{"title":"PC","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"zzt-by-anna-anthropy","title":"ZZT by Anna Anthropy","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: June 2, 2014\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e144 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-02-9 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1991, long before Epic Games was putting out blockbusters like \u003cem\u003eUnreal\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eInfinity Blade\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGears of War\u003c\/em\u003e, Tim Sweeney released a strange little MS-DOS shareware game called \u003cem\u003eZZT\u003c\/em\u003e. The simplicity of its text graphics masked the complexity of its World Editor: players could use \u003cem\u003eZZT \u003c\/em\u003eto design their own games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis feature was a revelation to thousands of gamers, including Anna Anthropy, author of \u003cem\u003eRise of the Videogame Zinesters\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eZZT\u003c\/em\u003e is an exploration of a submerged continent, a personal history of the shareware movement, ascii art, messy teen identity struggle, cybersex, transition, outsider art, the thousand deaths of Barney the Dinosaur, and what happens when a ten-year-old gets her hands on a programming language she can understand. It’s been said that the first Velvet Underground album sold only a few thousand copies, but that everyone who heard it formed a band. Well not everyone has played \u003cem\u003eZZT\u003c\/em\u003e, but everyone who played it became a game designer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.auntiepixelante.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAnna Anthropy\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a game creator, historian, and thirty-year-old teen witch. Her previous books include Rise of the Videogame Zinesters and Star Wench, which she recently made a ZZT version of. She lives in Oakland, California with her familiar, a little black cat named Encyclopedia Frown.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Anthropy has set the gold standard for book-length studies of games with \u003ci\u003eZZT\u003c\/i\u003e, and I would strongly encourage anyone even thinking about writing about games to start here.\" 9.8\/10 - \u003ca title=\"ZZT by Anna Anthropy review by Cameron Kunzelman for the AV Club\" href=\"https:\/\/www.avclub.com\/zzt-by-anna-anthropy-review\"\u003eThe A.V. Club\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eZZT\u003c\/em\u003e should be required reading by anyone interested in game design.\" - \u003ca title=\"Sarah Clemens's review of ZZT by Anna Anthropy in Videodame\" href=\"https:\/\/videoda.me\/children-of-the-glow-4419aba9d3d6\"\u003eVideodame \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Informative and evocative, \u003ci\u003eZZT\u003c\/i\u003e shows how a game can be not just a toy but an important means of individual expression.\" - \u003ca title=\"Sparky Clarkson reviews ZZT by Anna Anthropy for GameCritics\" href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/ztJDy2iP2I\"\u003eGameCritics\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Read it, whether you’ve played ZZT or not, and be blown away by the possibilities latent in even the simplest games.” –The Well-Red Mage\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"\u003cspan\u003eMoving and interesting even if you've never played the game—and that might be the truest mark of a successful piece of criticism.\u003c\/span\u003e\" - \u003cspan class=\"il\"\u003eMatt\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"il\"\u003eBell\u003c\/span\u003e, author of\u003cem\u003e In the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Reading through ZZT was such a joy. I say that as someone who had only the vaguest knowledge about it before reading. Although I had never touched the program, never played a game designed with it, or anything of the sort, I couldn’t help but keep reading. Anna is simply a tremendous writer.\" - \u003ca title=\"Marcus Estrada reviews ZZT by Anna Anthropy at Cliqist\" href=\"http:\/\/cliqist.com\/2014\/06\/02\/boss-fight-books-zzt-by-anna-anthropy-reviewed\/\"\u003e Cliqist\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"I’m glad somebody finally wrote the story of my people ... Highly recommended.\" - Bill Meeks, author of \u003cem\u003eDogboy Adventures\u003c\/em\u003e series\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Her analysis effortlessly straddles computer science, design, art history, anthropology, and gender theory, all wrapped in a personal story of her childhood. It is a very easy, enjoyable, and insightful read.\" - \u003ca title=\"Robert Yang writes about ZZT by Anna Anthropy\" href=\"http:\/\/www.blog.radiator.debacle.us\/2014\/08\/im-young-and-i-love-to-be-young-on-zzt.html\"\u003eRobert Yang\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"It’s so grounded, so accessible, and so clear and, unsurprising for Anthropy, so grounded in a broader sense of culture and politics and not just Videogames as this thing disconnected from the rest of society. Easily the best book produced by Boss Fight Books to date.\" - \u003ca title=\"Brendan Keough recommends ZZT by Anna Anthropy in his Favorite Videogame Writing of 2014 List\" href=\"http:\/\/brkeogh.com\/2014\/12\/14\/my-favourite-writing-about-games-in-2014\/\"\u003eBrendan Keough author of \u003cem\u003eKilling is Harmless\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Fantastic.\" - Abnormal Mapping\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\"Anthropy’s \u003cem\u003eZZT\u003c\/em\u003e invites the reader into a world where anything is possible.\" - \u003ca title=\"Kelsie Hahn reviews ZZT by Anna Anthropy in Heavy Feather Review\" href=\"http:\/\/heavyfeatherreview.org\/2015\/03\/31\/zzt-by-anna-anthropy\/\"\u003eHeavy Feather Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/before-gears-before-unreal-there-was-zzt-1567410306\" title=\"Excerpt of ZZT by Anna Anthropy in Kotaku\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca title=\"Goodreads review page for ZZT by Anna Anthropy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/22012129-zzt\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- Google Code for Book Purchase Conversion Page --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\nvar google_conversion_id = 977718338;\nvar google_conversion_language = \"en\";\nvar google_conversion_format = \"3\";\nvar google_conversion_color = \"ffffff\";\nvar google_conversion_label = \"6MyJCJGC5FgQwpib0gM\";\nvar google_remarketing_only = false;\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003cscript type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/www.googleadservices.com\/pagead\/conversion.js\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e \u003cnoscript\u003e\n\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style=\"display:inline;\"\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;\n\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;img height=\"1\" width=\"1\" style=\"border-style:none;\" alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/www.googleadservices.com\/pagead\/conversion\/977718338\/?label=6MyJCJGC5FgQwpib0gM\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;guid=ON\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;script=0\"\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;\n\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;\/div\u0026amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;\n\u003c\/noscript\u003e \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\/\/ \u003c![CDATA[\n{\n\t\"@context\": \"http:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n\t\"@type\": \"Book\",\n\t\"name\": \"ZZT\",\n    \"position\": \"3\",\n\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Anna Anthropy\", \n        \"description\": \"Anna Anthropy is a game creator, historian, and thirty-year-old teen witch. Her previous books include Rise of the Videogame Zinesters and Star Wench, which she recently made a ZZT version of. She lives in Oakland, California with her familiar, a little black cat named Encyclopedia Frown.\"\n\t},\n\t\"datePublished\": \"2014-06-02\",\n\t\"image\": \"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/products\/ZZT-cover-nospine-shadow-wide_1024x1024.jpg?v=1391546508\",\n\"url\": \"https:\/\/bossfightbooks.com\/products\/zzt-by-anna-anthropy\",\n\t\"inLanguage\": \"English\",\n\t\"isbn\": \"978-1-940535-02-9\",\n\t\"numberOfPages\": \"142\",\n\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Boss Fight Books\"\n\t},\n    \"description\": \"In 1991, long before Epic Games was putting out blockbusters like Unreal, Infinity Blade, and Gears of War, Tim Sweeney released a strange little MS-DOS shareware game called ZZT. The simplicity of its text graphics masked the complexity of its World Editor: players could use ZZT to design their own games. This feature was a revelation to thousands of gamers, including Anna Anthropy, author of Rise of the Videogame Zinesters. ZZT is an exploration of a submerged continent, a personal history of the shareware movement, ascii art, messy teen identity struggle, cybersex, transition, outsider art, the thousand deaths of Barney the Dinosaur, and what happens when a ten-year-old gets her hands on a programming language she can understand. It’s been said that the first Velvet Underground album sold only a few thousand copies, but that everyone who heard it formed a band. Well not everyone has played ZZT, but everyone who played it became a game designer.\",\n    \"offers\": [\n\t\t{\n            \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n            \"name\": \"paperback\",\n            \"price\": \"14.95\",\n            \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\"\n\t\t},\n\t\t{\n            \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n            \"name\": \"e-book\",\n            \"price\": \"4.95\",\n            \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\"\n\t\t},\n        \t\t{\n            \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n            \"name\": \"paperback + e-book combo\",\n            \"price\": \"17.95\",\n            \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\"\n\t\t}\n \t],\n      \"review\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Review\",\n      \"author\": \"Paste\",\n      \"description\": \"Anthropy has set the gold standard for book-length studies of games with ZZT, and I would strongly encourage anyone even thinking about writing about games to start here.\"\n      },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Review\",\n      \"author\": \"Videodame\",\n      \"description\": \"ZZT should be required reading by anyone interested in game design.\"\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\/\/ ]]\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":434644613,"sku":"301","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":434644805,"sku":"303","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook Combo","offer_id":756844897,"sku":"304","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098826334378,"sku":"305","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_37.png?v=1721360878"},{"product_id":"jagged-alliance-2-by-darius-kazemi","title":"Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: August 25, 2014\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e138 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-04-3\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForeword by Rob Zacny\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe turn-based tactical role playing series Jagged Alliance has been sequeled, expanded, modded, optioned, multiplayered, and kickstarted, but the series’ many fans usually point to \u003cem\u003eJagged Alliance 2\u003c\/em\u003e as the high water mark, and one of the finest turn-based video games of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJagged Alliance 2\u003c\/em\u003e brings to the table a wicked sense of humor, simulation-driven character design, a combination of strategic overworld and tactical battles reminiscent of the X-COM series, and a surprisingly deep open-world RPG experience reminiscent of the Ultima or Elder Scrolls games.