Overview

Historian Johan Huizinga once described game playing as the motor of humanity's cultural development, predating art and literature. Since the late 20th century, Western society has undergone a ""ludification,"" as the influence of game-playing has grown ever more prevalent. At the same time, new theories of postmodernism have emphasized the importance of interactive, playful behavior. Core concepts of postmodernism are evident in pen-and-paper role-playing, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Exploring the interrelationships among narrative, gameplay, players and society, the author raises questions regarding authority, agency and responsibility, and discusses the social potential of RPGs in the 21st century.

Full Product Details

9781476664934

Table of Contents

Reviews

In this groundbreaking study, Schallegger argues that critical and scholarly study of role-playing games (RPGs) reveals crucial insights about how collaborative participation in storytelling contributes to cultural progress.... required reading...essential --Choice; pulls out key concepts of postmodernism as well as basic stories of play and games and maps them against tabletop roleplaying...I could easily see this being used as a highly serviceable text --The Green Man Review.

Author Information

René Reinhold Schallegger is an associated professor for British-, Canadian-, and game studies at the University of Klagenfurt (Austria). Series editor Matthew Wilhelm Kapell teaches American studies, anthropology, and writing at Pace University in New York.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available