Fictional Games - A Philosophy of Worldbuilding and Imaginary Play

What role do imaginary games have in story-telling? Why do fiction authors outline the rules of a game that the reader will never watch or play? Combining perspectives from philosophy, literature and game studies, this book provides the first in-depth investigation into the significance of games in fictional worlds.With examples from contemporary cinema and literature, from to the science fiction of Iain M. Banks, Stefano Gualeni and Riccardo Fassone introduce four key functions that different types of imaginary games have in worldbuilding. First, fictional games can emphasize the dominant values and ideologies of the fictional society they belong to. Second, some games function as critical, utopian tools, inspiring shifts in the thinking and political orientation of the fictional characters. Third, imaginary games, especially those with a magical component, are conducive to the transcendence of a particular form of being, such as the overcoming of human corporeality. And fourth, fictional games can deceptively blur the boundaries between the contingency of play and the irrevocable seriousness of "real life", either camouflaging life as a game or disguising a game as something with more permanent consequences.With illustrations in every chapter, bringing the imaginary games to life, Gualeni and Fassone creatively inspire us to consider fictional games anew: not as moments of playful reprieve in a storyline, but as significant and multi-layered rhetorical devices.>

Product details

• Authors: Riccardo Fassone, Stefano Gualeni, Gualeni Stefano
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2022
• EAN: 9781350277083
• ISBN: 978-1-350-27708-3
• No. of pages: 216
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Fantasy, Media Studies, PHILOSOPHY / Political, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies, LITERARY CRITICISM / Science Fiction & Fantasy, Social & political philosophy, social and political philosophy, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Fiction: special features: game-related