{"product_id":"critical-hits-writers-playing-video-games-9781644452615","title":"Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA wide-ranging anthology of essays exploring one of the most vital art forms on the planet today\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the earliest computers to the smartphones in our pockets, video games have been on our screens and part of our lives for over fifty years. \u003ci\u003eCritical Hits \u003c\/i\u003ecelebrates this sophisticated medium and considers its lasting impact on our culture and ourselves. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis collection of stylish, passionate, and searching essays opens with an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado, who edited the anthology alongside J. Robert Lennon. In these pages, writer-gamers find solace from illness and grief, test ideas about language, bodies, power, race, and technology, and see their experiences and identities reflected in--or complicated by--the interactive virtual worlds they inhabit. Elissa Washuta immerses herself in \u003ci\u003eThe Last of Us\u003c\/i\u003e during the first summer of the pandemic. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah describes his last goodbye to his father with the help of \u003ci\u003eDisco Elysium.\u003c\/i\u003e Jamil Jan Kochai remembers being an Afghan American teenager killing Afghan insurgents in \u003ci\u003eCall of Duty\u003c\/i\u003e. Also included are a comic by MariNaomi about her time as a video game producer; a deep dive into \"portal fantasy\" movies about video games by Charlie Jane Anders; and new work by Alexander Chee, Hanif Abdurraqib, Larissa Pham, and many more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Graywolf Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/21\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781644452615\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.00lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.25h x 5.50w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2023 pg. 19\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/18\/2023\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Carmen Maria Machado","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43140552982709,"sku":"9781644452615","price":15.3,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_3936d8a8-4916-4e06-988d-f1673187a541.jpg?v=1695701166","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/critical-hits-writers-playing-video-games-9781644452615","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}