Jean-Charles Ray
This work offers a new approach to video games rooted in the literary model of "the grimoire". Using the fantastical concept of the coded book that summons creatures, Jean-Charles Ray draws on the core material of the work—the textual and numerical code—and pairs it with the activity of the reader/player who brings it to life, exploring the worlds contained within.
He goes beyond the opposition between narrative and gameplay, showing that both the game structure and the player's actions involve a cyclical struggle to transform a formless and unknown element (the monster) into a manageable system (the grimoire). This conflict is present in the text, which gives shape to the imagination, in the rules that frame the space of possible actions, and in the player, who seeks to understand how to act in the face of an unknown situation, as well as in the reader, who, beyond paper and ink, sees characters brought to life by their own engagement.
This perspective allows for an exploration of a wide range of games, from Space Invaders (1978) to Dark Souls (2011), with stops at Resident Evil (1996) and Silent Hill (1999). The analysis is accompanied by comparisons with works by H. P. Lovecraft, Joseph Conrad, Clive Barker, and other classics of fantastic literature.
PUBLICATION DETAILS
LANGUAGE | BINDING | EDITION | ISBN | YEAR | PAGES |
French | Hardcover | ​ | TBD | 2024 | 198 |
OTHER NAMES
The Grimoire and the Monster - Thinking About Video Games Through Fantasy Literature
Le Grimoire et le Monstre - Penser le jeu vidéo par la littérature fantastique
TAGS
Authors: #JeanCharlesRay
Publishers: #PixNLove (Pix'n Love Editions)
Languages: #French
Format: #Hardcover
Accessibility: N/A
Year: #Year2024
Genres: #GameStudies #Horror
Companies:
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Public Figures:
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Games:
#DarkSouls (Dark Souls)
#ResidentEvil (Resident Evil)
#SilentHill (Silent Hill)
#SpaceInvaders (Space Invaders)
Misc:
N/A
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