poet, editor, critic, teacher and journalist. He was born in Dover, New Hampshire, and raised in the nearby town of Lee. He has lived in Northampton and Amherst, Massachusetts; Brattleboro, Vermont; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Paris, France; and currently lives in...
embarks on a quest that begins in his own geeky teenage past and ends in our online gaming future. He asks, Who are these gamers and fantasy fans? What explains the irresistible appeal of such "escapist" adventures? And what could one man find if he embarked on a journey through one fantasy world after another? In Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, Gilsdorf crisscrosses America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the world, and other worlds—from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and Planet Earth to Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
to the realm of Aggramar. He asks D&D players, LARPers, medieval re-eanctors, World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
players, Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
fans and convention goers—old, young, male, female, able-bodied and disabled—what attracts them to fantasy worlds, and for what reasons. What he discovers is funny, poignant, and enlightening.
Reviews
Several newspapers, magazines and online publications have favorably reviewed Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks :- “For anyone who has ever spent time within imaginary realms, the book will speak volumes. For those who have not, it will educate and enlighten.” —Wired.com|Geek Dad
- “GandalfGandalfGandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
’s got nothing on Ethan Gilsdorf, except for maybe the monster white beard."—Boston Globe
- “Imagine this: Lord of the Rings meets Jack Kerouac’s On the RoadOn the RoadOn the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
….”—National Public Radio’s “Around and About"
- “What does it mean to be a geekGeekThe word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
? . . . Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks tackles that question with strength and dexterity. . . part personal odyssey, part medieval mid-life crisis, and part wide-ranging survey of all things freaky and geeky"—Huffington Post