Despite the advent and explosion of videogames, boardgames—from fast-paced party games to intensely strategic titles—have in recent years become more numerous and more diverse in terms of genre, ethos and content. The growth of gaming events and conventions such as Essen Spiel, Gen Con and the UK Games EXPO, as well as crowdfunding through sites like Kickstarter, has diversified the evolution of game development, which is increasingly driven by fans, and boardgames provide an important glue to geek culture. In academia, boardgames are used in a practical sense to teach elements of design and game mechanics.
Game studies is also recognizing the importance of expanding its focus beyond the digital. As yet, however, no collected work has explored the many different approaches emerging around the critical challenges that boardgaming represents. In this collection, game theorists analyze boardgame play and player behavior, and explore the complex interactions between the sociality, conflict, competition and cooperation that boardgames foster. Game designers discuss the opportunities boardgame system designs offer for narrative and social play. Cultural theorists discuss boardgames’ complex history as both beautiful physical artifacts and special places within cultural experiences of play.
Featuring interviews with the creators of 35 popular video games—including John Madden Football, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3, WCW/nWo Revenge, and RBI Baseball—this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) sports video games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega-publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.
Drawing on new research, this first biography of William Steinitz (1836–1900), the first World Chess Champion, covers his early life and career, with a fully-sourced collection of his known games until he left London in 1882. A portrait of mid-Victorian British chess is provided, including a history of the famous Simpson’s Divan.
Born to a poor Jewish family in Prague, Steinitz studied in Vienna, where his career really began, before moving to London in 1862, bent on conquering the chess world. During the next 20 years, he became its strongest and most innovative player, as well as an influential writer on the game. A foreigner with a quarrelsome nature, he suffered mockery and discrimination from British amateur players and journalists, which eventually drove him to immigrate to America. The final chapters cover his subsequent visits to England and the last three tournaments he played there.
Before the enormously successful NES console changed the video game landscape in the 1980s, Nintendo became famous for producing legendary arcade machines like Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.
Drawing on original interviews, news reports and other documents, this book traces Nintendo’s rise from a small business that made playing cards to the top name in the arcade industry. Twenty-eight game titles are examined in-depth, along with the people and events that defined the company for more than four decades.
George Washington is the most popular subject on coins, medals, tokens, paper money and postage stamps in America. Attempts to eliminate one-dollar bills from circulation, replacing them with coins, have been unsuccessful. Americans’ reluctance to part with their “Georges” are beyond rational considerations but tap into deep-felt emotions. To discard one-dollar bills means discarding the metaphorical Father of His Country.
Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, said that monetary tokens were “vehicles of useful impressions.” This numismatic history of George Washington traces the persistence of his image on American currency. These images are mostly from the late 18th-century. This book also offers a close look at the pictorial tradition in which these images are rooted.
What is a videogame? What makes a videogame “good”? If a game is supposed to be fun, can it be fun without a good story? If another is supposed to be an accurate simulation, does it still need to be entertaining? With the ever-expanding explosion of new videogames and new developments in the gaming world, questions about videogame criticism are becoming more complex. The differing definitions that players and critics use to decide what a game is and what makes a game successful, often lead to different ideas of how games succeed or fail.
This collection of new essays puts on display the variety and ambiguity of videogames. Each essay is a work of game criticism that takes a different approach to defining the game and analyzing it. Through analysis and critical methods, these essays discuss whether a game is defined by its rules, its narrative, its technology, or by the activity of playing it, and the tensions between these definitions. With essays on Overwatch, Dark Souls 3, Far Cry 4, Farmville and more, this collection attempts to show the complex changes, challenges and advances to game criticism in the era of videogames.
Few men are prominent chess players as well as esteemed chess writers. James Mason, in his lifetime, had the reputation of being both. This book chronicles Mason’s early career in the United States, providing many details on his writings and annotations for The Spirit of the Times and The American Chess Journal, his participation in the Café Europa and Café International tournaments, his win in 1876’s Fourth American Chess Congress, and his matches against chess greats like George H. Mackenzie, Eugene Delmar, Dión M. Martínez, Edward Alberoni, and Henry E. Bird. Mason’s efforts to establish an American Chess Association and to arrange an international centennial congress in 1876 are also explored. In addition to the general index, the work also includes indexes of games, annotators, and openings.
The world of video games has long revolved around a subset of its player base: straight, white males aged 18–25. Highly gendered marketing in the late 1990s and early 2000s widened the gap between this perceived base and the actual diverse group who buy video games. Despite reports from the Entertainment Software Association that nearly half of gamers identify as female, many developers continue to produce content reflecting this imaginary audience.
Many female gamers are in turn modifying the games. “Modders” alter the appearance of characters, rewrite scenes and epilogues, enhance or add love scenes and create fairy tale happy endings.
This is a collection of new essays on the phenomenon of women and modding, focusing on such titles as Skyrim, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and The Sims. Topics include the relationship between modders and developers, the history of modding, and the relationship between modding and disability, race, sexuality and gender identity.
Featuring interviews with the creators of 31 popular video games—including Grand Theft Auto, Strider, Maximum Carnage and Pitfall—this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the origins of some of the most enjoyable and iconic adventure games of all time. Interviewees recount the endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega-publishers, the growth of the adventure genre, and reveal the creative processes that produced some of the industry’s biggest hits, cult classics and indie successes.
In the vein of their cult-classic dark fantasy titles Demon’s Souls (2009) and the Dark Souls franchise (2011, 2014, 2016), game developers FromSoftware released the bleak Gothic horror Bloodborne in 2015. Players are cast in the role of hunters in a hostile land, probing the shadowy city of Yharnam in search of “paleblood.” The game achieved iconic status as both a horror and an action title for its rich lore and for the continuity of story elements through all aspects of game design.
This first full-length study examines Bloodborne’s themes of dangerous knowledge and fatal pride and its aesthetics in the context of other works on game studies, horror and the Gothic. The book’s three parts focus on lore and narrative, the game’s nightmarish world, and its mechanics.
Video games are a complex, compelling medium in which established art forms intersect with technology to create an interactive text. Visual arts, architectural design, music, narrative and rules of play all find a place within, and are constrained by, computer systems whose purpose is to create an immersive player experience.
In the relatively short life of video game studies, many authors have approached the question of how games function, some focusing on technical aspects of game design, others on rules of play. Taking a holistic view, this study explores how ludology, narratology, visual rhetoric, musical theory and player psychology work (or don’t work) together to create a cohesive experience and to provide a unified framework for understanding video games.
McFarland is exhibiting at a number of regional and national conferences in the coming months, and conferees are encouraged to take the opportunity to peruse our books and meet an editor. Schedule an appointment by emailing us in advance (Layla Milholen, Gary Mitchem, or Dré Person), or stop by the McFarland booth in the exhibit room for a casual conversation with an editor.
