News from MIT Press

The index for Literary Gaming is now done, the proofs have been submitted, and the cover image finalised. Here it is:

I'm really pleased with the way the screenshots from The Path and Loss of Grasp show the breadth and diversity of literary gaming.
The book is scheduled for release in April 2014 - very exciting. I've also just received the first endorsement, from Prof Sandy Baldwin, which I'm very flattered by:

It is easy to say games contain narratives and easy to say that narratives are playful. Saying so does little other than repeat existing rather poor metaphors for games and narratives. Astrid Ensslin does something much harder and more rewarding: she takes on all the works occurring on the spectrum from games to literature (what she calls the L-L spectrum) and provides the first rigorous descriptive vocabulary for reading these works. I was surprised and informed by the diversity and invention found in the works examined. More than this: I was persuaded and even amazed by the rich and fine-tuned readings Ensslin offers. Literary Gaming sets the standard for understanding literary lucidity.