Critical Hits: Writers on Gaming and the Alternate Worlds We Inhabit

The Power Critical Hits is a collection of essays by eighteen writer-gamers that explore the impact of video games on our lives, offering solace from illness and grief, testing ideas about language, bodies, race, and technology, and illuminating fragments of an industry that is popular, misunderstood, and spellbinding.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2023
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd

A Loot Drop of Brilliance

Naomi Alderman, the acclaimed author of The Power, has crafted an exhilarating, original, and richly captivating collection titled Critical Hits. This remarkable work ignited a flame of inspiration within me, urging me to delve deeper into the realms of reading, writing, and, dare I say, gaming. I must confess, without any trace of shame, that it sparked a renewed desire to engage in these captivating pursuits.

The New Statesman

Whether you're a dedicated gamer, a fervent Twitch subscriber, or simply an occasional Subway Surfer, video games have irrevocably shaped the way we interact with the world and have been an integral part of our lives for over fifty years. Critical Hits serves as a joyous celebration of play and playfulness, delving into the enduring impact of video games.

Comprising a collection of sharp, impassioned, and inquisitive essays, this remarkable work begins with an introduction by the talented Carmen Maria Machado. It then presents video games through the unique perspectives of eighteen writer-gamers, who seamlessly navigate between the real and artificial realms. Within these virtual landscapes, they find solace from illness and grief, test ideas about language, bodies, race, and technology, and witness their experiences and identities intricately reflected or intricately intertwined with the interactive virtual realities they inhabit.

From a deep dive into the captivating world of portal fantasy games by Charlie Jane Anders and a humorous comic by MariNaomi recounting her experiences as a video game producer, to the fascinating overlaps between gaming and poetry by Stephen Sexton, Critical Hits sheds light on fragments of an industry that is widely celebrated, often misunderstood, and undeniably spellbinding.

Weight: 274g
Dimension: 137 x 215 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800814523
Edition number: Main