Popular Culture Association in the South Sept 26-28, Wilmington, NC, Layla Milholen Association for the Study of African American Life and History Oct 3-5, Charleston, SC, Dré Person Midwest Popular Culture Association Oct 10-13 Cincinnati, OH, Layla Milholen American Folklore Society Oct 16-19, Baltimore, MD, Gary Mitchem South Central Modern Language Association Oct 24-26, Little Rock, AR, Gary Mitchem Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association Nov 7-9, 2019, Pittsburgh, PA, Gary Mitchem Film and History Nov 13-17, Madison, WI, Dré Person National Women’s Studies Association Nov 14-17, San Francisco, CA, Layla Milholen South Atlantic Modern Language Association Nov 15–17, Atlanta, GA, Gary Mitchem American Philosophical Association Jan 8-11, Philadelphia, PA, Dré Person Modern Language Association Jan 9-12, Seattle, WA, Gary Mitchem
Transmediation—the telling of a single story across multiple media—is a relatively new phenomenon. While there have been adaptations (books to films, for example) for more than a century, modern technology and media consumption have expanded the scope of trans-mediating practices.
Nowhere are these more evident than within the Harry Potter universe, where a coherent world and narrative are iterated across books, films, video games, fan fiction, art, music and more. Curated by a leading Harry Potter scholar, this collection of new essays explores the range of Potter texts across a variety of media.
Focusing on the recovery of chess in Spain and Europe after World War II, this book traces the development of the International Chess Tournaments in Gijón from 1944 to 1965. The authors cover the decline of world champion Alekhine and the rise of the child prodigy Arturo Pomar, along with the great chess of Euwe, Rossolimo, Prins, Medina, Larsen and others.
Drawing on primary sources and testimonies of former players and organizers, chapters feature the tournament tables, winner’s biographies, historical commentaries and 213 games.
Appendices with biographical notes and tables of participants for each year are included.
We’re turning 40, and we’re celebrating with a special fortieth anniversary sale! Through June 30, get a 25% discount on ALL books when you use the code ANN2019. And if you’ll be in our area (Ashe County, North Carolina, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains), we’d love to see you at our open house event on Friday, June 14. Thank you for supporting our first 40 years—we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you.
On June 14, 2019, McFarland will celebrate its fortieth anniversary with an open house party. From noon to five, our campus at 960 Hwy 88 W, Jefferson, NC will be open to the public with finger food, conversation and tours available, and many of our authors will be in attendance. To stay up-t0-date with event information, follow our event page. Below is a brief company history, with personal thoughts, by founder and editor-in-chief Robert Franklin.
McFarland Publishers Now Forty Years Old
by Robert Franklin
McFarland’s history (founder, Robbie Franklin, me): My close friends Biff and Alicia Stickel were burned out special ed teachers in Connecticut, early 70’s. What to do? Back to the land! They (and their little daughter Maranatha Shone Stickel) drove south till they loved the vibe and the scenery and wound up living on Peak Road from 1972 through part of 1978 (and birthing Micah Stickel). Alicia played piano at the local Baptist church and they were cofounders of the Creston Co-op. I visited them in ’72 (instantly fell for the land and people, the forefinger car salute, the almost drinkable river) and again every year after, and when wife Cheryl Roberts came into my life in 1975, we visited. Soon I was bragging about Ashe County to everybody – “If your car breaks down, the very next person to come along will stop and ask if you need help.” I hope a few readers can recognize the Stickels’ name (he goes by Richard now; they live in Toronto). They are the reason McFarland was begun in Ashe County. We present band of publishers, about fifty in number, owe them great honor.
I did not learn till after we moved here in 1979 that my Revolutionary War ancestor Lieutenant Robert McFarland, after whupping the king at Kings Mountain, lived up here in the 1790s. He then went overmountain to become the first ever sheriff of Greene/Washington County, Tennessee. (I was born in Memphis.)
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers is our official name. Founded in April 1979 right here. I had been the executive editor of a smallish scholarly publisher in New Jersey; my mentor/boss/friend Eric Moon (a charismatic Brit) knew before I did it was time for me to go off on “my own” (very misleading words!). The local Ashe County newspaper was failing by 1978 and at first I thought, o.k., I’m an editor type, maybe I can start up a new one. Between summer and Christmas the local fellow David Desautels decided the same thing and very successfully started The Jefferson Times. We became friends and McFarland’s earliest two or three books (including a biography of Soviet leader Brezhnev) were typeset using off-hours time on that new newspaper’s equipment. Katy Zell Taylor was our first fulltime employee (Ashe Central H.S. yearbook editor!) and did a lot of typesetting and correcting. Dental Care in Society was our first published book, in 1980 (ask me some day).
After deciding up in New Jersey to stay with book (versus newspaper) publishing, I phoned the Jefferson Post Office in February 1979 to set up a box number mailing address – they said people had to apply in person. Whew! So I flew from Newark to Tri-Cities, Tennessee (what did I know?), rented a car, drove to Jefferson (hours!), filled out a form, got back in the car, drove back to Tri-Cities, and got back home not long before day was done.
A couple of months later, on April 1, 1979, Cheryl and I packed our former life stuff (including hundreds of books—heavy!) in a small U-Haul, attached it to our VW bug, and began to drive south, the Stickels’ Ashe County on our minds.
My ninth-grade homeroom friend (Toledo, Ohio), Mike Strand, had helped with some financial and emotional support and we stopped at his place in Maryland overnight. Armed with an Ashe return address, I had written several hundred letters (yes!) on a yellow pad on my knees in the front seat while Cheryl drove, and Mike arranged for a nearby university used-to-weird-hours thesis typist to type them all overnight; we mailed them April 2 and drove on. We were headed to my parents’ (retired librarians) house in Charlottesville, with me again writing several hundred short letters on my lap. We had arranged for a similar heroic overnight typing fest (the two days: 905 letters to all the authors I had addresses for, saying my former employer will take good care of you, they’re wonderful publishers—But if by any chance they turn you down for something, give us a shot!).
The U-Haul was too much for the Bug and our left rear wheel came OFF 20 miles north of Charlottesville—but stayed in the wheel well (having nowhere else to go), behaving violently. Definitely exciting (it was my stint at the wheel). We lost two or three days; I split logs for my parents’ fireplace.
In Ashe County finally, we scooped up some reply mail from authors. Already! And we soon secured a sweet farmhouse in Dillard Holler (landlord Jesse Dillard; Mom-figure Clyde Dillard; horse-plus-himself quarter-acre-garden plower Jones Dillard). The Dillard families taught us a great deal about what being “conservative” actually means. (One day Jesse turned up with several hundred fence rails he stored near “our” (his) house; no immediate need, but “I got ’em for 25¢ each.” They stayed stacked for years…) The birth of our sons Charles (in ’81), Nicholas (’85) and William (’89) certainly emphasized the Dillards’ lessons. (Jesse routinely tossed hay bales up into pickup trucks in his 80’s. Lemme be him!)
McFarland itself started out next to the H & R Block office, near the florist, in Jefferson, a small space but enough for our first couple of years. The Jefferson Post Office turned out, under our loyal friend Charles Caudill, to be one of our greatest early assets. He was so supportive as McF struggled through ignorance of mass mailings, foreign registered packages (we learned together!), “library rate” book mailings, etc. McFarland moved in 1981 or ’82 to the Mountain View shopping center between the towns and quickly expanded there. In 1982 we lucked out by having Rhonda Herman agree to join the tiny staff, doing all the “business” stuff while I coddled authors, edited manuscripts and coached the typesetters. High school senior Cynthia Campbell became a stalwart and sixteen year old Cherie Scott was a wow of a typesetter, along with Katy Taylor, on our new typesetting equipment. Within three years we were producing 40 or so new books a year (in 2018 the total was nearly 400).
