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“It’s not just that Strunk knows more interesting things about video games and gaming culture than anyone else, although I really think he does. It’s that he knows so much about the obsessions and forces from which games and culture spring, why games work or don’t, and how it all fits into the broader culture as a whole. He sees the big picture in a way other video game writers don’t and can explain it in a way other writers can’t. No one else could have written this book.”

- David Roth, co-founding writer, Defector

- Josh Sawyer, BAFTA and WGA-nominated Game Director and Studio Design Director, Obsidian Entertainment

Last updated on 03 Jul 2021

“I originally thought this book might be something that my son and the gamers in the our homeschool coop might enjoy, but it was more of a historical and critical commentary on video games and how they have impacted culture. Overall a tremendously interesting book and would definitely recommend it to those in the gaming community.”

–Laura Miller, homeschool educator

Last updated on 13 Sep 2021

“As a lover of both video games and academic-style critiques, I found this book very enjoyable. I don’t know if I felt like all of the goals for each chapter were met (such as exploring the end of capitalism through the way we imagine apocalypses in post apocalyptic games). Regardless, I would recommend this book to many of my friends who are interested in the role seminal games had in developing future games, as well as how games intersect with society and culture, particularly capitalism.”–Lydia Pazienza, reviewer at Harvard University

Trevor Strunk, PhD, is the host of No Cartridge, a progressive podcast that critically analyzes video games and the conditions of the games industry. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a focus on contemporary American literature and emergent forms. His writing on video games and other media has appeared in The Outline, Los Angeles Review of Books, Giant Bomb, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter at the handle @hegelbon. He currently teaches English at DeSales University, and lives with his wife and two delightful if energetic children outside of Philadelphia.