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFocusing on \u003cem\u003eJA2\u003c\/em\u003e′s development history and basing his book largely on new personal interviews with the game’s developers, game designer and web technology developer Darius Kazemi delves deep into the legacy of a game that still has much to teach gamers and game-makers 14 years after its release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/tinysubversions.com\/\" title=\"Darius Kazemi's personal web page\"\u003eDarius Kazemi\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003emakes \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/tinysubversions.com\/projects\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eweird internet stuff\u003c\/a\u003e. His best known work is the Random Shopper, a program that bought him random books, DVDs, and CDs from Amazon each month. He also has a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tinysubversions\/darius-kazemi-s-bots\/members\" target=\"_blank\"\u003esmall army of Twitter bots\u003c\/a\u003e that he builds because they make him laugh. He works as an API Evangelist at Akamai in Boston. Before he moved into internet technology, he was a game developer for ten years.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[Kazemi's book] weaves together industrial history, design analysis and Robert Yang-style code diving. The result is not just a good read, but also a blueprint for holistic critique.\" 8.0\/10 - \u003ca title=\"Austin Walker reviews Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi for Paste\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2014\/10\/jagged-alliance-2-by-darius-kazemi-review-a-materi.html\"\u003ePaste\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A\u003cspan id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1408737564597_511\" style=\"font-size: 15px;\"\u003en essential read about an overlooked game.\u003c\/span\u003e\" - Marshall Sandoval\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eJagged Alliance 2\u003c\/em\u003e has the perfect guide in Darius Kazemi.” - Rob Zacny\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“I can confirm that this book is dope.” - Keith Calder\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore reviews: \u003ca title=\"Goodreads review page for Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/22886428-jagged-alliance-2\"\u003eGoodread\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca title=\"VICE Motherboard excerpt of Jagged Alliance 2 by Darius Kazemi\" href=\"http:\/\/motherboard.vice.com\/read\/how-mercenaries-and-gun-culture-shaped-one-of-the-best-strategy-games-ever-made\"\u003eVICE\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy I Wrote a Book About an Obscure '90s Computer Game - \u003ca title=\"Darius Kazemi writes about Jagged Alliance 2 in The Atlantic\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2014\/08\/why-i-wrote-a-book-about-an-obscure-90s-computer-game\/379181\/\"\u003eKazemi on JA2 in The Atlantic\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinding Treasures in the Code - \u003ca title=\"Polygon Article on Darius Kazemi's Presentation on Jagged Alliance 2 and Source Code\" href=\"http:\/\/www.polygon.com\/2014\/3\/17\/5519536\/finding-treasures-in-the-code-why-the-source-code-of-classic-games\"\u003ePolygon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLooking at Source Code - Kazemi's Presentation in \u003ca title=\"Darius Kazemi Presents on Jagged Allinace 2 source code at Critical Proximty\" href=\"http:\/\/critical-proximity.com\/2014\/03\/16\/looking-at-source-code\/\"\u003eCritical Proximity\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- Google Code for Book Purchase Conversion Page --\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":434645905,"sku":"501","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":434646037,"sku":"503","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook Combo","offer_id":907960297,"sku":"504","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098818797738,"sku":"505","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_35.png?v=1721360880"},{"product_id":"baldurs-gate-ii-by-matt-bell","title":"Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eRelease Date: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eJune 22, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eApprox. 140 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003e978-1-940535-08-1\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUpon its release in 2000, BioWare's PC role-playing epic \u003ci\u003eBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn\u003c\/i\u003e was hailed as a paragon of its genre and named \"RPG of the Year\" by IGN, GameSpy, and GameSpot. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA game like \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eBaldur's Gate II\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e requires not just a master wordsmith but a dungeon master. Enter award-winning novelist Matt Bell, author of four works of fiction\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and co-author of the Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons novel \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Last Garrison\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBell's book explores \u003ci\u003eBG2\u003c\/i\u003e's immersive narrative and complex mechanics, unpacks how RPG systems enable our emotional investment \u003c\/span\u003ein characters, investigates the game's non-linear story, \u003cspan\u003eand relates his own struggle to reconcile being a \"serious\" adult with his love of D\u0026amp;D and video games. Dig in, geek out, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003ego for the eyes, Boo!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\u003ca title=\"Matt Bell author website\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mattbell.com\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatt Bell\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is the author of the novels \u003c\/em\u003eScrapper\u003cem\u003e and \u003c\/em\u003eIn the House upon the Dirt between the Lake and the Woods\u003cem\u003e, a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award and the winner of the Paula Anderson Book Award, as well as two previous books, \u003c\/em\u003eHow They Were Found \u003cem\u003eand\u003c\/em\u003e Cataclysm Baby\u003cem\u003e. Born in Michigan, he now teaches creative writing at Arizona State University.\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI simply plowe\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text_exposed_show\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ed through this book in two sittings. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBaldur's Gate II\u003c\/em\u003e is a great read [...] I highly recommend you don't avoid it.\" - Dan Wickett, editor and publisher of Dzanc Books\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The manner in which Bell writes about these events feels so surprising to me: with straightforward clarity, full of anxious prevarication. This voice is [...] disturbingly open and honest. And disturbing in a good way: Bell clearly still struggles to reconcile these two selves—writer and gamer—and struggles too to figure out why it’s so hard for him.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bkmag.com\/2015\/07\/13\/what-does-it-mean-to-love-a-video-game-talking-to-matt-bell-about-baldurs-gate-ii\/\" title=\"Molly McArdle review Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in Brooklyn Magazine\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBrooklyn Magazine\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Authors are far from free to write what they want [...] \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBaldur's Gate II \u003c\/em\u003eis about exactly that. It’s an uneasy, courageous, and ultimately vulnerable attempt to bridge a divide [between literary fiction and genre fiction] most of us are unwilling to admit exists. Bell’s book succeeds because it lays this conflict bare.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/therumpus.net\/2015\/07\/baldurs-gate-ii-shadows-of-amn-by-matt-bell\/\" title=\"Samuel Sattin reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell for The Rumpus\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAt once a memoir, a lecture on storycraft, an apology, and a love letter to the classic Dungeons \u0026amp; Dragons video game. [...] \u003c\/span\u003eBell reminds us that to write well—and to live well—we must remain true to our hidden, buried selves.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20151121035123\/http:\/\/fictionadvocate.com\/2015\/07\/20\/love-the-player-love-the-game\/\" title=\"Kaj Tanaka reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in Fiction Advocate\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFiction Advocate\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The book thrives on those tensions between shame and love, denial and gratitude.\" -\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/lareviewofbooks.org\/review\/the-deep-wound\" title=\"Ian Denning reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in the LA Review of Books\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e LA Review of Books\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBaldur’s Gate II \u003c\/em\u003eis successful in nearly all aspects. It’s a book that offers something for every kind of reader [...] It is a book that comes from the heart, the story of becoming comfortable in your own skin, of embracing the things you once loved and probably, if you tried again, would probably still love.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/atticusreview.org\/role-playing-and-life-a-review-of-baldurs-gate-ii-by-matt-bell\/\" title=\"Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell reviewed in The Atticus Review\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAtticus Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A pleasure to read. [...] [T]his is as fine a work in this genre and theme that you’re likely to find.\" - Paste\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBaldur’s Gate II\u003c\/em\u003e (the book) is the best sort of writing, and an exemplary of the essay form: it enlivens the subject at hand, it places it in a broader context (here, the place of games in culture, and it gives insight into the mind of the gamer), makes creative analogies (writing as analogy to character creation in gaming), and, most importantly, it is reflexive, it gives insight into the author and invites our own reflection.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mikewoodsarbin.wordpress.com\/2015\/07\/04\/how-our-stories-were-found-on-matt-bells-baldurs-gate-2\/\" title=\"Blogger Mike Woods reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMike Woods\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Bell shows the humanity that lies between the lines of any RPG.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/heavyfeatherreview.org\/2015\/09\/09\/baldurs-gate-ii-by-matt-bell\/\" title=\"Ryan Werner reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in Heavy Feather Review\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHeavy Feather Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Bell's book shows that it's okay to embrace the things you love because they're what make you who you are.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/thenextbestbookblog.blogspot.com\/2015\/09\/drew-reviews-baldurs-gate-ii.html\" title=\"Drew Broussard reviews Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell for The Next Best Book Blog\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Next Best Book Blog\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExcerpts: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20150616124335\/http:\/\/entropymag.org\/baldurs-gate-ii\/\" title=\"Excerpt of Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in Entropy Magazine\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEntropy\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/cartridgelit.com\/2015\/06\/22\/paper-dolls\/\" title=\"Excerpt of Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell in Cartridge Lit\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCartridge Lit\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/25667759-baldur-s-gate-ii\" title=\"Goodreads page for Baldur's Gate II by Matt Bell\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":1044131708,"sku":"1101","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":2617508868,"sku":"1103","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":2617530308,"sku":"1104","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":31667962216561,"sku":"1102","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_31.png?v=1721360878"},{"product_id":"spelunky-by-derek-yu","title":"Spelunky by Derek Yu","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: March 29, 2016\u003cbr\u003e222 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978­-1-­940535­-11-­1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Derek Yu released \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e for free in 2008, his roguelike-inspired platformer took the indie game community by storm with its combination of classic platform mechanics, extreme difficulty, and random level generation. \u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFour years later\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e's HD remake went on to become PC Gamer's Game of the Year and earn perfect scores from Polygon and Eurogamer. But how is a \"perfect\" game made? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/i\u003e is Boss Fight's first autobiographical book: the story of a game's creation as told by its creator. Using his own game as a vehicle, Derek Yu discusses such wide-ranging topics as randomization, challenge, indifferent game worlds, player feedback, development team dynamics, and what's required to actually finish a game. Grab some ropes, a mattock, and your favorite pug—this book is going to dig deep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.derekyu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDerek Yu\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eis the creator of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eSpelunky\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, co-creator of the game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAquaria\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and editor-in-chief of The Independent Gaming Source, an indie game development community and news site.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Maybe the best primer on game design ever written.\" - Zach Gage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Seriously, if you have any interest in game design or development, get this book.\" - Rami Ismail\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“Quite possibly the best book about game design ever written.” - Chris Furniss\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e might be our Understanding Comics.\" - Adam Saltsman\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Derek Yu's book is my favorite writing on game design - maybe making ANY art - ever.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adamconover\/status\/894712510409883648\" title=\"Adam Conover Quote Spelunky by Derek Yu\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAdam Conover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"A fascinating tour of [Spelunky's] inner workings. \u003c\/span\u003e[...] Coming from a developer who’s crafted one of the most intriguing, influential releases of the last decade, [the book is an] insightful look at how something so obsession-worthy comes together.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.avclub.com\/article\/what-are-you-reading-november-246001\" title=\"Matt Gerardi reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu in The Onion AV Club\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA.V. Club\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I have disliked every [game design] book I've that attempts to be instructional. Derek Yu's \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e is anecdotal, but full of wonder.\" - Ken Wong, lead designer of Monument Valley\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Well-written and humble throughout, the book humanizes a game that many developers and fans see as an unreachable pinnacle of minimalist design brilliance.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.destructoid.com\/our-video-game-book-holiday-gift-guide-2016-401016.phtml\" title=\"Destructoid Holiday Gift Guide 2016 by Jonathan Holmes featuring Spelunky by Derek Yu\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDestructoid\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Here everything is weaved in nicely, and I very much appreciate the touch of style and grace in this book.\" 8.5\/10 - \u003ca title=\"Cameron Kunzelman reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu for Paste Games\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2016\/04\/spelunky-by-derek-yu-review.html\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePaste\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"If you’re anything like me, and you set \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSpelunky\u003c\/em\u003e aside before delving into its considerable depths, this book is a superb enticement to return, better equipped and more knowledgeable, in search of still greater secrets.\" - \u003ca title=\"Nate Ewert-Krocker reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu in ZAM\" href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20161220144457\/https:\/\/www.zam.com\/article\/289\/spelunky-review\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eZAM\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"It’s a great book for the fans of the game, as well as aspiring game developers.\" - \u003ca title=\"Digital Trends includes Spelunky by Derek Yu in the list  Set down your controller and read these 15 great books about video games\" href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-books-about-games\/\"\u003eDigital Trends\u003c\/a\u003e, including the book on its \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/gaming\/best-books-about-games\" title=\"Digital Trends - Ten Books Any Gamer Will Love\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTen Books Any Gamer Will Love\u003c\/a\u003e list\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"\u003cspan class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe way Derek Yu communicates his struggles, joys, failures, and victories over the course of this book is truly an inspiration itself. This is a wonderful book.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolink.com\/2022\/12\/22\/spelunky-by-derek-yu-book-review\/\" title=\"Jason Capp reviews Spelunky by Derek Yu for Nintendo Link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNintendo Link \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExcerpt:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/kotaku.com\/how-spelunky-went-from-pixel-game-to-console-classic-1766257956\" title=\"Excerpt of Spelunky by Derek Yu in Kotaku\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.gamedeveloper.com\/design\/how-i-spelunky-i-got-its-procedural-hook-actually-got-finished\" title=\"Simon Carless discusses and excerpts Spelunky by Derek Yu in Game Developer\"\u003eGame Developer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eInterview: \u003ca title=\"Shaun Prescott interviews Derek Yu about Spelunky in PC Gamer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.pcgamer.com\/derek-yu-on-the-state-of-indie-and-his-new-book-about-spelunky\/#page-2\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePC Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/26152638-spelunky\" title=\"Goodreads page for Shadow of the Colossus by Nick Suttner\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":1048260092,"sku":"1001","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":16501016645,"sku":"1003","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":16501024837,"sku":"1004","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098825941162,"sku":"1005","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_28.png?v=1721357791"},{"product_id":"world-of-warcraft-by-daniel-lisi","title":"World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: June 20, 2016\u003cbr\u003e128 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-12-8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#0f2105\" face=\"Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Liberation Sans, FreeSans, sans-serif\"\u003eAt more than 100 million user accounts created and over $10 billion made, it is not only the most-subscribed MMORPG in the world, but the highest-grossing video game of all time. Ten years after its launch, Blizzard Entertainment's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWorld of Warcraft\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cspan color=\"#0f2105\" face=\"Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Liberation Sans, FreeSans, sans-serif\"\u003eis less a game and more a world unto itself, and it's a world Daniel Lisi knows well. More time in his high school years was spent in Azeroth than in his hometown of Irvine, CA—a home he happened to share with Blizzard itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow that Lisi has founded his own game development studio, \u003cem\u003eWoW\u003c\/em\u003e remains his most powerful example of just how immersive and consuming a game can be. Based on research, interviews, and the author's own experience in a hardcore raiding guild, Lisi's book examines \u003ci\u003eWoW\u003c\/i\u003e's origins, the addictive power of its gameplay loop, the romances \u003cem\u003eWoW\u003c\/em\u003e has both cemented and shattered, the enabling power of anonymity, and the thrill of conquering BlizzCon with guildmates you've known for years and just met for the first time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lisidaniel\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDaniel Lisi\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is the CEO and co-founder of Game Over, a video game development studio based in Los Angeles, CA. He's a member of Art Share LA's board of directors and facilitates an incubator for individual artists and their projects.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cem\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An excellent snapshot of a player’s experience with a game while trying to negotiate their place in both an adolescent and virtual world. It’s a quick, thoughtful read that kept me engaged throughout.\" 8\/10 - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2016\/07\/in-daniel-lisis-book-world-of-warcraft-is-an-objec.html\" title=\"Cameron Kunzelman reviews World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi\"\u003ePaste\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I love it. [...]  It’s a deeply personal story, one that’s easy to get engrossed in.\" - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/918thefan.com\/2016\/siege-spots-world-of-warcraft-by-daniel-lisi\/\" title=\"Review of World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi in 98.1 The Fan\"\u003e98.1 The Fan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A reminder of the power of media and its ability to shape the reality we occupy and recreate for ourselves every day. [...] Lisi is an incredible writer who’s shared so much of his past with his reader that, by the last page, I felt as if I had gone on a quest with the man.\" - \u003ca title=\"Joshua Smith reviews World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi for his blog Accordian Sprout\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accordionsprout.com\/blog\/world-of-warcraft-by-daniel-lisi-book-review\"\u003eAccordion Sprout\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An incredibly well-written and presented study of how and why the game was so massive, colored by the author’s very real experiences with it.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vaguely-offensive.com\/boss-fight-books-world-of-warcraft-12-daniel-lisi\/\" title=\"Review of World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi on the blog Vaguely Offensive\"\u003eVaguely Offensive\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/kotaku.com\/the-crushing-design-of-world-of-warcrafts-big-raids-1782715670\" title=\"Excerpt of World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi in Kotaku\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/indiehaven.com\/a-momentary-pause-with-daniel-lisi\/\" title=\"Daniel Lisi interview on A Momentary Pause\"\u003eA Momentary Pause\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/30001654-world-of-warcraft\" title=\"Goodreads page for World of Warcraft by Daniel Lisi\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":3503076357,"sku":"1201","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":18304119557,"sku":"1203","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":18304119621,"sku":"1204","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098826203306,"sku":"1205","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_27.png?v=1721357464"},{"product_id":"soft-and-cuddly-by-jarett-kobek","title":"Soft \u0026 Cuddly by Jarett Kobek","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRelease Date: January 24, 2017\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e192 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-15-9\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eForeword by George Bum\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA computer game so nauseatingly gory that it came with a barf bag. Bright druggy graphics that sickened scores of proper English parents. Gameplay so violent that it inspired one of Britain's most infamous killing sprees. \u003cem\u003eSoft \u0026amp; Cuddly\u003c\/em\u003e, released for the ZX Spectrum in 1987, wasn't quite any of these things. But in an age of manufactured moral panics, John George Jones's fluorescent punk manifesto sure pissed off a lot of people.