Meanwhile, the people of Ashe County all around us showed interest, great surprise (“A Publisher in Ashe County?” read one huge Jefferson Times headline), and affection. Highly significant was Hal Colvard, repeatedly trusting us, at Northwestern bank, another wonderful early friend of McFar. We warmly greeted each other on Saturday mornings at the post office for many years after he retired.
By 1984 we’d moved to our present location, which became five buildings on both sides of the road. We’re technically inside Jefferson town limits. We took Mackey McDonald’s trim brick ranch house, whacked walls left and right, pushed out here, there… Years later we added a second floor – my joke is, the main building now has more roof lines than an Italian hill village.
We are, or were, a library-oriented scholarly and reference book publisher. (We’ve grown much more into a straight-to-people operation today but libraries are still a critical component of our efforts.) Two of our earliest works were Library Display Ideas by my sister Linda Franklin and Free Magazines for Libraries, by Adeline Mercer Smith: they were terrific sales successes. Another 1982 biggie was Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete by William M. Taylor, M.D. We hit that topic just as it exploded nationwide. One of the most memorable early works was Keep Watching the Skies! by Bill Warren (1982). This huge book expertly, humorously covers in amazing depth every American science fiction movie of the 1950s and a lot of Hollywood Big Names spoke highly of it in print. We were famous! (Well, the author was…)
McFarland was an early strong supporter of the local arts scene. (There are hundreds of paintings hanging in four of our buildings.) Cheryl Roberts and I founded the publication ARTS/DATES for the Arts Council in 1980 or 1981, and for more than a decade paid all its expenses as it grew grander and ever more useful. Loyal Jane Lonon (Arts Council head) wangled twice for us an N.C. Governor’s Business Award for the Arts and Humanities (go to Raleigh; shake hands; pose for photos; eat dinner).
I joined the strong, active Ashe County Little Theatre and played Dracula for them in 1981, sporting fangs crafted by the late Brett Summey, who became a good friend, now truly missed. Jane Lonon and I wowed the crowd in The King and I and Tom Fowler and I rolled them in the aisles in Greater Tuna. When I played Macbeth, the high school English teacher promised extra credit to student attendees.
McFarland’s output grew rapidly—by the 1990s we were producing hundreds of new titles each year and our staff had doubled, then tripled in size. Margie Turnmire had arrived in the mid–’80s, a beautiful soul and a very smart lady: director of finance and administration. In 1995 the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce honored us with a Business of the Year award (I believe we were the third such) and in 1998 The Wall Street Journal ran a feature article on us, showing that we are a bit unusual in our range of offerings. We have a commanding position in, for example, Vietnam combat memoirs, chess history, baseball (teams, eras, bios), automotive history and popular culture (film, TV, comics, literature…). We’ve done many reference books (though with Wiki-Google etc. now such works are uneconomical to produce); a Library Journal book of the year was local John Stewart’s African States and Rulers in 1989. Lots of Civil War, World War II, American/European/World history, literary criticism. Authors from all over the world. That part’s fun! As I write this we have published 7,800 titles.
We had busted out of our onsite warehouse and used the old Ashe County Jail on Buffalo Road for several years in the 80s! Ultimately we had to move our shipping operation into the building next to the Arts Council owned by Jim Reeves. On its outer wall facing the Arts Center we had Jack Young do the town’s first mural (now painted over): “Ashe County through the Ages.” Finally, Mike Herman built us an entirely new warehouse across the road from our main building in about 1990. Fourteen years later, then-vice-president Rhonda Herman (now president) moved the company onto firmer financial footing by arranging to install state-of-the-art printing equipment in that warehouse (we’d always used out-of-house printing firms).
Cheryl and I love Ashe County. We love the people. We love the trees, the river. (We came in first in the Mixed Expert class canoe race four or five years ago!) I even like the curves driving 23 miles to and fro our home to work (we live practically on the Tennessee line, up in the Flatwoods). The finger salute still works and the tire zing helps me think through business challenges. Our three boys, Charles, Nicky and William, also revere their place of birth. McFarland has about 50 employees, all of whom are exceptionally talented. When I got here to start the company, I truly had my pick of some of the best talent available anywhere, and I mean Anywhere. Our typesetters know every Hungarian or Swedish accent mark there is!
The local merchants have become business partners. Local artists have paintings hanging in our offices. The restaurants are great for business lunches. The weather—sublime (I learned to fell trees and the art of minimizing the lifting and stacking of logs our first year here); I like winter! Mike Herman built our house and the numerous renovations of our current space—impossible to imagine a better job. Stan Barker did some fabulous stone walls at our home. I feel both cozy and exhilarated just getting up in the morning! Ashe County, we’re for you!
McFarland is having an open house (snacks, drinks, tours) starting at noon on Friday, June 14th. We want to show our thanks to a community that has nurtured us for 40 years. Come one, come all!
Pokémon Go is not just play—the game has had an impact on public spaces, social circles and technology, suggesting new ways of experiencing our world. This collection of new essays explores what Pokémon Go can tell us about how and why we play.
Covering a range of topics from mobile hardware and classroom applications to social conflict and urban planning, the contributors approach Pokémon Go from both practical and theoretical angles, anticipating the impact play will have on our digitally augmented world.
Fred Reinfeld—his name used to be known to almost every chess player in the United States. Not so well known are his accomplishments. One of the strongest players of his time, he ranked just below Reuben Fine and Samuel Reshevsky (against whom he had a plus score). He was the accomplished author of some of the best chess books of the 1930s and 1940s, and a respected numismatist, recognized as a pioneer in the field. He was an editor or major contributor to almost every major chess magazine through the 1940s—Chess Review, Chess Correspondent and Chess Life.
This first book on Renfield covers his remarkable contributions to the chess world, with many of his ideas and writings quoted in their original context and with many of his famous annotations preserved for the modern reader.
Louis Paulsen (1833–1891) was one of the 19th century’s strongest chess players and a world record holder in blindfold chess. He maintained an unbeaten record in matches, created several opening systems and was an originator of the positional approach to the game. This extensive biography—the first in English—explores Paulsen’s life and career and includes 719 of his games, presented here with both contemporary and modern comments.
When people hear the term “role-playing games,” they tend to think of two things: a group of friends sitting around a table playing Dungeons & Dragons or video games with exciting graphics. Between those two, however, exists a third style of gaming. Hundreds of online forums offer gathering places for thousands of players—people who come together to role-play through writing. They create stories by taking turns, describing events through their characters’ eyes. Whether it is the arena of the Hunger Games, the epic battles of the Marvel Universe or love stories in a fantasy version of New York, people build their own spaces of words, and inhabit them day after day.
But what makes thousands of players, many teenagers among them, voluntarily type up novel-length stories? How do they use the resources of the Internet, gather images, sounds, and video clips to weave them into one coherent narrative? How do they create together through improvisation and negotiation, in ways that connect them to older forms of storytelling? Through observing more than a hundred websites and participating in five of them for a year, the author has created a pilot study that delves into a subculture of unbounded creativity.
Squirrels have made numerous appearances in mass media over the years, from Beatrix Potter’s Nutkin and Timmy Tiptoes, to Rocky the flying squirrel of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, and to Conker and Squirrel Girl of video game fame. This book examines how squirrel legends from centuries ago have found new life through contemporary popular culture, with a focus on the various portrayals of these wily creatures in books, newspapers, television, movies, public relations, advertising and video games.
