Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons

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Author :
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262377993
Total Pages : 387 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (623 download)

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Book Synopsis Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons by : Premeet Sidhu

Download or read book Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons written by Premeet Sidhu and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2024-11-19 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the fiftieth anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, a collection of essays that explores and celebrates the game’s legacy and its tremendous impact on gaming and popular culture. In 2024, the enormously influential tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons—also known as D&D—celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. To mark the occasion, editors Premeet Sidhu, Marcus Carter, and José Zagal have assembled an edited collection that celebrates and reflects on important parts of the game’s past, present, and future. Each chapter in Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons explores why the nondigital game is more popular than ever—with sales increasing 33 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite worldwide lockdowns—and offers readers the opportunity to critically reflect on their own experiences, perceptions, and play of D&D. Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons draws on fascinating research and insight from expert scholars in the field, including: Gary Alan Fine, whose 1983 book Shared Fantasy remains a canonical text in game studies; Jon Peterson, celebrated D&D historian; Daniel Justice, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Literature and Expressive Culture; and numerous leading and emerging scholars from the growing discipline of game studies, including Amanda Cote, Esther MacCallum-Stewart, and Aaron Trammell. The chapters cover a diverse range of topics—from D&D’s adoption in local contexts and classrooms and by queer communities to speculative interpretations of what D&D might look like in one hundred years—that aim to deepen readers’ understanding of the game.

Game Wizards

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262542951
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis Game Wizards by : Jon Peterson

Download or read book Game Wizards written by Jon Peterson and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of the arcane table-top game that became a pop culture phenomenon and the long-running legal battle waged by its cocreators. When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success--and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As the game's fiftieth anniversary approaches, Peterson--a noted authority on role-playing games--explains how D&D and its creators navigated their successes, setbacks, and controversies. Peterson describes Gygax and Arneson's first meeting and their work toward the 1974 release of the game; the founding of TSR and its growth as a company; and Arneson's acrimonious departure and subsequent challenges to TSR. He recounts the "Satanic Panic" accusations that D&D was sacrilegious and dangerous, and how they made the game famous. And he chronicles TSR's reckless expansion and near-fatal corporate infighting, which culminated with the company in debt and overextended and the end of Gygax's losing battle to retain control over TSR and D&D. With Game Wizards, Peterson restores historical particulars long obscured by competing narratives spun by the one-time partners. That record amply demonstrates how the turbulent experience of creating something as momentous as Dungeons & Dragons can make people remember things a bit differently from the way they actually happened.

30 Years of Adventure

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780786934980
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (349 download)

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Book Synopsis 30 Years of Adventure by : Of The Coast Wizards

Download or read book 30 Years of Adventure written by Of The Coast Wizards and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thirtieth-anniversary retrospective explores the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, featuring a selection of essays and photographs that capture the events, products, personalities, art, and influence of the game through the years.

The Elusive Shift

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262360942
Total Pages : 332 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (623 download)

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Book Synopsis The Elusive Shift by : Jon Peterson

Download or read book The Elusive Shift written by Jon Peterson and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2020-12-22 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How the early Dungeons & Dragons community grappled with the nature of role-playing games, theorizing a new game genre. When Dungeon & Dragons made its debut in the mid-1970s, followed shortly thereafter by other, similar tabletop games, it sparked a renaissance in game design and critical thinking about games. D&D is now popularly considered to be the first role-playing game. But in the original rules, the term "role-playing" is nowhere to be found; D&D was marketed as a war game. In The Elusive Shift, Jon Peterson describes how players and scholars in the D&D community began to apply the term to D&D and similar games--and by doing so, established a new genre of games.

When Tito Loved Clara

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Publisher : Algonquin Books
ISBN 13 : 1616200553
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (162 download)

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Book Synopsis When Tito Loved Clara by : Jon Michaud

Download or read book When Tito Loved Clara written by Jon Michaud and published by Algonquin Books. This book was released on 2011-03-08 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clara Lugo grew up in a home that would have rattled the most grounded of children. Through brains and determination, she has long since slipped the bonds of her confining Dominican neighborhood in the northern reaches of Manhattan. Now she tries to live a settled professional life with her American husband and son in the suburbs of New Jersey—often thwarted by her constellation of relatives who don’t understand her gringa ways. Her mostly happy life is disrupted, however, when Tito, a former boyfriend from fifteen years earlier, reappears. Something has impeded his passage into adulthood. His mother calls him an Unfinished Man. He still carries a torch for Clara; and she harbors a secret from their past. Their reacquaintance sets in motion an unraveling of both of their lives and reveals what the cost of assimilation—or the absence of it—has meant for each of them. This immensely entertaining novel—filled with wit and compassion—marks the debut of a fine writer.

