One of the ideas John and I discussed throughout the writing process was how to illustrate just how impactful Dungeons & Dragons has become. More than a few people have said the game, which once served as shorthand for “geek” in the popular culture, was an creative influence early in life. As geek culture moved […]
Someone told me that each equation I included in the book would halve the sales. I therefore resolved not to have any equations at all. In the end, however, I did put in one equation, Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc^2. I hope that this will not scare off half of my potential readers. — […]
In just 6 weeks, Dungeons & Dreamers will hit the bookstores. You can order a signed copy today (with an eBook), you can wait for the book to hit stores, or you can sign up for our giveaway at Goodreads. We’re giving away 10 copies of the book between February 1 and February 28. All […]
On February 1, we’ll launch a month-long contest on Goodreads. We’re giving away 10 pre-release copies of our book, Dungeons & Dreamers: A story of how computer games created a global community. One of the narrative threads in the book is how the game Dungeons & Dragons influenced game developers for twenty years, and how […]
**UPDATE** I was chatting with Andrew Pascal, who is producing this film, and he clarified a bit about The Great Kingdom. He’d been to my house to shoot footage for Dungeons & Dragons: The Documentary, but that is a different project than The Great Kingdom. So…we weren’t left on the cutting room floor for The […]
In just a few days, Dungeons & Dragons will celebrate its 40 anniversary, which has prompted people across the Web to reflect on what the game meant to them over the years. Obviously, John and I have written a book about the impact of the game on computer game culture, which is one of the […]
The geek world is atwitter as Dungeons & Dragons is turning 40. We are too, but mainly because our book about the game’s impact on the world of computers is turning 11. Just like D&D Next, which reboots the tabletop game, Our Second Edition of Dungeons & Dreamers is more than 25% new, radically re-organized, […]
**Update**W.D Prescott just posted that he just shared the video, and that DKlarations actually compiled it. I blame the Internet for communications, and we still think W.D. is awesome for sharing it.** The video lays out one of the best (and most entertaining) explanations of the game. For years, I’ve tried to explain to people that […]
The new year is upon us, which means we’re just a few weeks away from the book nearing publication. Before we get there, though, I wanted to announce the winners of our storytelling contest. The top 3 will receive a signed, print version of the book (and an eBook), and the 4th and 5th place […]
There’s a great complexity to why Appalachia has ended up in its current economic and cultural states. Economic and political forces pushed against the region without any centralized plan for its development
“I’ve got something to send you,” said Jeremy, my old producer from Wired.com, while we were chatting on Facebook. He asked for my address, but I forgot that he’d done that. We generally reminisce about the good, old days. We don’t spend much time buying each other gifts. When the package showed up today, I […]
While So Far Appalachia uses my family, the Bakers, as the backdrop for its narrative, the story is really about the larger issues that impact how we experience life in America. The more I research the book and the more I write on the blog, the more focused that will become on the site.