This book describes the intense rivalry—and collaboration—of the four players who created the golden era when USSR chess players dominated the world. More than 200 annotated games are included, along with personal details—many for the first time in English.
Mikhail Tal, the roguish, doomed Latvian who changed the way chess players think about attack and sacrifice; Tigran Petrosian, the brilliant, henpecked Armenian whose wife drove him to become the world’s best player; Boris Spassky, the prodigy who survived near-starvation and later bouts of melancholia to succeed Petrosian—but is best remembered for losing to Bobby Fischer; and “Evil” Viktor Korchnoi, whose mixture of genius and jealousy helped him eventually surpass his three rivals (but fate denied him the title they achieved: world champion).
McFarland’s biographies and memoirs cover the fascinating life stories of both iconic personalities and quiet heroes. On sale now, browse hundreds of titles from history, sports, movies, music, science & technology, literature, military history, transportation and more. When you order direct from our website using the coupon code BIOGRAPHY, print editions of all biographies, autobiographies and memoirs are 20% off now through February 15.
Steam locomotives dominated the railways from the 1820s through the 1960s. Today almost all of them have been replaced with electric and diesel engines, yet the fascination surrounding steam-powered trains has not dwindled. A diverse community of enthusiasts—from mechanics to teachers to lawyers—have taken up the hobby of building and running steam locomotives in their own backyards.
Drawing on the author’s extensive experience and research, this guide covers the materials, tools, skills and technical information needed to get started or to improve an existing design.
Over the past generation, kiteflying has evolved beyond a childhood rite of passage into a mainstream adult activity. The kite’s popularity skyrocketed at a time when kite makers adopted modern synthetic materials developed for other industries. A new breed of sport kites appeared and kite artists emerged, dazzling onlookers with three-dimensional aerial sculptures. Inventors perfected new designs and accessories while entrepreneurs created a multimillion-dollar kiting industry. Yet, the kitefliers themselves have remained largely anonymous. Drawing on the World Kite Museum’s audio archives, this book brings together firsthand stories from the community of devoted enthusiasts who pull the strings.
The holidays are a special time at McFarland—in addition to publishing scholarship, many of us also participate in the tree harvest, as Ashe County produces more Christmas trees than any other county in the United States. If you live in the Southeast, you may have a little bit of McFarland in your living room right now! This season, please consider putting some McFarlandunder the tree for the readers in your life. To make your holiday shopping easier, we’re offering 25% off of ALL books through the end of the year! On our website, use coupon code HOLIDAY18, or call us at 800-253-2187. For inspiration, browse our new catalog of of gift ideas for readers. Happy holidays from your friends at McFarland!
German master Kurt Richter (1900–1969) made significant contributions to the chess world as a player, and as an editor and author. Unassuming in real life, Richter was a fearsome opponent who expressed himself mainly through his over-the-board results, as well as through his chess journalism and literary output. He was responsible for several innovative openings, some of which gained renewed status in later years.
This overview of his life and games sheds light on a player who should be better known, with much never-before-seen material. Examples of his entertaining writings on chess are included, some featuring his fictitious student opponent, Dr. Zabel. A wide selection of games illustrates the surprising combinations and brilliant style of play that earned him the title “The Executioner of Berlin.”
We realize that the stores have had their trees and Christmas decorations out for sale for weeks now. At McFarland though, no one wants to leapfrog past our favorite holiday, Halloween! McFarland has scheduled a sale for our books about horror – whether on film, television, literature, games, comics, culture or anything else. When you order direct from our website using the coupon code HORROR25, print editions of all horror books are 25% off Friday, October 26 through Halloween, October 31. Be prepared to be up late with the lights on…
Over the years, board games have evolved to include relatable characters, vivid settings and compelling, intricate plotlines. In turn, players have become more emotionally involved—taking on, in essence, the role of coauthors in an interactive narrative.
Through the lens of game studies and narratology—traditional storytelling concepts applied to the gaming world—this book explores the synergy of board games, designers and players in story-oriented designs. The author provides development guidance for game designers and recommends games to explore for hobby players.
American Grandmaster Reuben Fine grew up in the East Bronx in an impoverished Russian-Jewish family, learning to play chess from an uncle at the age of eight. During his high school years, his stake winnings and coins earned from playing at a Coney Island concession helped support his family. After graduating from college, he decided to become a professional player. Though his active international career was brief, his accomplishment and talent are unmistakably significant. This comprehensive collection of 659 of Reuben Fine’s tournament and match games is presented chronologically, in context, and with annotations from contemporary sources. More than 180 other games and game fragments (rapid transit, correspondence, exhibition, blitz, and others) are also included. The work also includes a biography of Fine, and notes aspects of his career that merit further study: his contribution to endgame and middlegame theory, his methods and style of play, and his exhibition play. Fine’s career results, brief biographical data about his opponents, a comprehensive bibliography that includes his contributions to journals, and indexes of players and of openings complete the work.
I have continued to collect data (previously unknown games, notes and biographical information) for inclusion in a possible future revised edition of this work, Reuben Fine: A Comprehensive Record of an American Chess Career, 1929–1951. There are still considerable gaps in the record, particularly from the early years of Fine’s career and after the notebooks come to an end. I am happy to receive and acknowledge contributions which fill these lacunae. I remain contactable through the publisher, McFarland.
Aidan Woodger, August 2018
MINOR CORRECTIONS
iv for 1. Fine, Reuben, 1914- read 1. Fine, Reuben, 1914-1993
3 for Moby Dick read Moby-Dick
7 for candidates tournament read candidates’ tournament
13 for Rice Club Junior Masters read Rice Club Junior Masters (?)
32 for Marshall Clubs read Marshall Club
41 game 116 undo italicization of Aug.
42 game 120 add (Aug.) after 1933
43 game 121 result should read 0-1
43 for New York Sun, August 1933 read New York Sun, 1933
48 for 11.1933 read 1933 (Nov.)
52 for Fine 1 1 ½ ½ 0 ? ? ? 0 4 read Fine 1 1 ½ ½ 0 0 ½ ½ 0 4
52 for Denker 0 0½ ½ 1 ? ? ? 1 5 read Denker 0 0½ ½ 1 1 ½ ½ 1 5
61 game 183 for Marshall CC vs. Mercantile Library CC, Marshall Club, New York read Marshall CC vs. Mercantile Library CC, Franklin Hotel, Philadelphia
62 games 184 and 185 for (Nov.) read (Nov. ?) and undo italicization
69 for Hilbert & Lahde, 54-5. ½ read ½ Hilbert & Lahde, 54-5.