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFeaturing new interviews with the game's creator, Jarett Kobek's book dives deep into the gritty world of British yellow journalism, snarky computer fanzines, DIY home programming, and Soviet bootleg mixtapes. If Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party was right that \"video nasties\" like \u003cem\u003eSoft \u0026amp; Cuddly\u003c\/em\u003e were the epitome of 80s depravity, then this book is headed straight to Hell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJarett Kobek\u003c\/strong\u003e is a Turkish-American writer living in California. He's the author of four books including the novel I Hate the Internet, and the creator of an exclusive ZX Spectrum prequel of the same name.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e*\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A fascinating read about Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly and Go to Hell. The tone is provocative \u003cspan\u003eat times (that's a compliment). [...] I\u003c\/span\u003ef you're looking for a book on video nasties, Hungerford, punk, Thatcher and 2 Speccy games you've probably never played then this is probably the book for you. - \u003ca title=\"Crash Online ZX Spectrum - thoughts on Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CrashOnlineUK\/status\/826880584077234177\"\u003eCrash\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A must-read for gamers who love a good backstory.\" - \u003ca title=\"Cindy Lennox's BioGamer Girl review of Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly by Jarett Kobek\" href=\"http:\/\/www.biogamergirl.com\/2017\/02\/soft-cuddly-book-review.html\"\u003eBioGamer Girl\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"To put it simply, \u003cem\u003eSoft \u0026amp; Cuddly\u003c\/em\u003e is punk as fuck. [...] Kobek writes his book with the same kind of smartassed anarchism (verging on nihilism) that permeates Jones’ game. \u003cem\u003eSoft \u0026amp; Cuddly\u003c\/em\u003e‘s snark is darkly cynical, yet all the more entertaining for it. \" - Dial H for Houston\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A love note to all things grungy and bootleg, to everyone who managed to succeed despite standing in their own way.\" - James Ardis in \u003ca title=\"James Ardis review Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly by Jarett Kobek in Heavy Feather Review\" href=\"https:\/\/heavyfeatherreview.org\/2017\/02\/02\/kobek\/\"\u003eHeavy Feather Review\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A vital account of technology’s collusion with neoliberalism.\" - Jose Cruz Guerrero, Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterview: \u003ca title=\"Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly interview with Jarett Kobek in The Millions\" href=\"https:\/\/themillions.com\/2017\/05\/tk-on-jarett-kobeks-soft-cuddly.html\"\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Soft \u0026amp; Cuddly by Jarett Kobek Goodreads\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/33222178-soft-cuddly\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":19766530245,"sku":"1601","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":19766576517,"sku":"1603","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":19766576581,"sku":"1604","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098825875626,"sku":"1605","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_24.png?v=1721356644"},{"product_id":"katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall","title":"Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: October 16, 2018\u003cbr\u003e160 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-17-3\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe universe falls into chaos. The moon and the stars vanish from the night sky. The son of a fickle deity must restore balance to the cosmos… by pushing a sticky ball around and picking up every toothpick, tree, and skyscraper in its path. A plotline this wild could only describe “nah… nah nah nah nah nah nah nah” \u003cem\u003eKatamari Damacy\u003c\/em\u003e, the irresistible little cult game turned cultural juggernaut.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBut the 2004 release of \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e almost didn’t get the ball rolling. Reviewers worldwide weren’t sure how to classify it and initial sales numbers were low. Those who actually played it, though, were won over by its novel gameplay, goofy surrealism, and catchy soundtrack. Pushed into the mainstream by its passionate fans, \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e remains one of the best video game examples of pure anarchic fun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eBased on new interviews with \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e creator Keita Takahashi himself, game designer and writer L. E. Hall explores the unlikely story of the game's development, its unexpected success, and its lasting cultural impact. Along the way, she uncovers \u003cem\u003eKatamari\u003c\/em\u003e’s deep roots in Japanese culture, in contemporary art, and in the transformative power of play itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.lauraehall.com\/\" title=\"L. E. Hall website\"\u003eL. E. Hall\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eis an artist, writer, puzzle-maker, and immersive environment \u0026amp; narrative designer living in Portland, Oregon. Her work focuses on the intersections between arts, culture, and technology, especially in gaming.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I have not read this Katamari book, and also I don't remember 100% what I told to L. E. Hall in the interviews. But I would recommend this book irresponsibly.\" - Keita Takahashi, creator of Katamari\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A really great documentation of Katamari Damacy. Fans of the game or fans of the game’s creator should absolutely buy the book from Boss Fight Books and read it.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/calebjross.com\/katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall-a-boss-fight-books-review\/\" title=\"Caleb J Ross review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eCaleb J. Ross\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A perfect pairing of author with subject matter. Who better to write about the celebration of play for play's sake that is Katamari Damacy than someone whose work as a designer of puzzles and escape rooms also represents a championing of the need for play in all of our lives?\" - Carolyn Petit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A neat, well-researched peek into the workings of a Japanese video game company. [...] if you dig quirky video games and\/or how they can be viewed as capital-A Art, \u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKatamari Damacy\u003c\/i\u003e is well worth a read.\" \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dialhforhouston.wordpress.com\/2018\/11\/19\/book-review-l-e-halls-katamari-damacy\/\" title=\"Dial H for Houston review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDial H for Houston\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I’ve only played a few minutes of Katamari, but L.E. Hall’s book made me want to revisit it. But even if I \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003edon’t\u003c\/em\u003e, I’m freshly sold on how it was conceived, from the ground up, to be something that brings one joy, and I felt that joy just \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ereading\u003c\/em\u003e about it.\" 4\/5 - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/vaguely-offensive.com\/boss-fight-books-katamari-damacy-17-l-e-hall\/\" title=\"Review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall on Vaguely Offensive\"\u003eVaguely Offensive\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Great read that makes me love the game even more.\" - Adam Hartling\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e8\/10 - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20240412235545\/https:\/\/the-pixels.com\/2019\/08\/21\/katamari-damacy-by-l-e-hall-boss-fight-books\/\" title=\"The Pixels review of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eThe Pixels\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/katamari-damacys-creator-had-to-move-mountains-to-get-h-1829795785\" title=\"Kotaku Excerpt of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/34262288-katamari-damacy\" title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Katamari Damacy by L. E. Hall\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":26255739024,"sku":"1801","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":26256019536,"sku":"1803","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":26256019600,"sku":"1804","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098818896042,"sku":"1805","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_8.png?v=1721336330"},{"product_id":"star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane","title":"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic by Alex Kane","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: April 9, 2019\u003cbr\u003e128 pages\u003cbr\u003eISBN 13: 978-1-940535-21-0\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet an even longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away, BioWare's 2003 \u003cem\u003eStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic\u003c\/em\u003e wowed players with its compelling characters, lightsaber customization, complex morality choices, and one of the greatest plot twists in both video game and Star Wars history. But even for veteran studios like LucasArts and BioWare, the responsibility of making both a great game and a lasting contribution to the Star Wars canon was no easy task.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing extensive new interviews with a host of \u003cem\u003eKotOR\u003c\/em\u003e's producers, writers, designers, and actors, journalist Alex Kane weaves together an epic oral history of this classic game, from its roots in tabletop role-playing and comic books, to its continued influence on big-screen Star Wars films. Whether you align with the light or the dark side, you're invited to dive into this in-depth journey through one of the most beloved Star Wars titles of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alexjkane\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAlex Kane\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is a journalist based in west-central Illinois. He has written for Polygon, the website of Rolling Stone, StarWars.com, Variety, and other publications. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Alex Kane has written a fine book about how one the best video games ever made was created. Darth Revan, HK-47, the lost planet of Sleheyron, a charming story about Ed Asner—it’s everything you’ve always wanted to know about a truly fascinating game.” - Tom Bissell, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Disaster Artist\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Vigorously researched, accessibly written, and—most importantly—total fun from start to finish.” - Blake J. Harris, author of \u003cem\u003eConsole Wars\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Alex Kane’s book reveals the amazing story behind one of the greatest Star Wars games of all time, and how its creation was an adventure all its own, just like the films by which they were inspired.” - Walt Williams, writer of Star Wars Battlefront II\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most significant Star Wars games ever made—one whose reach continues to influence both fans and Star Wars creators to this day. Through his interviews with many of the key creators behind the game, Alex weaves together the compelling tale of its creation. The stories told are frequently as fascinating as the game’s own narrative.” - Michael Dailey, Lucasfilm Games\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Bloody excellent.” - Josh West\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"Boss Fight’s new book by Alex Kane dives into this story with gusto, touching on deep reveals series fans will love, while keeping it digestible to more casual readers. Even if you don’t know the difference between a wamprat and a gizka, there’s a touchingly human tale inside.