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1 y INTRODUCTION: Women in Video Gaming by Diana Sherman, Guest Editor

When I first started writing this intro- sumption of games, since women are al- duction, it was going to be a different crea- ready half of the gaming audience. ture entirely. It was going to contextualize We are underrepresented in the indus- the changes in gaming over the last five try, which has been, like many industries years in terms of women’s roles both in before it, primarily a boys’ club. There are games and in the industry. It was going to female designers, but we are definitely the be critical but optimistic. I was going to talk minority. Often women are shunted into about all the strides we’ve made — and we’ve management or production, and out of Games not only tell stories, made many — and how hopeful that makes design. Often we’re questioned and forced they also teach persistence me. But it wasn’t going to include anger. to prove our geek cred when instead we …by presenting players That was before prominent feminist should be heard. challenges just beyond video game critic Anita Sarkeesian was It has been slowly getting better, but their abilities and requiring them to continue driven out of her home with death and we’re coming up to a watershed moment. It trying in order to progress. rape threats for daring to point out how may have happened last August, with the outrage provoked by the dual harassment Games put agency into women are treated in video games. That their players’ hands. They of Sarkeesian and Quinn. It may have be- was before Zoe Quinn, indie game de- empower, they enlighten, gun in 2012 with the advent of the #1rea- signer of the award winning Depression they enliven. Quest, was slut-shamed online because a sonwhy meme on twitter, when a gamer community of bigoted gamers refused to asked why there weren’t more women in allow her respect or dignity. the video game industry. The women in the Looking at such events, we should feel industry answered — in a flood of tweets anger. and blog posts. Many of us had never spo- Games are hardly the only medium in ken openly about the sexism or harassment which women are objectified, but they are we had experienced: to do so could well i a new and dynamic medium. Just as televi- have meant the end of our careers. There is resistance to women in gaming. sion and film were the art form(s) of the 1 last century, video games have the poten- We do get harassed, threatened, insulted, tial of being the art form of this one. We and ignored. But there is also reason for haven’t even begun to explore their full hope. Increasingly, male game developers potential. Games not only tell stories, they have been acknowledging and speaking also teach persistence (when many aca- up in defense of their female counterparts. Video games came into demic institutions do not) by presenting Marketing departments are beginning existence in a world that to realize women are playing games, too. players challenges just beyond their abili- had already experienced The Game Developers Choice Awards ties and requiring them to continue trying the feminist movement. gave Anita Sarkeesian recognition for the They are the first new in order to progress. Games put agency amazing work she’s done critiquing the artform in that time and into their players’ hands. They empower, representation of women in games. More as such, far too good an they enlighten, they enliven. They give us and more young women are going into the opportunity to waste. models outside of our daily lives in the game industry, having grown up playing same way books and movies do, but they video games. Game companies like Bio- use different pathways. ware have created complex female player Video games came into existence in a characters and non-player characters, as world that had already experienced the well as providing representations of varied feminist movement. They are the first new sexual orientations. Diana Sherman has been artform in that time and as such, far too working in the video game We shouldn’t let go of the anger. We good an opportunity to waste. Women industry as a writer and also shouldn’t let it blind or discourage us. narrative designer since must get involved in gaming if we want Very little ever changes without anger, pas- to influence future generations. Women, 2008. She has worked on The sion, and determination driving the effort. Bureau: XCOM Declassified, people of color, and those who are trans- KingsRoad, Star Trek Online, gender must get involved in the creation and Champions Online— and critique of video games if we want thereby proving you can do those games to reflect us. Note I don’t say something with a Master’s in we need to get more involved in the con- Playwriting. n y Asking the Right Questions in Games couldn’t risk diverging from the traditional by Fred Zeleny formula of bare skin and fantasy clothing. My friends and I lost that fight, but we “A girl in the lead? I don’t buy it. How won others. Sometimes it was as easy as am I supposed to relate?” asking, “What if the player isn’t a straight, That was one coworker’s response when white guy?” In the games industry, where I asked him what I thought was a simple most developers are straight, white guys question: “What if the lead character is who