70 for 15…Nxf3 read 16…Nxf3
74 for 0-1 White resigned. read White resigned 0-1
80 for 35 Nxa4 Rxc7 36 Nxb6 read 35 Kxa4 Rxc7 36 Kb5
84 for 18. Rfd8 read 18. Rcd8
85 for 21. Bf1 Rf8 read 21. Bf1 Rc8; for 23. Qa4 Rfd8 read 23. Qa4 Rcd8
92 for in the previous diagram read after move 49
97 for 13 Bd5 Nd4 14 Qg4 read 13 Bd5 Nd4 14 Qh5
100 for 13…Nxd5 13 Nxd5 exd5 read 12…Nxd5 13 Nxd5 exd5
102 for 9…Bc5 10 Nd4 read 9…Bb4 10 Nd4
109 for B. h2 h6 read B. 42 h2 h6
121 for 20.Qa4?! read 20.Ba4
128 for 12 Bxc4 Qc7 wins a pawn (13 Qb3 Ne5) read 11 Bxc4 Qc7 wins a pawn (12 Qb3 Ne5)
144 for the Ukraine read Ukraine
149 for 18 Rxf4 Qxg4 read 18 Rf4 Qxg4
154 for 11 Qxe5 Re8 Qb2 read 11 Qxe5 Re8 12 Qb2
186 for Threatening 23…Bb6 read Threatening 23…Bb3
187 for 30…Rc1 31 Nxb3 was also very good. HK 31 Nxf5 read 30…Rc1 31 Nxf5 31 Nxb3 was also very good. HK
189 his opponent’s centre
193 for 25 Bxg7 Bxf1 Be5 read 25 Bxg7 Bxf1 26 Be5
197 for 23 Bxc6 bxc6 Na7 read 23 Bxc6 bxc6 24 Na7
200 for Black resigned. Fine in The Chess Review 1938, 139-40. 1-0 read Black resigned. 1-0 Fine in The Chess Review 1938, 139-40.
205 place 17 Qxb5 …AW in parentheses () and replace 17 Qxb5 with 17…Qxb5
205 for 8…Nge7 9 Nd6+ Kf8 10 Qf4 Nf5 11 Nxf6!? Read 8…Nge7 9 Nd6+ Kf8 10 Qf4 Nf5 11 Nxf7!?
206 for Capablanca – Ståhlberg read Ståhlberg – Capablanca
207 for 45 Bxb7 Kxa2 46 Bxc6 Kxb3 47 c1 a4 read 45 Bxb7 Kxa2 46 Bxc6 Kxb3 47 Kf1 a4
209 for Tartakower give read Tartakower gave
222 for 25.07.1939 read 1939 (25 July)
222 for 17 Qb1 read 17 Qc1
224 entries in table should read:
2 Hanauer 0 * ½ 0 1 1 1 1 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 13
8 Green 1 0 1 0 0 0 ½ * ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 ½ 9
9= Bernstein 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ ½ * ½ 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 8½
9= Donovan 0 ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 ½ ½ * 0 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 1 8½
12 Sanatasiere 0 0 0 0 ½ ½ 0 ½ 1 ½ 1 * ½ 1 ½ 0 1 7
226 for Now White must not read Now Black must not
228 for Safonov – Bohatirchuk read Savonov – Bogatirev
233 for (In view of unavoidable mate, Black resigned.) Based on notes by Reinfeld in Chess Review, May-June 1940 (Hilbert 2002a, 126-7). 1–0 read (In view of unavoidable mate, Black resigned.) 1–0 Based on notes by Reinfeld in Chess Review, May-June 1940 (Hilbert 2002a, 126-7).
233 for strategem read stratagem
238 for U.S. F read U.S.C.F.
240 for 24.08.1940 read 1940
250 for Queen’s Gambit Declined read Catalan Opening
251 for Williams, M read Williams, Mrs. R
266 for Reshevky read Reshevsky
271 for Black resigned read White resigned.
273 for to strong read too strong
275 for may 1944 read May 1944
278 for Team Match Washington, (1944) read 13th McCoy-Hatfield Match, Divan CC, Washington, 1944 (7 June)
278 for Exhibition Game Washington read Exhibition Game, Washington
280 for 5.Qxc4Be6 read 5.Qxc4 Be6
280 for 17.Nb3 18.Bg3 read 17.Nb3 Ne6 18.Bg3; for 129.Qf2 read 29.Qf2; for 50.Kd3 51.f4+ read 50.Kd3 Nc7 51.f4+
282 for Broderman :50)1-0 read Broderman :50) 1-0
284 for Fine 1:58)0-1 read Fine 1:58) 0-1
291 for 20.Qc2 d5 21.Rab1 read 20.Qe2 d5 21.Rac1
300 for 41 Ne5 g5 read 41 Ne5 g4
301 for 45.Nd6 Ke5 44.Nc4+ Kd5 read 45.Nd6 Ke6 44.Nc4 Kd5
301 for Match New York (4) read Match New Jersey (4); and for Match New York (7) read Match New Jersey (7)
305 for If 10 h6 read If 10…h6
311 for On 26…Rxd8 27 Be2 read On 26…Rd8 27 Be2
325 for Los Angeles Times, 15 September, 1940. ½-½ read ½-½ Los Angeles Times, 15 September, 1940.
348 for Issak read Isaak
351 for ben-factor read benefactor
352 for Montgomery read Montgomerie (same pages 379 and 388)
354 for Oympiads read Olympiads; for indivdual read individual
357 for Metropolitan League, April 1933 read Metropolitan League, April 1934
363 for contibuted read contributed; for Wasy read Way
365 for a number of position read a number of positions; for aidanwoodger@talk21.com read aidanwoodger@yahoo.co.uk
367 for visuaslize read visualize
370 for Artur read Arthur
371 for against Against read against
372 for reseachers read researchers
380 for Reshevsky, S 60, 61, 128, 168 read Reshevsky, S 60, 61, 128, 169
383 for Fedration read Federation
389 for Kers read Keres
391 for the Ukraine read Ukraine
Znosko-Borovsky for Znovsko-Borovsky
FURTHER READING (ADDENDA TO BIBLIOGRAPHY)
1932 Pasadena: Sherwood, Brandreth & Monson (2011) Pasadena 1932 International Chess Tournament Yorklyn, DE: Caissa Editions
1938A.V.R.O: Sherwood and Brandreth (2010) AVRO 1938 International Chess Tournament Yorklyn, DE: Caissa Editions
G.G. Toradze (ed) (2006) AVRO-Turnir: Coctyazanie cil’neyshikh grossmeysterov mira Gollandia, 1938 god Moscow, Galeriya
1939 23rd Marshall Club championship Croxen (2006) “The Russian myth of Lasker’s last tournament” in Quarterly for Chess History 12 7-21
Apsenieks Salmins, G Fricis Apsenieks 1894-1941 (2006) Liepaja
Fine Ansel “Unknown games of Reuben Fine” Quarterly for Chess History 16 486-502; Kasparov, G with the participation of Plisetsky, D (2004) “The Fine enigma” in Garry Kasparov on Fischer: My Great Predecessors Part IV London: Everyman Chess
Kashdan Lahde, P (2009) Isaac Kashdan, American Chess Grandmaster: A career summary with 757 games Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company
Najdorf Lissowski, T Mikhalchisin, A & Najdorf, L with notes by Najdorf, M (2005) Najdorf: life and games London: Batsford
Petrovs Fride, A (2004) Vladimirs Petrovs: a chessplayer’s story from greatness to the gulags Yorklyn, DE: Caissa Editions