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/unwinnable.com\/2019\/04\/23\/boss-fight-vs-kotor\/\" title=\"Elijah Beahm reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for Unwinnable\"\u003eUnwinnable\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"\u003c\/span\u003eIf you enjoy the nitty gritty details of game development, this is the perfect book for you. [...] Books like this give me a true appreciation for the entire process of video game creation. I think I’m going to have to find more Boss Fight Books to read.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190511141354\/https:\/\/logannobleauthor.com\/2019\/04\/10\/book-review-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane\/\" title=\"Logan Noble reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for his blog\"\u003eLogan Noble\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kane’s writing style is crisp and professional, letting his interview subjects (including key designers, directors, producers, artists, and voice actors) speak for themselves. [...] If you are at all interested in how games are made, the stories here will fascinate you.\" - \u003ca title=\"Jonathan Logan reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for RPGFan\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rpgfan.com\/feature\/rpgfan-chapters-review-boss-fight-books-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003eRPGFan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Star Wars aside, this book gives an eye-opening account of the game industry and the developmental decisions behind one of the most well-loved games ever. The book is easy to pick up and read and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each page. The only criticism I have is that I was finding it so interesting that I was disappointed when I finished reading the final page. I wanted more!\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/ancientgamer.wordpress.com\/2019\/04\/29\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-by-alex-kane-book-review\/\" title=\"Ancient Gamer reviews KotOR by Alex Kane\"\u003eAncient Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"I could listen to these guys talk all day long about their time in the sun; they are still that passionate about it. It dawned on me, someone who has been playing the game since its release, that these creators are just as fascinating as the game itself. And in many ways, Alex treats both the game AND the creators with an equal amount of reverence, tactfully stopping short of hero-worship in both cases.\" - \u003ca title=\"Steve at TheForce.net reviews KotOR by Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theforce.net\/story\/front\/Star_Wars_Knights_Of_The_Old_Republic_Book_Review_183563.asp\"\u003eTheForce.net\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kane provides an awesome in-depth coverage of the developmental process, and also shares some great Easter Eggs about Star Wars. [...] I’d definitely recommend this book if you’re interested in Star Wars or video games in general.\" - \u003ca href=\"Katie%20Rentschler\" title=\"Katie Rentschler reviews KotOR by Alex Kane for Superman on Film\"\u003eSuperman on Film\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"There’s a little bit of something for everyone within these pages whether you’re more of a Star Wars person or more of a BioWare person. [...] Come for the game’s history, stay for the HK-47 tidbits, meatbags.\" - \u003ca title=\"Tosche Station review of KotOR by Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/toschestation.net\/review-star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003eTosche Station\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MRrRikIhEZc\u0026amp;feature=emb_title\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCaleb J Ross video review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/2019\/4\/9\/18295166\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-cut-planet-development-bioware\"\u003ePolygon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoverage: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.denofgeek.com\/games\/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-facts\/\"\u003eDen of Geek\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.port-haven.com\/articles\/forging-the-old-republic-an-interview-with-alex-kane\/\" title=\"Port Haven interviews Alex Kane about KotOR\"\u003ePort Haven\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sixB7-_MqPU\"\u003eMAHO! Studio\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CRCJNxQgQSg\"\u003eOld Republic Podcast\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca title=\"365 Star Wars interviews Alex Kane\" href=\"https:\/\/365starwars.com\/2019\/03\/21\/interview-alex-kane-and-the-making-of-knights-of-the-old-republic\/\"\u003e365 Star Wars\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/36523485-star-wars\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40823423952,"sku":"2201","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":40823424016,"sku":"2203","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":40823424080,"sku":"2204","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098825973930,"sku":"2205","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_10.png?v=1721336625"},{"product_id":"postal-by-brock-wilbur-nathan-rabin","title":"Postal by Brock Wilbur \u0026 Nathan Rabin","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eRelease Date: April 7, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e176 pages\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-22-7\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1997, game studio Running With Scissors released its debut title, Postal, an isometric shooter aimed at shocking an imagined pearl-clutching public. The game was crass, gory, and dumb—all of which might have been forgivable if the game had been any fun to play. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePostal gained enough notoriety from riding the wave of public outrage to warrant a sequel. And DLC. And a remake. And, perhaps most surprising of all, a Golden-Raspberry-winning feature film adaptation directed by the infamous Uwe Boll. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this thoughtful and hilarious tag-team performance, Brock Wilbur \u0026amp; Nathan Rabin probe the fascinatingly troubled game and film for what each can tell us about shock culture \u0026amp; mass shootings, interviewing the RWS team and even Boll himself for answers. Like it or not, Postal is the franchise that won't die—no matter how many molotov cocktails you throw at it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brockwilbur\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBrock Wilbur\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003eis a comedian and writer who is married to prominent feminist political journalist Vivian Kane, and cohabitates with three terrible cats. He produces political podcasts for Crooked Media, works in special projects for Riot Games, and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Kansas City's The Pitch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.nathanrabin.com\/\" data-external=\"true\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNathan Rabin\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the author of six books, the proprietor of Nathan Rabin’s Happy Place and the cohost of the Travolta\/Cage podcast. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, dog and two sons.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Interesting read.” - Vince Desi, Running with Scissors \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“One of the strangest, funniest books I read this year; [...] one of the strongest uses of voice I’ve encountered in a book lately.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.dflovett.com\/blog\/reading-may-june-2020\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eD. F. Lovett\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Nathan Rabin and Brock Wilbur show that behind even the most forgettable trash culture footnote lies a fascinating, horrifying, weirdly poignant story.” - Elliott Kalan (MST3K, The Daily Show)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“There is no keener observer of pop culture than Nathan Rabin.” - Justin McElroy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“A+++ highly recommend.” - Eric Doty\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“I read this book in one night and it’s goddamn brilliant - thoughtful, funny as hell, ingeniously structured to capture the wit and clarity of two of my favorite writers, highly recommended.” - Jason Bailey\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Brock writes … with enough blunt humor to make even conversations with monsters seem appealing.” - Joseph Knoop\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Wilbur and Rabin dive into one of the defining violent games of our generation, and surface with a book full of heart and soul.” - Francis Horton, What A Hell of a Way to Die podcast\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AV-02KoYDv4\u0026amp;feature=emb_title\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCaleb J Ross video review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca title=\"Excerpt of Postal at Nathan Rabin's Happy Place\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nathanrabin.com\/happy-place\/2020\/4\/21\/the-world-is-murderously-unfair-an-except-from-postal\"\u003eNathan Rabin's Happy Place\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Postal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/41549864-postal\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":40823625680,"sku":"2301","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":40823625744,"sku":"2303","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":40823625808,"sku":"2304","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098821484714,"sku":"2305","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_11.png?v=1721337694"},{"product_id":"red-dead-redemption-by-matt-margini","title":"Red Dead Redemption by Matt Margini","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eRelease Date: July 7, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e224 pages\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eISBN:\u003cspan\u003e 978-1-940535-24-1 \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFirst garnering both dismissal and intrigue as “Grand Theft Horse,” Rockstar Games’ 2010 action-adventure \u003cem\u003eRed Dead Redemption\u003c\/em\u003e was met on its release with critical acclaim for its open-world gameplay, its immersive environments, and its authenticity to the experience of the Wild West. Well, the simulated Wild West, that is.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoss Fight invites you to find out how the West was created, sold, and marketed to readers, moviegoers, and gamers as a space where “freedom” and “progress” duel for control of the dry, punishing frontier. Join writer and scholar Matt Margini as he journeys across the broad and expansive genre known as the Western, tracing the lineage of the familiar self-sufficient loner cowboy from prototypes like Buffalo Bill, through golden age icons like John Wayne and antiheroes like Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name,” up to \u003cem\u003eRed Dead\u003c\/em\u003e’s John Marston.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a critical reading of \u003cem\u003eRed Dead\u003c\/em\u003e’s narrative, setting, and gameplay through the lens of the rich and ever-shifting genre of the Western, Margini reveals its connections to a long legacy of mythmaking that has colored not only the stories we love to consume, but the histories we tell about America.\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/muckrack.com\/matt-margini\/articles\" title=\"Matt Margini Muckrack Page\"\u003eMatt Margini\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer whose essays on games, books, and movies have appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Kill Screen, and Public Books, where he serves as video game editor. In 2018, he earned a PhD in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He currently lives in Miami, FL, with his wife, Christina, and two sons, Raymond and Nicholas. This is his first book.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e*\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“In this extraordinary book, Margini shows how the fusion of the myth of the West with open-world design created the ultimate modern game.” - Michael Clune, author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGAMELIFE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e‘A deeply thoughtful and provocative contemplation, equally celebratory and interrogative, of a work that drew from American cinema’s idea of America’s past, even as it redrew video gaming’s future.’ - Simon Parkin, New Yorker contributor and author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDeath by Videogames\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Insightful.” - Javy Gwaltney \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“It’s quite arresting in its attempt to explain the mythology behind the west, and how the game channels that to make it what it is, a eulogy to the genre. Treats the material with a respect that I did not expect a video game to get. Great read!” - Ujjwal Mohindra \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“An essential read for anyone who’s really gotten into the game, and also for any fans of the Western who are interested in reading about how the genre can be interpreted through 21st century media.”- \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/dialhforhouston.wordpress.com\/2020\/07\/01\/book-review-matt-marginis-red-dead-redemption\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDial H for Houston\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Broadly but sharply observed, looking at the game as the product of not just its own medium and the Western films and novels it pulls from, but as a work twisted up in the history of America, past and present, and a reflection on how videogames relate that history. The final chapter, dealing directly with history as its subject, is likely the best I've ever read on how the past is related through games. Essential reading for anyone interested in that topic, especially.” - Reid McCarter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Lots of deep thought on the history of the Western and American Frontier and how RDR fits in.” - Simon Carless\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"Takes a seemingly benign topic and uses it as a catalyst to explore something much greater.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zDhx91GLKf8\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCaleb J Ross video review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eExcerpt: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/red-dead-redemptions-untamable-frontier-makes-it-the-ul-1844152406\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/53308302-red-dead-redemption\" title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Red Dead Redemption\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":31806591762545,"sku":"2501","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":31806591795313,"sku":"2503","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":31806591828081,"sku":"2504","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098821517482,"sku":"2505","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_9.png?v=1721336486"},{"product_id":"resident-evil-by-philip-j-reed","title":"Resident Evil by Philip J Reed","description":"\u003cdiv\u003eRelease Date: August 25, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e192 pages\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-25-8\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003eNow a sprawling video game franchise, \u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003eResident Evil has kept us on the edge of our seats for decades with its tried-and-true brand of jump scares, zombie action, and biological horror. But even decades after its release, we can’t stop revisiting the original\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e’s thrill\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003es\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#ff0000\"\u003e, chills, and sometimes unintentional spills\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#ff0000\"\u003ePop culture writer and\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#ff0000\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003ehorror cinephile Philip J Reed takes dead aim at 1996’s \u003ci\u003eResident Evil\u003c\/i\u003e, the game that named and defined the genre we now call “survival horror.” While examining \u003ci\u003eResident Evil\u003c\/i\u003e’s influences from the worlds of film, literature, and video games alike, Reed’s love letter to horror examines how the game’s groundbreaking design and its \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#ff0000\"\u003eatmospheric \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003efixed-cam cinematography work to thrill and terrify players—and why that terror may even be good for you.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing a foreword from Troma Entertainment legend Lloyd Kaufman and new interviews with the game’s voice actors and its live-action cast, the book serves as the master of unlocking the behind-the-scenes secrets of \u003ci\u003eResident Evil\u003c\/i\u003e, and shows how even a game filled with the most laughable dialogue can still scare the pants off of you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhilip J Reed\u003c\/strong\u003e is an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#ff0000\"\u003eaward-winning\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan color=\"#000000\"\u003e author and critic living in Denver, Colorado. He has written about games for outlets including Nintendo Life and TripleJump, and is the author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/diediebooks.com\/products\/the-wolfman-1941\" title=\"Product Page for The Wolf Man by Philip J Reed, from Die Die Books\"\u003eThe Wolf Man\u003c\/a\u003e from Die Die Books. Reed manages \u003ca title=\"Noiseless Chatter, Philip J Reed's website\" href=\"http:\/\/noiselesschatter.com\/\"\u003eNoiseless Chatter\u003c\/a\u003e and is allergic to cats.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA Resident Evil fan’s dream.” - \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cubed3.com\/news\/30448\/1\/insight-resident-evil-by-philip-j-reed.html\" title=\"Review of Resident Evil by Philip J Reed in Cubed 3\"\u003eCubed3\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“It’s an extremely entertaining look at all aspects of horror, as well as an unexpectedly touching story of growing up in a small town with only movies and games to occupy one’s time.” 4.5\/5 - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/geektogeekmedia.com\/geekery\/reviews\/boss-fight-books-resident-evil-review\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGeek to Geek Media\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“A fascinating tale of Resident Evil nostalgia.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mmofallout.com\/book-club-2020-resident-evil-philip-j-reed\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMMO Fallout\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“The way [Reed] writes about this seminal classic is ardent and infectious to the point of being a fantastic page turner.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/obtainpotion.wordpress.com\/2020\/08\/14\/the-horror-that-happened-to-be-a-game-a-book-report-on-resident-evil-by-philip-j-reed\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eObtain Potion\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\"Really well-written ... a book that presents a fantastic history of an iconic game that’s had a history, up to this point, that’s been fueled by plenty of speculation versus actual facts. [...] If you’re looking for a great book on gaming to read, this is one that’s well worth picking up.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/thatjerseygamer.wordpress.com\/2020\/08\/10\/resident-evil-boss-fight-books-review\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDaniel Stransky, That Jersey Gamer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“A rewarding read that will leave you’ll with a greater understanding and appreciation of this shlocky survival horror classic.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.gamespew.com\/2020\/07\/book-review-philip-j-reed-unlocks-resident-evil-with-this-survival-horror-deep-dive\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGameSpew\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“A whole lot of horror with a little dash of life. [...] Whether you only remember the early Resident Evil games or are still a fan of the franchise today, this deep dive into survival horror is easy to get through and worth your time.” - \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/deadentertainment.com\/2020\/07\/20\/review-boss-fight-books-resident-evil-explores-the-storied-origins-of-survival-horror\/\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDead Entertainment\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“A spectacular book.” - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0dn2JokMRg8\" title=\"Video Review of Resident Evil by Philip J Reed\"\u003ePaul Werkema\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore Reviews:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/53309314-resident-evil\" title=\"Goodreads Reviews of Resident Evil\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":31822773059697,"sku":"2601","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":31822773092465,"sku":"2603","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":31822773125233,"sku":"2604","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Scuffed\/Dented Paperback","offer_id":37098822172842,"sku":"2605","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_3.png?v=1721334887"},{"product_id":"minesweeper-by-kyle-orland","title":"Minesweeper by Kyle Orland","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eRelease Date: July 12, 2023\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-32-6\u003cbr\u003e208 pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIf you had some free time and a Windows PC in the 1990s, your mouse probably crawled its way to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMinesweeper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, an exciting watch-where-you-click puzzle game with a ticking clock and a ton of “just one more game” replayability.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eOriginally sold as part of a “big box” bundle of simple games, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMinesweeper \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ebecame a cornerstone of the Windows experience when it was pre-installed with every copy of Windows 3.1 and decades of subsequent OS updates. Alongside fellow Windows gaming staple \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSolitaire\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMinesweeper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e wound up on more devices than nearly any other video game in history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSweeping through a minefield of explosive storylines, Journalist Kyle Orland reveals how \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMinesweeper\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e caused an identity crisis within Microsoft, ensnared a certain Microsoft CEO with its addictive gameplay, dismayed panicky pundits, micromanagers, and legislators around the world, inspired a passionate competitive community that discovered how to break the game, and predicted the rise of casual gaming by nearly two decades. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"Kyle Orland Twitter Page\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/KyleOrl\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKyle Orland\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e got his start writing about video games at the age of 14, when he founded ‘90s fan site Super Mario Bros. HQ on his parents’ AOL web space. Since then he’s somehow put together a career writing and saying millions of aggregate words about games for dozens of outlets ranging from NPR and MSNBC to Electronic Gaming Monthly and Paste Magazine. He’s been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012. Kyle is the author of Wiley Publishing’s \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWii for Dummies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eFarmville for Dummies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, as well as two collections of reporting and criticism—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe Game Beat \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eand \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSave Point\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e—both published by Carnegie Mellon’s ETC Press.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Your next book should be Minesweeper by Kyle Orland. All of the Boss Fight Books’ books are fantastic and this one is no different. [...] This is for gamers who remember Windows 3.1 just like I do and for gamers who think Minesweeper is a free-to-play game on the Microsoft Store.