Ethan GilsdorfCritiques

Not much in the book I wasn't aware of but it was an easy read. A large section focused on MMOs for which I have really no interest and the LotR worship is a flashback to the pop-culture of the early aughts but kind of dates the book. LotR for me is already an over-tread subject so I didn't find that much interest within. If someone wasn't too familiar with the previously mentioned I might recommend the book to them.

Not enough fun was had in the writing of this book.

So this was pretty good but it always seems like the authors who write books about growing up gamers feel like it's a bad thing that they probably should hide or not be proud of. It's like the "normal" people finally got to them (or maybe they always felt embarrassed) and they feel like they have a disease. It always feels apologetic like and self denigrating like, "I used to play with toys, what a loser I was, now I'm an author."

Mr. Gilsdorf, in this book seems to fluctuate between saying, "Okay I give up I'm a geek." and "I refuse to let myself enjoy my childhood pastimes because I'm an adult now and people might think it's weird."

On the other hand, I've been a geek all my life and I never knew there were Harry Potter tribute bands. I also didn't know about a couple other things he covers in the book. So thanks for that EG.

Just one more note. The first chapter or two of this book deal with the author's mother and her health problems. It seemed a strange way to start the book, it was very dark and sad but it becomes more obvious later why it was included. So don't get scared off by that. The rest is a quest around the world examining everything geek (though it's more focused on fantasy than sci-fi).

This book explored the concept of escapism and chronicled the prevalence of that phenomenon in modern society. RPG gamers, online games, board games, and LARP-like activities are all covered in addition to more in depth examples of escapism.

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks sets out to explore and perhaps even understand Tolkien enthusiasts, video gamers, table top gamers, LARPers, re-enactors, SCAdians, and other “geeky” “fringe” people. Gilsdorf looks at his childhood hobby from the point of view of a grownup who has never forgotten the thrill of sharing something exciting with like-minded people. He still struggles with the bad rep that role-playing games, fantasy, and science fiction have among the general public. Some of the author’s comments contain clear nostalgia; at other times there’s a yearning of acceptance for his “strange” hobby, maybe even a hint of shame. Grown out of his wish to reconcile the respectable status of an adult with the heart of a fantasy fan, the book nonetheless allows readers to weigh the evidence for themselves.
EJ 10/2010

Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks is everything that [The Elfish Gene] is not: Gilsdorf's travel narrative is endearing, open-minded, warm, and welcoming. Like Mark Barrowcliffe, Ethan Gilsdorf spent his youth buried in the fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons. And, like Barrowcliffe, Gilsdorf eventually left the realm of fantasy, only to return as an adult to explore the ghost of an interest that remained.

Here the differences end. Ethan Gilsdorf's narrative is accepting of geek culture, even as he expresses adult reservations, and he seeks to explore the world of geekdom with an open mind. Fantasy Freaks sets out to understand just what draws certain individuals to a particular set of interests, and how their experiences influence their personal development. Gilsdorf shares a number of stories as he travels to cons, gaming events, and even joins in for a weekend of LARPing. Unlike Barrowcliffe with his scathing comments and sense of superiority, Gilsdorf allows his research material to speak for itself, and presents his findings with an air of sympathy that will not necessarily impact the reader's own interpretation of the cultural events.

Fantasy Freaks is a celebration of geekdom for those who are (or perhaps simply adore) geeks, and an interesting exploration of fantasy worlds for those who have no experience with the subculture. Gilsdorf's travel narrative will appeal to all readers, and I dare say there's at least one chuckle for everyone somewhere in the pages.

As a teenager, Ethan Gilsdorf turned to Dungeons & Dragons to escape from the difficulties of life with a mother who'd suffered serious brain damage in the wake of an aneurysm. In later years, he deliberately recoiled from pursuits he regarded as geeky in favor of attempting to be "cool," until, at the age of 41, a building midlife crisis and a sudden uncontrollable obsession with the Lord of the Rings movies sent him back for a second look at games and fantasy and at the people who never gave them up. As an unrepentant geek and sometime gamer myself, I had rather conflicted feelings about the author at first. Part of me cannot help a certain attitude of disdainful pity towards anyone willing to give up things they enjoy in order to fit in, while another part of me simply wanted to pat the guy on the head and say, "There, there, it's all right. Come on over to the Geeky Side. We have snacks!"

It quickly became clear, however, that Gilsdorf regards his initial self-conscious discomfort among the fans and gamers as his problem, not theirs, and his description of his sojourns at gaming conventions and SCA events demonstrates a real understanding of and even affection for the people involved. There is absolutely no pointing and laughing here, just the tale of one man on a sincere quest for a way to come to terms with his inner geek.

In the process, he does a lot of thinking about the appeal of fantasy and the nature of escapism. Most of it's valid to some degree, I think, and it involves what feels like some very honest personal reflection, but it's not necessarily terribly original or insightful. Neither are his conclusions about the people he encounters, really. Folks who frequent Renaissance fairs or join Tolkien fan clubs are mostly sane, happy people doing things they enjoy? Gosh, really? Sometimes people do play more World of Warcraft than is good for them? You don't say!

Not that it isn't nice to see a book that gets it right. I do wonder, though, exactly who the audience for this is. It seems to me that the people mostly likely to pick it up are those of us who are already interested in this stuff, and it's not telling us anything we don't already know. (Indeed, it's actually kind of odd for me to read a book delving into the strange world of things that are in fact perfectly ordinary among people in my social circles.) On the other hand, I like reading about subcultures different from my own, so maybe some people who pick this up will need that explanation of what Dungeons & Dragons is. And if they do, it's nice to think that they'll at least get a decent representation of the kinds of people who play it.½