Thomas, George Paige, R (2005) The Chess Games of Sir George Alan Thomas Liskeard: Diggory Press
Angos, Dr. A (2007) Castles with Knights and Bishops Impala Press
Euwe, M (English edition, 2013) The Hague-Moscow 1948: match/tournament for the World Chess Championship Russell Enterprises: Milford CT
Fine, R 1965 The Teenage Chess Book New York
Hearst, E & Knott, J (2009) Blindfold Chess: history, psychology, techniques, champions, world records and important games Jefferson, NC: McFarland
Lombardy, W (2012) Understanding Chess: my system, my games, my life New York: Lombardy/Russell Enterprises
Tkachenko, S (2017) Odesskie Taynuy Moscow: Andrei Elkov
Tkachenko, S (2018) Alekhine’s Odessa Secrets Great Britain (Amazon): Elk and Ruby
Suetin, A 2010 Soviet Chess Strategy Glasgow: Quality Chess
Ansel, A 2011’Unknown games of Reuben Fine’ in Quarterly for Chess History 16, 486-502
ADDITIONAL GAMES
() Denker, Arnold Sheldon – Fine
Denker-Fine Match, New York (5), 1934 Two Knights Defence [C56]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 Qd8 The usual move is 8…Qa5, which is considered even. LP 9.Rxe4+ Be7 10.Nxd4 f5! On a score sheet sent to this writer, GM Denker gave Black’s last move a “?”, but ECO (C/56) gives it an “!”. LP 11.Rxe7+ The known move here is Hartlaub’s 11 Bh6, when Perfiliev – Botvinnik (Leningrad, 1925) continued 11…fxe4 12 Bxg7 Nxd4 13 Qh5+ Kd7 14 Bxd4 Rf8, and Black consolidated to victory. However, according to Robert Wade, White could have gained a perpetual by 14 Rd1 Bf6 15 Qd5+. Mestel – Bronstein (London, 1976) followed the saner 11 Bh6 0–0 which proved even after 12 Nxc6 bxc6 13 Rd4 Qe8 14 Bf4 Bf6 15 Rd3 Qf7! – but not 15…Rf7? 16 Re3 Re7 17 Nd5! Rxe3 18 Nxf6+ gxf6 19 Bxe3, when White won easily in Schmid – Hooper (Hastings 1951). LP 11…Nxe7 12.Bg5 0–0 (According to Parr, Fritz recommended 12…c6, but this loses to 13 Qh5+ g6 14 Qh4. AW) 13.Ndb5 Qxd1+ 14.Rxd1 Ng6 15.Nxc7 Rb8 16.h4 h6 (Junior 9 recommends 16…f4! 17 N7d5 Be6 18 h5 Rf5 19 hxg6 Rxg5. AW) 17.h5 hxg5 18.hxg6 b6 19.N3d5 Rb7 20.f4 g4?? A horrendous blunder. Black had to play 20…Rxc7, when White has a better endgame. LP 21.Ne7+ Kh8 22.Kf2 1–0 Larry Parr ‘Grandmaster Arnold Denker (1914-2005) “The man whom chess loved”’, Chess Life March 2005, 14–15 (166-7).
() Fine – Denker, Arnold Sheldon
Denker-Fine Match, New York (6), 1934 Sicilian Defence, Paulsen Variation [B45]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Ndb5 Bb4 7.a3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exd5 exd5 10.Bd3 0–0 11.0–0 d4 12.Ne2 Nd5 13.Be4!? Re8 14.Bxd5?! Qxd5 15.c3?! Bg4 16.f3 d3 17.Nf4 Qc5+ 18.Kh1 Bf5 19.Nxd3 Bxd3?! 20.Qxd3 Rad8 21.Qc2 Nd4 22.Qf2 Re2 23.Qh4 Ne6 24.Bf4 Qc4 25.Bg3 Qxh4 26.Bxh4 Rdd2 27.Rg1 Rxb2 Black won on move 43. 0–1 Larry Parr ‘Grandmaster Arnold Denker (1914-2005) “The man whom chess loved”’, Chess Life March 2005, 14–15 (166-7).
() Fine – Jonsson, Emil
Match vs Emil Jonsson, Stockholm (1), 1937 Reti Opening [A09]
Match New York, 08.1949 Queen’s Gambit Declined [D35]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 Be7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e3 c6 8.Bd3 Nh5 9.h4 h6 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.Nd2 Nf4 12.Bf1 Nf6 13.Qc2 g6 14.0–0–0 Bf5 15.Qb3 Ne6 16.f3 h5 17.Na4 0–0–0 18.Be2? (Black has the better position but this oversight costs White a pawn.) 18…Nxd4 19.exd4 Qxe2 20.Qa3 Qd3 (This move is alright but …Qxg2 or …Rhe8 was stronger.) 21.Qxd3 Bxd3 22.Rde1 b6 23.Nf1 Rhe8 24.Ng3 Kd7 25.Kd2 Ba6 26.b3 Rxe1 27.Rxe1 Re8 28.Rc1 Kd6 29.a3 Nd7 30.b4 f5 31.Nc3 Bc4 32.Nge2 Bxe2 33.Nxe2 c5 34.bxc5+ bxc5 35.Nf4 cxd4 36.Kd3 (A mistake that White has to “take back.” 36 Nxg6 would have given White a better chance to draw.) 36…Nc5+ 37.Kc2 (Of course, if Kxd4 Nb3+ forks White’s king and rook.) 37…Re3 38.Rd1 Rc3+ 39.Kb2 Na4+ 40.Ka2 Rc4 (…Rxf3 was probably preferable.) 41.Rd2 Nc3+ 42.Kb2 Nb5 43.Nxg6 Ra4 44.Rd3 Kc5 45.Ne5 Nd6 46.Nd7+ (White misses his last drawing chance with Kb3.) 46…Kc6 47.Nf6 Nc4+ 48.Ka2 Ne5 49.Rd2 d3 (Not only advancing this dangerous pawn but also attacking White’s pawn on h4.) 50.g3 f4 51.Nxh5 fxg3 52.Nxg3 Rxh4 53.Nf5 Rf4 54.Ne7+ Kc5 55.Kb3 Rxf3 56.Ka4 Nc4 (After White’s rook moves along the second rank, …d2 is decisive, leading to a quick mate.) 0–1 From a scoresheet in the possession of Richard Cantwell. Hearst and Knott 2009, 345-6.
() Fine – Pilnik, Herman
Match New York, 08.1949 Queen’s Gambit Accepted [D28]
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.0–0 c5 7.Qe2 Nc6 8.Rd1 b5 9.Bb3 c4 10.Bc2 Nb4 11.e4 Nxc2 12.Qxc2 Bb7 13.d5 exd5 14.Nc3 Be7 15.a4 (In his previous writings Fine himself had recommended 15 e5 here. We cannot be sure why he avoided that move when given the opportunity. EH & JK) 15…b4 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.exd5 Bxd5? (Unquestionably a losing move. 17…Qc7 or …Qd6 would leave Black with a fair game. EH&JK) 18.Qf5 Be6 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Qc2 Bf5 (Both players are grandmasters and if the game were not being played a 10–seconds-a-move and Fine were not blindfolded, Pilnik would have resigned here. EH&JK) 21.Qe2 Bd3 22.Qe1 0–0? 23.Bd2? (Fine did not “see” 23 Qxe7, after which Pilnik would almost be forced to resign. EH&JK) 23…c3 24.Qxe7 cxb2 25.Rd1 Bc2 26.Rf1 a5 27.Qe5 b1Q 28.Rxb1 Bxb1 29.h3 Rfe8 30.Qxa5 b3 31.Bc3 Bg6 32.Bb2 Rb8 33.Nd4 h6 34.h4 h5 35.Qc3 Rec8? (Another blunder. Black is lost anyway but 35…f6 would have held out longer. EH&JK) 36.Nc6 Rxc6 37.Qxg7# 1–0 From a scoresheet in the possession of Richard Cantwell. Hearst and Knott 2009, 345.
