The Elfish Gene - Another attack on gamers

[Nifft]

I fail to see how this is any different to books poking fun at men, women, blondes, stamp collectors, cricket fans or hairdressers

Cricket has fans? Like, actual living ones?

Anyway... like others have said, the write up makes it look more like a memoir than a thinly veiled attack, so it could be good fun... if anything, I expect the attacks on the UK education system to be the scathing part.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Scribble]

Are roleplayers so special that no one can have a giggle at us except ourselves?

Well... most gamers I know do also collect large amounts of weapons... So might not want to giggle at them too much...

 

[el-remmen]

Ooh, I want this!

 

[6pakofdwarves]

I read this entry over at amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elfish-Gene-Dungeons-Dragons-Growing/dp/1405091266

Doesn't look flattering. A entire book dedicated to making fun of D&D gamers. :\

I dunno, it looks good to me. It is about the Authors childhood, in which he was awkward and played DnD. Sounds like a lot of guys I know. Don't see how this makes fun of anyone....
I think you may be just a bit sensitive...... Maybe reading the book would be cathartic for you?

 

[Scribble]

I dunno what's up with his experience... I mean I remember my childhood when they found out I gamed, all the other children lifted me up on their shoulders and said three cheers to the greatest chap in the land! And then all the girls wanted to date me!

It happened just like that I swear.. Except replace the first part with "called me a dork" and the second part with "thought I was a dork."

 

[Zander]

I dunno, it looks good to me. It is about the Authors childhood, in which he was awkward and played DnD. Sounds like a lot of guys I know. Don't see how this makes fun of anyone....

Apparently, D&D is a "shameful" game played by "comically awful... obsessives".

At a time when the hobby needs new blood, having disparaging descriptions of gamers in the media, whether they're true or not, doesn't help to keep the game alive.

 

[Fishbone]

Just Dungeons and Dragons related merchandise is a 30 million dollar a year money maker, it isn't going anywhere.
Now if you'll excuse me I have to watch television, where pretty and rich people will be extolling the virtures of WoW and this season of Battlestar Gallactica.
I see gaming in for a really big comeback.
Edit:As if it ever left.

 

[6pakofdwarves]

Apparently, D&D is a "shameful" game played by "comically awful... obsessives".

At a time when the hobby needs new blood, having disparaging descriptions of gamers in the media, whether they're true or not, doesn't help to keep the game alive.

Um, dude, that is not a serious commentary. This book is supposed to be FUNNY.

With a cast of comically awful fellow obsessives, this is a story that enters the daft, twilight world of male adolescent imagination, and with great wit, self-deprication - and not a little poignancy - rips the piss out of it. 'Sharp and funny' - "Loaded". 'Hilarious ...[Barrowcliffe] is an assured stylist with a lively wit' - "Independent". 'A Natural chronicler of the love lorn male' - "The Times".

Note the use of the words self-depriciation, sharp and funny, hilarious. I mean really, come on. You don't think you are being overly sensitive? You didn't see dog show people up in arms about the movie Best in Show And the game WAS kind of shamefull when we were kids. It was not "cool", and you tried not to tell girls you were playing DnD all weekend. Did that movie floating around the internet with the 2 dudes that played DnD make you mad too? What was, with the DM and his buddy in the Bathuvian Brothel or something? Pure comedy gold.

 

[DJCupboard]

While I am all for wry and witty reports of adolescent dorkiness mirroring my own, I also am quite fond of well-written reports of such kind. If the Amazon synopsis, which reads like an official press release -so that is what I will presume it to be-, is any indication, either modern English-english has a much greater difference to American-english than I was previously led to believe from reading other modern English-english texts, or this author (or best-case scenario, his editor or press agent) doesn't have the best grasp on grammar, which I always find snaps me right out of the correct mind-frame for proper enjoyment.

That being said, on with the self-deprication and social-goup fun-poking! This can be no more damning than our very own EnWorld worst gamers thread. Though I bet this author never had his life threatened by brazilian special ops, no matter how often he was spit on by the football team or rejected by the cheerleaders.

~DJC~

 

[Mystery Man]

Apparently, D&D is a "shameful" game played by "comically awful... obsessives".

At a time when the hobby needs new blood, having disparaging descriptions of gamers in the media, whether they're true or not, doesn't help to keep the game alive.

Stop wandering the earth looking for things to be offended about.