\" - \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.deargamers.net\/reviews\/minesweeper-by-kyle-orland-boss-fight-books-review\" title=\"Review of Minesweeper by Kyle Orland on Dear Gamers\"\u003eDear Gamers\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Kyle Orland’s Minesweeper is a great example of how everything we listen to, watch, and play has a story behind it regardless of whether we look into it.\" - Nerds of a Feather Flock Together\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcerpt: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/kotaku.com\/microsoft-games-xbox-minesweeper-tetris-bill-gates-book-1850154914\" title=\"Excerpt of Minesweeper by Kyle Orland in Kotaku\"\u003eKotaku\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.gamesindustry.biz\/how-do-you-monetize-minesweeper\" title=\"Excerpt of Minesweeper by Kyle Orland in GamesIndustry.biz\"\u003eGamesIndustry.biz\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/retronauts.com\/article\/2079\/retronauts-episode-539-minesweeper-shareware\" title=\"Kyle Orland Minesweeper episode of Retronauts\"\u003eRetronauts\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/gamehistory.org\/ep-110-minesweeper\/\" title=\"Kyle Orland Minesweeper episode of Video Game History Foundation podcast\"\u003eVideo Game History Foundation\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/user-70840107\/ep327-kyle-orland\" title=\"Kyle Orland on Da Podcast\"\u003e\"Da\" Podcast\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/codexhistoryofvideogames.libsyn.com\/episode-262-minesweeper-with-kyle-orland\" title=\"Kyle Orland on Codex Podcast\"\u003eCodex\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/122781364-minesweeper\" title=\"Goodreads page for Minesweeper by Kyle Orland\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44538721108138,"sku":"3401","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":44538721140906,"sku":"3403","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":44538721173674,"sku":"3404","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_16.png?v=1721339467"},{"product_id":"day-of-the-tentacle-by-bob-mackey","title":"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eRelease Date: October 9, 2023\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-33-3\u003cbr\u003eForeword by Larry Ahern\u003cbr\u003eAfterword by Tim Schafer\u003cbr\u003e160 pages \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSix years after helping the Edison family defeat the designs of a malevolent meteor in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eManiac Mansion\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e, college student and classic nerd Bernard Bernoulli once again finds himself at the front door of the infamous mansion. With two weird friends, Hoagie and Laverne, Bernard must stop the evil Purple Tentacle from conquering the world—by freezing hamsters, pushing old ladies down the stairs, abusing Swiss bank accounts, and ever so slightly changing some of the most significant moments in American history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDave Grossman and Tim Schafer’s 1993 time-trotting point-and-click adventure game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDay of the Tentacle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e brought LucasArts' game design to a new standard of excellence with smart puzzles, hilarious characters, and an animation style that harkened back to classic Warner Bros. cartoons. And somehow, they fit it all on a fat stack of floppy disks!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn this definitive oral history as told by the game’s designers, musicians, and artists, writer Bob Mackey tells the inside story of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDay of the Tentacle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e’s lightning-in-a-bottle production, and reveals how two first-time directors boiled down the lessons of past adventure games into a tight and satisfying experience, how their team grappled with evolving technology to achieve the coveted status of \"multimedia\" at the dawn of the CD-ROM age, and how a remastered edition brought \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTentacle \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eto a new generation of fans.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/123029070-day-of-the-tentacle\" title=\"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey Goodreads Page\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBob Mackey\u003c\/strong\u003e is a writer, podcaster, and video game historian, and has been the co-host of the classic gaming podcast, Retronauts, since 2011. He's also the co-host and co-creator of the Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts, and transitioned to being a full-time podcaster after video game websites simply stopped existing. You can find him in Vancouver, BC with his wife and parrot, though often not at the same time. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Bob did an excellent job. [...] It shines a light on a game I had previously passed over and shared the game’s history with me.\" - \u003ca title=\"Paul Werkema review of Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey\" href=\"https:\/\/paulwerkema.com\/2023\/11\/15\/a-review-of-day-of-the-tentacle-by-bob-mackey\/\"\u003ePaul Werkema\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cspan class=\"Formatted\"\u003eMackey's passion and thorough research emanate from every chapter of this book. It's a quick, entertaining, and insightful read for fans of Day of the Tentacle, for fans of all adventure games, and for fans of how great games are made.\u003c\/span\u003e\" - David L. Craddock, author of \u003cem\u003eShovel Knight\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInterviews\/Podcasts: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nR4nvmczpVo\" title=\"Bob Mackey on Matt Chat\"\u003eMatt Chat\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;rct=j\u0026amp;opi=89978449\u0026amp;url=http:\/\/retronauts.com\/article\/2184\/retronauts-episode-579-writing-about-video-game-history\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwirj6rk0aiNAxXjLUQIHaDYOI84HhAWegQIIhAB\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw1uy6NCFywB2MItTDEjIFXv\" title=\"Bob Mackey on Retronauts Episode 579: Writing About Video Game History\"\u003eRetronauts\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMore Reviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/123029070-day-of-the-tentacle\" title=\"Day of the Tentacle by Bob Mackey Goodreads Page\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":45058700640426,"sku":"3501","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":45058700673194,"sku":"3503","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":45058700705962,"sku":"3504","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background.png?v=1721333959"},{"product_id":"everquest-by-matthew-s-smith","title":"EverQuest by Matthew S. Smith","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial Release Date: December 3, 2024\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-35-7\u003cbr\u003e224 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You’re in our world now.” This bold tagline led Sony’s 1999 ad blitz for \u003cem\u003eEverQuest\u003c\/em\u003e, the year’s most anticipated massively multiplayer game. Though just five words long, it challenged players to live in a virtual world beyond anything they’d experienced before—and delivered. The game that proved the MMORPG’s potential, \u003cem\u003eEverQuest \u003c\/em\u003eoutsold all prior entries in the genre and was the most popular subscription game in North America for five years until Blizzard’s World of Warcraft overthrew it. Yet \u003cem\u003eEverQuest \u003c\/em\u003elives on, with tens of thousands of players logging in every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on new interviews with \u003cem\u003eEverQuest \u003c\/em\u003edevelopers and veteran MMORPG developers, journalist Matthew S. Smith explores \u003cem\u003eEverQuest\u003c\/em\u003e's unlikely creation at a studio built to develop sports games, a rocky release which overwhelmed the game’s ill-prepared datacenter, the enticing game loops that placed \u003cem\u003eEverQuest \u003c\/em\u003ein a media firestorm around gaming addiction, and the real-money black market for \u003cem\u003eEverQuest \u003c\/em\u003eitems that foretold the future of digital goods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e*\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/mattontech.me\/\" title=\"Matthew S. Smith Homepage\"\u003eMatthew S. Smith\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e is a technology and gaming journalist from Portland, Oregon. His work is published in IEEE Spectrum magazine, Wired, The Verge, Kotaku, PC World, and USA Today, among other publications. Matthew also films and edits short documentaries about retro PC games on his YouTube channel, Computer Gaming Yesterday.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterviews\/Podcasts: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/no\/podcast\/matthew-s-smith-everquest-boss-fight-books-2024\/id1711930320?i=1000680415142\"\u003eGame Studies\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t\u0026amp;source=web\u0026amp;rct=j\u0026amp;opi=89978449\u0026amp;url=https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch%3Fv%3D4F2QpRmOHSI\u0026amp;ved=2ahUKEwi2gqbqirCNAxUVJkQIHY1oKLgQwqsBegQIDRAF\u0026amp;usg=AOvVaw1RKChf-5sK7Gt15lm22Cy1\"\u003eStill Loading\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iifX5BJfj4M\"\u003eCodex: History of Video Games\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/117393477-animal-crossing\" title=\"EverQuest by Matthew S. Smith Goodreads Page\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!----\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46316726419626,"sku":"3701","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46316726452394,"sku":"3703","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46316726485162,"sku":"3704","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/EverQuest-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1721362400"},{"product_id":"untitled-goose-game-by-james-oconnor","title":"Untitled Goose Game by James O'Connor","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: January 28, 2025\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-36-4\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e200 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's a beautiful day in the village, and you are a horrible goose, ready to wreak charming havoc on the weary locals. You'll ruin their gardens, invade their pub, and terrorize their children. \u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eWhat kind of scoundrels would make such a devious game?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the critical acclaim, the tweets from celebrities, the major awards, the memes, the fan art, and the legion of players, \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eUntitled Goose Game\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ewas just the goofy dream of House House, four friends in Melbourne, Australia. What began with a photo of a goose and the joking caption \"Let's make a game about this\" transformed into one of the wittiest and most stylish games of its generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough interviews with the creators and their co-conspirators, journalist and developer James O'Connor tells the story of how this indie megahit came to be, revealing how the team succeeded by evolving their friendship into an art practice, contributing to the wider Australian game development scene, trusting their own good taste, and never, ever naming their game. \u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eHonk!!