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.d4 cxd4 6.Qxd4 Nxc3 7.Qxc3 Nc6 8.e4 e6 9.a3 Be7 10.Bf4 0–0 11.Be2 Qb6 12.Be3 Qc7 13.0–0 Bd7 14.Rac1 Rac8 15.b4 Qb8 16.Qb2 Bf6 17.Qb3 e5 18.Rfd1 Be6 19.Bc4 Bg4 20.Bc5 Bxf3 21.Qxf3 Nd4 22.Qg4 Rfd8 23.Bd5 b6 24.Bxd4 (24… Bd6! would have been a neat move, leading to a winning position for White. But that kind of move is naturally very difficult hard to see and risk when one is playing chess at ten seconds per move.) 24…exd4 25.f4 Rxc1 (25… Rc3 was a good alternative.) 26.Rxc1 Qd6 27.Rc6 Qe7 28.Qf3 (White has a spatial advantage and is trying to win Black’s d-pawn.) 28…g6 29.e5 Bg7 30.Qe4 Qd7 31.Rd6 Qe7 32.Rxd8+ Qxd8 33.Qxd4 Qc7 34.g3 Kf8 35.Qd2 f6 (Black seeks counterplay by giving scope to his bishop, at the cost of allowing White a well-protected passed pawn.) 36.e6 f5 37.b5 Qc5+ 38.Kg2 Ke7 (38… Qxb5 or even 38… Qxa3 should draw easily (39… Qb2 could follow in some variations). But one has the feeling Black is still trying to win.) 39.a4 Bd4 40.Bf3 Kxe6 41.h4 h5 42.Qa2+ Kd6?! (Now Black will lose his pawns on the kingside but he hopes to win White’s pawns on the queenside and use his king to aid the advance of his own queenside pawns.) 43.Qf7 Qc2+ 44.Kh3 Qf2 45.Qxg6+ Kc5 46.Qxf5+ Kb4 47.Qxh5 Kxa4 48.Bg2 Bc5 49.Qe8 Qc2 50.Qe6 Kxb5 51.h5 a5 52.h6 a4 53.Be4 Qb2 54.h7 Bd4 55.Bd3+ Kb4 56.f5 a3 57.Qc4+ Ka5 58.Qa6+ Kb4 59.Qc4+ (59. f6! would lead to a clear win here. After the reply …Bxf6 there would follow 60 Qxb6+ Ka4 61 Qc6+ Kb4 62 Qc4+ Ka5 63 Qc5+ Ka4 64 Bc2+. But who can analyze all this in rapid chess? The whole game becomes a comedy of errors from now on. White has another chance to play this winning variation on his 60th move and overlooks it again.) 59…Ka5 60.Qd5+ b5 61.g4 a2 62.Bxb5?? (Either Qa8+ or Qd8+ would still draw. Now White is lost, but…) 62…a1Q 63.Bd3+ Ka4 (63…Kb6 would win easily.) 64.g5 Qe1? (here …Qf2 would win.) 65.Qc4+ (Instead, Qc6+ would lead to a draw by perpetual check. Now Black can win by playing 65… Qeb4. However, Fine forfeited the game at this point, presumably because he did not move immediately at the end of ten seconds. An amazing back and forth game, with an entirely unexpected finish.) 1–0 From a scoresheet in the possession of Richard Cantwell. Hearst and Knott 2009, 346.
The best four days in gaming, Gen Con 2018, starts this week in Indianapolis. McFarland will be in the exhibit hall at booth #142. Visit us to peruse our books and to get the buzz about McFarland’s latest offerings. (Also, Lisa Camp will be in the booth representing the editorial team, and welcomes proposals for nonfiction manuscripts.)
For those of us that can’t make it to Gen Con, McFarland’s Games & Hobbies catalog covers books about role-playing games, tabletop games, video games, chess, and more. When you order direct from our website using the coupon code GAME25, print editions of all games & hobbies books are 25% off August 1 through August 15. Happy reading!
Historian Johan Huizinga once described game playing as the motor of humanity’s cultural development, predating art and literature. Since the late 20th century, Western society has undergone a “ludification,” as the influence of game-playing has grown ever more prevalent. At the same time, new theories of postmodernism have emphasized the importance of interactive, playful behavior.
Core concepts of postmodernism are evident in pen-and-paper role-playing, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Exploring the interrelationships among narrative, gameplay, players and society, the author raises questions regarding authority, agency and responsibility, and discusses the social potential of RPGs in the 21st century.
Beginning with the structural features of design and play, this book explores video games as both compelling examples of story-telling and important cultural artifacts.
The author analyzes fundamentals like immersion, world building and player agency and their role in crafting narratives in the Mass Effect series, BioShock, The Last of Us, Fallout 4 and many more. The text-focused “visual novel” genre is discussed as a form of interactive fiction.
Gen Con may be sold out, but McFarland is just getting started—visit our booth in the exhibit hall, where the best scholarship on gaming and pop culture is on sale now!
Is it morally permissible to plunder a drunken player at the poker table? In a game of bluffing, are all deceits acceptable? Is it wrong to play against a pathological gambler? Are there any real right and wrongs within poker other than violations of the rules?
The first of its kind, this book explores the moral dimensions of playing poker for money in a detailed discussion of applied ethics.
Topics include the moral standing of bluffing, collusion versus “soft play,” the problem of players staked by backers, and “Why Kant Kan’t Play Poker.”
This critical study of video games since 9/11 shows how a distinct genre emerged following the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Comparisons of pre and post–9/11 titles of popular game franchises—Call of Duty, Battlefield, Medal of Honor, Grand Theft Auto and Syphon Filter—reveal reshaped notions of identity, urban and suburban spaces and the citizen’s role as both a producer and consumer of culture: New York represents America; the mall embodies American values; zombies symbolize foreign invasion. By revisiting a national trauma, these games offer a therapeutic solution to the geopolitical upheaval of 9/11 and, along with film and television, help redefine American identity and masculinity in a time of conflict.
Today a multinational video game developer, Sega was the first to break Nintendo’s grip on the gaming industry, expanding from primarily an arcade game company to become the dominant game console manufacturer in North America. A major part of that success came from the hard work and innovation of its subsidiary, Sega of America, who in a little more than a decade wrested the majority market share from Nintendo and revolutionized how games were made.
Drawing on interviews with nearly 100 Sega alumni, this book traces the development of the company, revealing previously undocumented areas of game-making history, including Sega’s relationship with Tonka, the creation of its internal studios, and major breakthroughs like the Sega Channel and HEAT Network. More than 40 of the company’s most influential games are explored in detail.
If you couldn’t wait to see [SPOILER REDACTED] on The Walking Dead last night, then this Weekly Deal is for you! Through October 30, 2016, get 20% off all books about zombie studies when you enter the coupon code SPOILER!
All Hallow’s Read is a new tradition, started by the great Neil Gaiman, that encourages gifting a scary book during the week of Halloween. If you’re curious about its origins, read this blog post, helpfully titled “A MODEST PROPOSAL (THAT DOESN’T ACTUALLY INVOLVE EATING ANYONE).” Rather than selecting a handful of our more than 100 books about horror in popular culture and literature, we’re putting ALL of our horror books on sale, this week only! Order now for delivery in time for your All Hallow’s Read gift, and get 20% off when you use the coupon code HALLOW!
