Flush Arcade’s 2016 gamer reading list
2016 is a new year and I’ve made it my resolution to read more and to learn more about videogames.
So here’s our reading list for this year, compiled with help from my best friend and videogame culture aficionado Aaron Muscat. Hopefully in these books, we’ll find some laughs, food for thought, stories, insights, and spark some ideas that become bigger things.
For this bibliography, we wanted a mix of fiction, non-fiction, old-school, new-school, new journalism, and zines. As our understanding of the communities and the medium and the players becomes more complex and nuanced, our list should reflect that diversity.
Fun reads and fiction
Ready Player One – Ernest Cline (2012)
Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is a frequent topper of gaming reading lists. Set in a dystopic world, where climate change has ravaged the earth and poverty and starvation is rife, Cline’s book is a mix of science-fiction, a love-letter to videogames and personal testimonial that is “an operatic exaggeration of the trials and neurosis that beset every adolescent nerd”..
YOU: A Novel – Austin Grossman (2013)
With beautiful cover art by Superbrothers (of Sword and Sorcery EP fame), Grossman’s book was described by the Guardian as “…arguably, the first literary product of gamer culture, and a significant addition to the canon of geek lit.” YOU gives us an unique take on a perennial question: what if you made games for a living?
The result is a mystery story, described by the author as a “capsule history of the game industry itself”. Grossman draws upon his experiences of working in a small, critically acclaimed studio on titles such as Ultima Underworld and System Shock, to craft his alternate history of 80s and 90s videogames – and the friendships that can come from that.
Non-fiction and history
Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter – Tom Bissel (2011)
Tom Bissel’s work comes highly recommended – and is described as a blend of personal memoir, reportage, and critique. If you’ve ever pondered the meaning of video games, Bissel is a fine guide. He’s an acclaimed writer, and a life-long fan of videogames. His Guardian piece about his three year Grand Theft Auto gaming and cocaine binge is funny, intense, poignant, and illuminating.
Breathing Machine, A Memoir of Computers – Leigh Alexander (2014)
Leigh Alexander is a passionate, influential voice in the gaming landscape – and while we haven’t had a chance to read this memoir, it is sure to contain her razor-sharp insight, conviction, and warmth. The book is described as a recount of her “stormy adolescence alongside the mysterious early internet” and her experiences with early videogames. Having worked as editor-at-large for Gamasutra and a columnist for publications like Polygon and Boing Boing, she is one of the great contemporary video game writers of our generation. She has also contributed to Slate, The New Inquiry, Wired, The New Statesman, The Guardian, the Columbia Journalism Review, Paste, and Rock Paper Shotgun.
A Brief History of Video Games – Richard Stanton (2015)
As the title suggests, this isn’t a comprehensive look at video game history (and it’d be a mean feat to deliver one that is readable), but it makes up for it with its brevity and beautiful illustrations and pictures. A well-written, beautifully designed, and detailed look at gaming throughout time, this recently published tome would be a great starting point for anyone wanting to get up to speed about the medium.
Replay: The History of Video Games – Tristain Donovan (2010)
Replay is based on extensive research with over 140 interviews from game designers and influential figures in video game history. While Stanton’s book explores history framed through the works, Donovan traces the story and evolution videogaming through the people.
Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World – David Sheff (1993)
To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive work on Nintendo to date, tracing its origins as a card maker into a digital culture juggernaut. It was published in 93, but has relevance today as a compelling documentation of the greatest videogame maker in the world.
Rise of the Videogame Zinesters : How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop-outs, Queers, Housewives Are Taking Back an Art Form – Anna Anthropy (2012)
We’ve looked at the history of videogames, and Anthropy’s work is presented as a torch for the medium’s future. Described as a “part critical essay, part manifesto, part DIY guide” it hopes to empower a new generation of artists to change and reform the videogame industry. For anyone who wants to join Anthropy’s revolution – this presents itself as a unique guide. A fresh breath as audiences looking for experiences beyond MOBAs, war simulatiors, and first person shooters.
Videogames for Humans – Twine
Delving into territory that is explored in the previous entry in this list, Videogames for Humans is a publication that explores altgames. We’re all familiar with our AAA titles and indies, but the rules are different with altgames. They can be confrontational, counter-intuitive, arty, alternative, sexy, violent and Videogames for Humans, compiled by Twine’s Merritt Koppas, contains recounts and experiences that people have had altgames. The writers in the collection include Soha Kareem, Mattie Brice, Anna Anthropy, Zoe Quinn, Christine Love, and Cara Ellison.
Anyway, that’s all from us. If you have any tips or recommendations for things we should put on our reading list, let us know.
Happy reading Flush Arcaders! All the best for 2016
Posted in Blog, Games, In the Press
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