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A no doubt mad idea
260 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
2 people want to read
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April 26, 2012
The cover image reminds me more than a little of Gualala, Calif.
I remember going into the Huntley Bookstore at the Claremont Colleges, and seeing this face-out on the fiction shelves. The drawing was so appealing I reached right for it — proof I will buy a book for the cover, if done well.
Minkin’s novel is a mix of Northern California in the 1970s and his own term “ludics.” That is, the study of games, not just for their own sake (though that too) but also as an element in culture and civilization more broadly. It’s inspired by Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens (that is, “Man the Player” – and wipe that smirk off your face).
There are illustrations of games at the start of each chapter. There are quotations running by along the bottom edge of the pages. (One time, when I spoke to Minkin, I mentioned that turning the novel into HTML would provide one of the few justifications I know for the MARQUEE tag.)
I remember going into the Huntley Bookstore at the Claremont Colleges, and seeing this face-out on the fiction shelves. The drawing was so appealing I reached right for it — proof I will buy a book for the cover, if done well.
Minkin’s novel is a mix of Northern California in the 1970s and his own term “ludics.” That is, the study of games, not just for their own sake (though that too) but also as an element in culture and civilization more broadly. It’s inspired by Johan Huizinga’s Homo Ludens (that is, “Man the Player” – and wipe that smirk off your face).
There are illustrations of games at the start of each chapter. There are quotations running by along the bottom edge of the pages. (One time, when I spoke to Minkin, I mentioned that turning the novel into HTML would provide one of the few justifications I know for the MARQUEE tag.)
Displaying 1 of 1 review