This weekend in Nashville, we’re exhibiting at the Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association in the South 2016 conference! Visit our book exhibit to shop and to discuss your book proposal with Dylan Lightfoot.
The third in a series about home video games, this detailed reference work features descriptions and reviews of every official U.S.–released game for the Neo Geo, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx-16, which, in 1989, ushered in the 16-bit era of gaming. Organized alphabetically by console brand, each chapter includes a description of the game system followed by substantive entries for every game released for that console. Video game entries include historical information, gameplay details, the author’s critique, and, when appropriate, comparisons to similar games. Appendices list and offer brief descriptions of all the games for the Atari Lynx and Nintendo Game Boy, and catalogue and describe the add-ons to the consoles covered herein—Neo Geo CD, Sega CD, Sega 32X and TurboGrafx-CD.
Can a video game make you cry? Why do you relate to the characters and how do you engage with the storyworlds they inhabit? How is your body engaged in play? How are your actions guided by sociocultural norms and experiences?
Questions like these address a core aspect of digital gaming—the video game experience itself—and are of interest to many game scholars and designers. With psychological theories of cognition, affect and emotion as reference points, this collection of new essays offers various perspectives on how players think and feel about video games and how game design and analysis can build on these processes.
The Society for Cinema and Media Studies is the leading scholarly organization in the United States dedicated to promoting a broad understanding of film, television, and related media through research and teaching grounded in the contemporary humanities tradition. In addition to hosting its annual conference, the Society publishes the quarterly, peer-reviewed Cinema Journal.
This week, we’re exhibiting at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. Stop by our booth at C2E2 to browse books about popular culture and to discuss your book proposal with managing editor Lisa Camp!
From automatons to zombies, many elements of fantasy and science fiction have been cross-pollinated with the Western movie genre. In its second edition, this encyclopedia of the Weird Western includes many new entries covering film, television, animation, novels, pulp fiction, short stories, comic books, graphic novels and video and role-playing games. Categories include Weird, Weird Menace, Science Fiction, Space, Steampunk and Romance Westerns.
Since the release of Dungeons & Dragons in 1974, role-playing games (RPGs) have spawned a vibrant industry and subculture whose characteristics and player experiences have been well explored. Yet little attention has been devoted to the ways RPGs have shaped society at large over the last four decades.
Role-playing games influenced video game design, have been widely represented in film, television and other media, and have made their mark on education, social media, corporate training and the military.
This collection of new essays illustrates the broad appeal and impact of RPGs. Topics range from a critical reexamination of the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, to the growing significance of RPGs in education, to the potential for “serious” RPGs to provoke awareness and social change. The contributors discuss the myriad subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways in which the values, concepts and mechanics of RPGs have infiltrated popular culture.
This comprehensive reference work presents detailed bibliographical information about chess publications—books, bulletins and programs—covering competitions held around the world from 1971 through 2010. It catalogs 3,895 entries tracked through 5,381 items with many cross-references. Information for each entry includes year and country of publication, sponsors, publisher, editors, language, alternate titles, mergers and source. An index of competitions is included.
We’re exhibiting at the 2016 ALA Midwinter conference in Boston this week! Visit assistant sales manager Adam Phillips in booth 1611 to browse our book exhibit and to discuss your book proposal!
Since the emergence of digital game studies, a number of debates have engaged scholars. The debate between ludic (play) and narrative (story) paradigms remains the one that famously “never happened.”
This collection of new essays critically frames that debate and urges game scholars to consider it central to the field. The essayists examine various digital games, assessing the applicability of play-versus-narrative approaches or considering the failure of each. The essays reflect the broader history while applying notions of play and story to recent games in an attempt to propel serious analysis.
Our website has a new feature this month—a page devoted to gaming, with galleries of recently published titles and current bestsellers. Check it out here, and enjoy a 20% discount on any book about video games with the coupon code GAMING!
And don’t forget – if you order two or more books, use the code HOLIDAY2015 for 30% off your order!
Valid through Sunday, November 15, the weekly deal includes the following titles:
Our brand-new holiday catalog is in the mail, but we’re giving you a sneak preview this morning—click here for great holiday gift ideas before the catalog hits your mailbox!
And, because it’s never too early to start your holiday shopping, we’re offering our biggest sale of the year! Get 30% off your purchase of two or more books when you enter the coupon code HOLIDAY2015 at checkout!
We’re exhibiting at the biennial North Carolina Library Association conference in Greensboro, North Carolina this week! Our own Dylan Lightfoot and Stephanie Nichols are exhibiting books, and several McFarland authors are among the NC librarians attending the convention.
Author J. Timothy Cole with his books, The Forest City Lynching of 1900 and Collett Leventhorpe, the English Confederate.Author Orvin Lee Shiflett with his book, William Terry Couch and the Politics of Academic Publishing
We’re exhibiting at the sold-out New York Comic Con this week! NYCC—the East Coast’s largest pop culture event–is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and McFarland is celebrating its fifth year exhibiting. Stop by booth 2104 to browse the best pop culture scholarship and to chat with our Lisa Camp.
Multiple award-winning author and chess grandmaster Andy Soltis discussed Bobby Fischer and the current film Pawn Sacrifice with NPR’s Robert Siegel on Wednesday, September 16. Listen to the full interview below!
Congratulations to Peter J. Monté, whose The Classical Era of Modern Chess received honorable mention in this year’s Chess Journalists of America Awards! This study examines chess from the late 15th century into the 1640s, paying special attention to key developments in the medieval period and later. At 616 pages, with a glossary, appendices, bibliography, an exhaustive index and more than 150 illustrations, it is the definitive overview of a transformative era in the history of chess.
It’s that time of year again! McFarland is in Indy for Gen Con: the original, longest-running, and best-attended gaming convention in the world! It’s no small thing to keep up with gamers from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, but we’ll do our best.
McFarland is exhibiting at the annual conference of theOrigins game FairJune 3rd-7th in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to our book display and sale, editors will be on hand to discuss manuscript ideas. Click here to browse McFarland’s books about popular culture.
It’s no secret that we at McFarland are fans of sf and fantasy (and horror, gaming, cosplay, and all the rest!). So we’re very excited to attend this year’s ConCarolinas in Concord, NC., May 29-31. Klingon Karaoke, anyone? See you there!
This week, put down your Atari paddle and pick up one of Brett Weiss’s fantastic reference books while they’re all on sale: through March 15, 2015, get 20% off with the coupon code VIDEOGAME!
“There are many chess biographies which concentrate on the games and chess personality of a player, but very few which focus on the player’s life and the historical circumstances in which he or she played. This year’s winner is a notable addition to this rare genre and features one of the most influential players of all time.“
New on our bookshelf:
Celebrate Women’s History Month with our 
Our 
We’re turning 40, and we’re celebrating with a special fortieth anniversary sale! Through June 30, get a 25% discount on ALL books when you use the code ANN2019. And if you’ll be in our area (Ashe County, North Carolina, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains), we’d love to see you at our 
NOTES CONCERNING THE 2018 PAPERBACK EDITION
The best four days in gaming, Gen Con 2018, starts this week in Indianapolis. McFarland will be in the exhibit hall at booth #142. Visit us to peruse our books and to get the buzz about McFarland’s latest offerings. (Also, 
New on our bookshelf today:
