Co-hosted by the *SPARC Fund (Supporting Professional Alumi Returning to Campus):
Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: Lunch With Alum Ethan Gilsdorf 84F
Wednesday, October 28
Join us at 12:00 noon for pizza in the Adele Simmons Hall lobby, with a talk and Q & A to follow.
Join Hampshire College grad Ethan Gilsdorf, 84F, who will discuss some of the themes of his new book, “Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms.” In “Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks,” a blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to Wisconsin, France to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar. Delving into Dungeons & Dragons, live-action role playing games, World of Warcraft, the Society for Creative Anachronism, Tolkien fandom, and other fantasy subcultures, Gilsdorf embarks on a quest that begins in his own geeky teenage past and ends in our online gaming future. He asks: Who are these gamers and fantasy fans? What explains the irresistible appeal of such “escapist” adventures? How do the players balance their escapist urges with the kingdom of adulthood?
Gilsdorf will talk about the culture’s discomfort with the geek/nerd/gamer stereotype and will look at society’s ambivalent relationship with gaming and fantasy play, and the origins of that prejudice, as well as the author’s own past misgivings and final acceptance of his “geek” identity. Since the origins of D&D, the culture has widely embraced gaming and role-playing as an “acceptable” activity since, a shift largely brought on by the digital revolution. The shame of being a gamer and social isolation are gone, but in their place are other concerns: the loss of “place” and “hereness,” and the way games with richly-textured digital landscapes may demand less of the imagination. For more information, visit http://www.fantasyfreaksbook.com/
