Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks

Subtitle: An epic quest for reality among role players, online gamers, and other dwellers of imaginary realms Publisher's description: Fantasy. Science fiction. Role-playing games. Tens of millions of people around the globe turn away from the "real" world to inhabit others. Old-school role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons are still wildly popular. Who are these gamers and fantasy fans? What explains the irresistible appeal of such "escapist" adventures? In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds - from Boston to Wisconsin, New Zealand to France, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar. On a quest that begins in his own geeky teenage past and ends in our online gaming future, he asks gaming and fantasy geeks how they balance their escapist urges with the kingdom of adulthood.