The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg

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Author :
Publisher : Fellowship of the Thing Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781736572108
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (721 download)

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Book Synopsis The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg by : Greg Svenson

Download or read book The Lost Dungeons of Tonisborg written by Greg Svenson and published by Fellowship of the Thing Limited. This book was released on 2021-02-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Created in 1973 by Greg Svenson, a core member of Dave Arneson's "Blackmoor Bunch," and preserved for 35 years by David Megarry, the famous author of The Dungeon! board game, the Tonisborg Mega-Dungeon is now finally revealed in all of its original glory.As the only surviving Twin Cities dungeon from this era that was not created by Dave Arneson himself, it offers a unique historical perspective on early dungeon adventure games.Seasoned Referees will find much to benefit their games within the pages of this book, as will the novice Referee, who may be unfamiliar with some of the traditional methods of Old School ROle-Playing Games (RPG's). No matter your experience level, you will find everything you need to bring Tonisborg back to life within this volume.Includes: -Full-color reproductions of all 10 levels of Tonisborg Dungeon, complete with the original dungeon keys, or stocking lists. -Greg Svenson reveals how the dungeon came about and why it is a bridge between what came before and what comes after.-Extensive play guidelines teach you how to make Tonisborg rise again as a real-life experience for you and your players.-Updated maps and keys have been reconstructed from the originals for ease of play.-A set of historically accurate game rules have been included that are ideal for developing an original style adventure campaign.

Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana

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Author :
Publisher : Ten Speed Press
ISBN 13 : 0399580948
Total Pages : 450 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana by : Michael Witwer

Download or read book Dungeons & Dragons Art & Arcana written by Michael Witwer and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2018-10-23 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated guide to the history and evolution of the beloved role-playing game told through the paintings, sketches, illustrations, and visual ephemera behind its creation, growth, and continued popularity. FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE DIANA JONES AWARD From one of the most iconic game brands in the world, this official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the brand, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. Inside the book, you’ll find more than seven hundred pieces of artwork—from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements, and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts, and more from the now-famous designers and artists associated with DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. The superstar author team gained unparalleled access to the archives of Wizards of the Coast and the personal collections of top collectors, as well as the designers and illustrators who created the distinctive characters, concepts, and visuals that have defined fantasy art and gameplay for generations. This is the most comprehensive collection of D&D imagery ever assembled, making this the ultimate collectible for the game's millions of fans around the world.

Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms

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Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 1613775091
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (137 download)

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Book Synopsis Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms by : Ed Greenwood

Download or read book Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms written by Ed Greenwood and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2013-01-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood opens the adventures of an unlikely new band of heroes who get into a bit more trouble than usual in the fabled port city of Waterdeep, but soon discover some of the seedier corners of the wider Realms — the hard way! Joined by artist Lee Ferguson and Sal Buscema, this new series kicks off a deadly tale with a kidnapping that is more — and less — than it seems.

Playing at the World

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780615642048
Total Pages : 698 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (42 download)

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Book Synopsis Playing at the World by : Jon Peterson

Download or read book Playing at the World written by Jon Peterson and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 698 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore the conceptual origins of wargames and role-playing games in this unprecedented history of simulating the real and the impossible. From a vast survey of primary sources ranging from eighteenth-century strategists to modern hobbyists, Playing at the World distills the story of how gamers first decided fictional battles with boards and dice, and how they moved from simulating wars to simulating people. The invention of role-playing games serves as a touchstone for exploring the ways that the literary concept of character, the lure of fantastic adventure and the principles of gaming combined into the signature cultural innovation of the late twentieth century.

Of Dice and Men

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Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1451640501
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Of Dice and Men by : David M. Ewalt

Download or read book Of Dice and Men written by David M. Ewalt and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A definitive look at Dungeons & Dragons traces its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen suicides and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game industry.

Slaying the Dragon

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Publisher : Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1625675828
Total Pages : 316 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (256 download)

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Book Synopsis Slaying the Dragon by : Ben Riggs

Download or read book Slaying the Dragon written by Ben Riggs and published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-07-19 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dungeons & Dragons. It’s the fantasy role-playing game first conceived over fifty years ago by the now-legendary company TSR ,which has enthralled millions of devoted gamers around the world for generations. It’s a test of skill, intelligence, audacity, and survival. But no D&D game ever played could compare to the stunning behind-the-scenes melee for power and dominance that was the true story of TSR. Slaying the Dragon chronicles the rise and fall of TSR (Tactical Studies Rules), how the brilliant and wild minds of the legendary Gary Gygax and his co-creator Dave Arneson gave birth to a game that would capture the imagination of outsiders and underdogs throughout the world. From its humble beginnings in the small town of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to its emergence as a cultural phenomenon, TSR soon spawned an unlikely empire of games and geekdom—with Dungeons & Dragons leading the way—that was decades ahead of its time, inviting both hyper-devoted fans as well as hysteria surrounding the game’s supposed corrupting influence on America’s youth. TSR was in the news, in the money, and on top of the world. But success soon took its toll, with creative control and rivalries within the firm threatening the stability of TSR. Former allies grew apart personally and professionally, and the formerly fun, freewheeling firm founded by a band of misfits collapsed into a desperate struggle for survival. Despite attempts to grow in a changing market, setbacks and management decisions put TSR in a downward spiral in the 1990s which resulted in the company's death and then resurrection by the most unlikely of saviors. With author access to previously unreleased documents and insider stories, and interviews with former TSR employees and associates who witnessed the high-stakes machinations and maneuvering that would eventually seal the company’s fate, Slaying the Dragon is a fascinating, revealing tale of friends turned enemies, success and failure, and loyalty and betrayal that no roll of the die could predict... "Riggs has written a fascinating and dishy account of the business hits and whistling misses of a band of dreamers, writers, artists, and geeks... A must-read for fighters, magic-users, and even bards -- and everyone else, too." — Brad Ricca, Edgar-nominated author of Mrs. Sherlock Holmes and True Raiders"Far from a fluff piece on a beloved hobby, this book goes behind the GM's screen to take a hard-nosed look at the people and circumstances that first gave rise to D&D, then nearly killed it -- twice. Riggs takes you on a roller-coaster from boom to near bankruptcy, but never loses sight of the individuals involved, the good, the bad, and the geeky." — Marie Brennan, Hugo-Award nominated author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series

Wizards & Spells (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Publisher : Ten Speed Press
ISBN 13 : 1984856472
Total Pages : 114 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (848 download)

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Book Synopsis Wizards & Spells (Dungeons & Dragons) by : Jim Zub

Download or read book Wizards & Spells (Dungeons & Dragons) written by Jim Zub and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2020-03-10 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An immersive illustrated primer to the enchanted beings, magic users, and spells of Dungeons & Dragons, the leading fantasy role-playing game. This illustrated guide transports new players to the magical world of Dungeons & Dragons and presents a one-of-a-kind course on the wizards, sorcerers, and other magic-makers for which the game is known. Featuring easy-to-follow and entertaining explanations of how spells are created and used in the game, along with original illustrations of the game's essential magical characters, this book shines a spotlight on the mystical side of D&D. The perfect jumping-on point for young fans of fantasy looking to give D&D a try, Wizards and Spells also features prompts to encourage creative problem-solving skills in the dangerous situations that may be encountered in a Dungeons & Dragons adventure.

Empire of Imagination

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1632862794
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (328 download)

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Book Synopsis Empire of Imagination by : Michael Witwer

Download or read book Empire of Imagination written by Michael Witwer and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-10-06 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The life story of Gary Gygax, godfather of all fantasy adventure games, has been told only in bits and pieces. Michael Witwer has written a dynamic, dramatized biography of Gygax from his childhood in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to his untimely death in 2008. Gygax's magnum opus, Dungeons & Dragons, would explode in popularity throughout the 1970s and '80s and irreversibly alter the world of gaming. D&D is the best-known, best-selling role-playing game of all time, and it boasts an elite class of alumni--Stephen Colbert, Robin Williams, and Junot Diaz all have spoken openly about their experience with the game as teenagers, and some credit it as the workshop where their nascent imaginations were fostered. Gygax's involvement in the industry lasted long after his dramatic and involuntary departure from D&D's parent company, TSR, and his footprint can be seen in the genre he is largely responsible for creating. But as Witwer shows, perhaps the most compelling facet of his life and work was his unwavering commitment to the power of creativity in the face of myriad sources of adversity, whether cultural, economic, or personal. Through his creation of the role-playing genre, Gygax gave two generations of gamers the tools to invent characters and entire worlds in their minds. Told in narrative-driven and dramatic fashion, Witwer has written an engaging chronicle of the life and legacy of this emperor of the imagination.

Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy

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Author :
Publisher : Open Court
ISBN 13 : 0812698037
Total Pages : 330 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (126 download)

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Book Synopsis Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy by : Jon Cogburn

Download or read book Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy written by Jon Cogburn and published by Open Court. This book was released on 2012-09-11 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume will convince readers that the swift ascent of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons to worldwide popularity in the 1970s and 1980s is “the most exciting event in popular culture since the invention of the motion picture.” Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy presents twenty-one chapters by different writers, all D&D aficionados but with starkly different insights and points of view. It will be appreciated by thoughtful fans of the game, including both those in their thirties, forties, and fifties who have rediscovered the pastime they loved as teenagers and the new teenage and college-student D&D players who have grown up with gaming via computer and console games and are now turning to D&D as a richer, fuller gaming experience. The book is divided into three parts. The first, “Heroic Tier: The Ethical Dungeon-Crawler,” explores what D&D has to teach us about ethics and about how results from the philosophical study of morality can enrich and transform the game itself. Authors argue that it’s okay to play evil characters, criticize the traditional and new systems of moral alignment, and (from the perspective of those who love the game) tackle head-on the recurring worries about whether the game has problems with gender and racial stereotypes. Readers of Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy will become better players, better thinkers, better dungeon-masters, and better people. Part II, “Paragon Tier: Planes of Existence,” arouses a new sense of wonder about both the real world and the collaborative world game players create. Authors look at such metaphysical questions as what separates magic from science, how we express the inexpressible through collaborative storytelling, and what the objects that populate Dungeons and Dragons worlds can teach us about the equally fantastic objects that surround us in the real world. The third part, “Epic Tier: Leveling Up,” is at the crossroads of philosophy and the exciting new field of Game Studies. The writers investigate what makes a game a game, whether D&D players are artists producing works of art, whether D&D (as one of its inventors claimed) could operate entirely without rules, how we can overcome the philosophical divide between game and story, and what types of minds take part in D&D.

House of Earth and Blood

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1635574056
Total Pages : 821 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (355 download)

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Book Synopsis House of Earth and Blood by : Sarah J. Maas

Download or read book House of Earth and Blood written by Sarah J. Maas and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-03-03 with total page 821 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A #1 New York Times bestseller! Sarah J. Maas's brand-new CRESCENT CITY series begins with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance. Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths. Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach. As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it. With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom-and the power of love.

Valiant Dust

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Author :
Publisher : Tor Books
ISBN 13 : 0765390728
Total Pages : 350 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (653 download)

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Book Synopsis Valiant Dust by : Richard Baker

Download or read book Valiant Dust written by Richard Baker and published by Tor Books. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of Condemnation introduces hero Sikander North, a Kashmiri officer on board the starship CSS Hector who struggles to prove himself to his Aquilan crewmates and the colonial ruler's headstrong daughter during a violent uprising.

Defying Reality

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Author :
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101983736
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (19 download)

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Book Synopsis Defying Reality by : David M. Ewalt

Download or read book Defying Reality written by David M. Ewalt and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-07-17 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating exploration of the history, development, and future of virtual reality, a technology with world-changing potential, written by award-winning journalist and author David Ewalt, stemming from his 2015 Forbes cover story about the Oculus Rift and its creator Palmer Luckey. You’ve heard about virtual reality, seen the new gadgets, and read about how VR will be the next big thing. But you probably haven’t yet realized the extent to which this technology will change the way we live. We used to be bound to a physical reality, but new immersive computer simulations allow us to escape our homes and bodies. Suddenly anyone can see what it’s like to stand on the peak of Mount Everest. A person who can’t walk can experience a marathon from the perspective of an Olympic champion. And why stop there? Become a dragon and fly through the universe. But it’s not only about spectacle. Virtual and augmented reality will impact nearly every aspect of our lives—commerce, medicine, politics—the applications are infinite. It may sound like science fiction, but this vision of the future drives billions of dollars in business and is a top priority for such companies as Facebook, Google, and Sony. Yet little is known about the history of these technologies. In Defying Reality, David M. Ewalt traces the story from ancient amphitheaters to Cold War military laboratories, through decades of hype and failure, to a nineteen-year-old video game aficionado who made the impossible possible. Ewalt looks at how businesses are already using this tech to revolutionize the world around us, and what we can expect in the future. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as for technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on VR. With firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, Defying Reality shows how virtual reality will change our work, our play, and the way we relate to one another.