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jickle\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bold\"\u003eJames O'Connor\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e has been writing about games for most of his adult life. His work has been featured on IGN, GameSpot, Edge, and beloved Australian magazine institutions Hyper and PC PowerPlay. He has also worked as an academic, teacher, game developer, and in a handful of other roles around games. In 2023, he won the Best Game Reviewer award at the Samsung IT Journalism Awards, and he recently served as the narrative lead on mobile game Power Rangers: Mighty Force. He lives in Adelaide with his partner and their two cats. This is his first book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eInterview: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/q-and-a\/546855\/untitled-goose-game-book-interview\"\u003ePolygon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e, \u003ca title=\"At 3rd Phase Stephen Farrelly interviews James O'Connor about his book Untitled Goose Game\" href=\"https:\/\/3rd-phase-boss.com\/blogs\/pop-culture\/untitled-goose-game-book-interview-with-author-james-oconnor\"\u003e3rd Phase\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003ePodcast: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/newbooksnetwork.com\/untitled-goose-game\" title=\"Untitled Goose Game author James O'Connor appears on Game Studies podcast\"\u003eGame Studies\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eReviews: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com\/a-review-of-untitled-goose-game-from-boss-fight-books\/\" title=\"Old School Gamer magazine reviews Untitled Goose Game by James O'Connor\"\u003eOld School Gamer\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/218134902-untitled-goose-game\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46347458511018,"sku":"3801","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46347458543786,"sku":"3803","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46347458576554,"sku":"3804","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/UGG-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1731350433"},{"product_id":"outer-wilds-by-tommy-wallach","title":"Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach","description":"\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: May 20, 2025\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-37-1\u003cbr\u003e192 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaybe it's happened to you too. You're talking to a friend about your favorite games, and their voice suddenly drops to a whisper. \"Have you played... \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e?\" When you ask what makes the game so special, their only response is a smile and a promise: \"Go play it. You'll see.\" After enough of these cryptic conversations, you finally try the game—and suddenly you're the one praising \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e to anyone who will listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this volume, novelist and escape room designer Tommy Wallach explains how a project that began as a USC student's master's thesis ended up winning \"Game of the Year\" from \u003cem\u003eGiant Bomb\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePolygon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEurogamer\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/em\u003e. Along the way, he'll discuss how \u003cem\u003eOuter Wilds\u003c\/em\u003e uses theme to reconcile the age-old battle between narrative and gameplay; how its unique form of knowledge-based gating spurs player curiosity; how it offers up true mystery without resorting to videogame-y puzzles; and how its spectacular DLC, E\u003cem\u003echoes of the Eye\u003c\/em\u003e, remains true to the spirit of the base game while transforming its tone completely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tommywallach.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"bold\"\u003eTommy Wallach\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e is the author of five young adult novels, including We All Looked Up, which spent over six months on the New York Times bestseller list. As a screenwriter, he's sold numerous projects, including the thriller Delilah (Screen Gems) and a limited series about the JonBenet Ramsey case (Paramount+). He was signed to Decca\/Universal as a singer-songwriter, and his original musical Vicky \u0026amp; Frank was recently optioned by eight-time Tony Award winning producer Joey Parnes. Tommy is the co-owner of Hatch Escapes, creators of the tabletop game Mother of Frankenstein and the escape rooms Lab Rat, ranked the eighth best room in the world in 2018, and The Ladder, which the LA Times described as \"redefining the medium.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e*\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003e\"Highly recommended and enjoyable.\" - Darren Hupke in\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/posts\/book-review-by-135792737\" title=\"Darren Hupke reviews Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach for Pixels and Polygons\"\u003e Pixels and Polygons\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"text-italic\"\u003eReviews: \u003ca title=\"Goodreads page for Outer Wilds by Tommy Wallach\" href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/219148634-outer-wilds\"\u003eGoodreads\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46567813382314,"sku":"3901","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":46567813415082,"sku":"3903","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback + eBook","offer_id":46567813447850,"sku":"3904","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/OuterWilds-Mockup3DCover.png?v=1740010423"},{"product_id":"life-is-strange-by-kaitlin-tremblay","title":"Life is Strange by Kaitlin Tremblay","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003ePaperback and Ebook Available Now\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-40-1\u003cbr\u003e144 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-ef4508af-7fff-b54c-d4f3-5ce8c5b40cec\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDespite its time travel mechanics, high stakes, and pulpy murder plot, Don’t Nod Entertainment’s 2015 adventure game \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLife is Strange\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e stood out from most video games with its unapologetic emphasis on queer romance and friendships.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eYet for all the game’s specificity, players around the world found something of themselves in its protagonist, Max Caulfield, a perceptive yet insecure teen photographer who discovers she has the ability to rewind time itself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNarrative designer Kaitlin Tremblay offers an intimate close reading of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLife is Strange\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ethrough the lenses of personal history, YA fantasy, identity formation, grief, and most of all, choice. If Max is “the sum of all the possible choices that she could make,” as Tremblay writes, then every decision we players make says something about who we are—and who we want to be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKaitlin Tremblay \u003c\/strong\u003eis a writer and narrative designer. Currently a narrative director at Soft Rains on Ambrosia Sky, their previous game credits include A Mortician's Tale, Watch Dogs Legion, and Grindstone. They are the author of two other books on video games: Collaborative Worldbuilding for Video Games (CRC Press, 2023) and Ain't No Place for a Hero: Borderlands (ECW Press, 2017). Their full work can be found on their \u003ca title=\"Kaitlin Tremblay's website\" href=\"www.thatmonstergames.com\"\u003ewebsite\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47990129328298,"sku":"4201","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":47990129361066,"sku":"4203","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFB_Covers_with_Color_Background_1_e7da0c37-9827-4234-97a3-544706d70517.png?v=1752540453"},{"product_id":"dragon-age-ii-by-charlotte-reber","title":"Dragon Age II by Charlotte Reber","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003eEbook and Paperback Available Now\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-41-8\u003cbr\u003e212 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" id=\"docs-internal-guid-90557326-7fff-f5c9-41f0-17c1b275103a\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eRushed through development in just a year to capitalize on the runaway success of its predecessor, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDragon Age II\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e's writing team had only a few months to write an entire game before handing it off to voice acting and development. The result was an often ramshackle sequel featuring a smaller world, fewer companions, and repetitive quests—as well as some of the best characters, dialogue, and storytelling Bioware has ever put to screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBased on new interviews with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDA2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e writers David Gaider, Jennifer Hepler, Lukas Kristjanson, as well as editor Karin Weekes, author Charlotte Reber tells the wild behind-the-scenes story of how a team at the top of their game made the best of an impossible assignment to create the series’s first fully voiced protagonist, its charmingly unreliable narrator, and a crew of unforgettable party members to bother, befriend, and romance. From \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDA2\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e’s inception to its mishandled marketing campaign to its volatile reactions from players, Reber’s book raises a mug of ale to the game that was—and the game that might have been.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCharlotte Reber\u003c\/strong\u003e is a fiction writer and gamer with a fascination for telling stories and playing games in unusual ways. She has a handful of degrees in creative writing and children's literature from Wellesley College and Simmons University, and lives in Vermont with her family, several cats, and a suspiciously low number of dragons.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47990152855722,"sku":"4301","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":47990152888490,"sku":"4303","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFBCoverswithColorBackground.png?v=1753050085"},{"product_id":"age-of-empires-by-richard-moss","title":"Age of Empires by Richard Moss (Pre-Order on Kickstarter)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/gabedurham\/age-of-empires-how-ensemble-studios-made-history\" title=\"Age of Empires by Richard Moss Kickstarter page\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePreorder Now on Kickstarter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-940535-42-5\u003cbr\u003e208 pages\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Tony came in one day, out of the blue, and said to everybody in the room, ‘Hey, would any of you rather be programming games than databases?’”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUpon its release in 1997, the real-time strategy game \u003ci\u003eAge of Empires \u003c\/i\u003eturned heads with its varied campaigns, competitive online play, “Hollywood” approach to history, and its bright and colorful aesthetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHelmed by brothers Tony and Rick Goodman, \u003ci\u003eAge of Empires\u003c\/i\u003e was a game about bringing thousands of years of human history to life—and making it fun and accessible. Over the course of its three-year development, the game shifted from an ancient-world twist on \u003ci\u003eSimCity\u003c\/i\u003e to a historical real-time strategy game, but through all its iterations \u003ci\u003eAge\u003c\/i\u003e never strayed from that core vision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on interviews with 29 former Ensemble and Microsoft executives and staff, documentarian Richard Moss tells the story of how a scrappy team of first-time developers partnered with the biggest tech company in the world on a game that would test the brothers’ relationship like nothing before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvailable in \u003cstrong\u003eebook\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003epaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003edeluxe hardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e formats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/gabedurham\/age-of-empires-how-ensemble-studios-made-history\" title=\"Age of Empires by Richard Moss Kickstarter page\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNow Funding on Kickstarter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Boss Fight Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48566237233322,"sku":"4401","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"eBook","offer_id":48566237266090,"sku":"4403","price":7.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0313\/4361\/files\/BFBCoverswithColorBackground_13.png?v=1774898253"}],"url":"https:\/\/bossfightbooks.com\/collections\/pc.oembed","provider":"Boss Fight Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}