grew up playing games that catered female?” My first response was bewilder- primarily to straight, white guys, it’s all “Can’t we give her some ment. Then I very nearly threw my chair too rare for anyone to recognize and raise pants? Or a dress? Or at him. these issues in the first place. anything more than Perhaps I should back up: a few years If games are going to improve, we need strategically-placed belts?” ago, I had the pleasure of working on a ma- more people who will ask these questions. jor video game. I was working with many We need more perspectives, better repre- friends I respected, exploring themes I sentation, and more people who are willing cared about, and writing characters who to fight for them. were dear to me. The most exciting challenge was writing for the female lead; as a Why Is This Important? major character in the game’s setting and Some are quick to dismiss video games advertising, she would be under tremen- as mindless children’s entertainment, and dous scrutiny. After many revisions and there’s no denying that some games have with feedback from many sources, she de- no higher aspirations than pure entertain- veloped into a compelling character with With a multi-million-dollar ment and profitability — like some books, her own agenda, an uncertain ally who movies, songs, or the rest. But games are game, if we wanted to sell challenged the players even as they slowly an increasing part of our media landscape, enough copies to keep the earned her respect. On paper, she was one studio alive, we had to with over half of American adults and of my favorite characters. But whenever I appeal to our audience. more than 90 percent of children play- H saw her in the game, I kept coming back to Never mind that 45 ing them. From big-budget AAA games the same question: percent of game players to the simplest mobile app, games are an 2 “Can’t we give her some pants? Or a are women and that there unavoidable facet of modern American dress? Or anything more than strategically- are many more women media. placed belts?” over eighteen playing As their influence has swelled, so have I asked this repeatedly over the course games than boys under their ambitions. Major games create exotic eighteen. of two years. While my coworker who “couldn’t relate” never even saw what the new worlds for us to explore. Casual games fuss was about, my questions were echoed offer puzzles and tasks to fill players’ ev- by many artists and nearly every woman ery spare minute. And designers influence in the studio. But she wasn’t changing: how we eat, exercise, save, and spend with her visual design had been set long be- “gamification” — the use of reward systems fore I wrote her and had been dictated and game mechanics in everything from from someone much higher than I am on forum comments to credit cards. the corporate ladder. He didn’t see why I That’s the power of games: where litera- would complain in the first place: I could ture gives the reader an experience from a write her however I liked, but she would be different perspective or an alternate vision …where literature gives a major character in the marketing, so this of the world, games teach the player to rec- the reader an experience was how she had to look. ognize and navigate a system. In the best from a different With a multi-million-dollar game, if cases, they convey to players a new way to perspective or an alternate we wanted to sell enough copies to keep measure the systems that influence our vision of the world, the studio alive, we had to appeal to our world and methods to approach and solve games teach the player audience. Never mind that 45 percent of problems. This can range from seeing the to recognize and navigate game players are women and that there are influences behind the sweep of history in a system. many more women over eighteen playing Sid Meier’s Civilization series, to the risks games than boys under eighteen. The deci- and rewards in the personal arc of a life- sion had been made by men who had been time in Jason Rohrer’s Passage, to how to

in the industry far longer than we, and this face real-life challenges in Jane McGoni-

was just how games were marketed. We gal’s SuperBetter. n But it also means players can learn dan- some cases, they may even consist of one gerous lessons as well. Whether it’s the or two dedicated auteurs. Where big- simple nihilism underlying some shooters budget games have generally followed one …smaller studios have to the ill-conceived moral lessons behind of a few familiar genre patterns, smaller taken advantage of their some role-playing games, even otherwise studios have taken advantage of their free- freedom to experiment, excellent games can impart problematic dom to experiment, to create games that to create games that ways of viewing the world. Worst of all, convey messages that are important to convey messages these lessons need not be the deliberate them, whether or not they’ll resonate with that are important to message of a designer; they can result from a widespread audience. Some developers them, whether or not unconsidered design choices. even gather for “game jams”: whirlwind they’ll resonate with a For example, while BioWare’s Dragon creative events where each group devel- widespread audience. Age series presents players with a complex ops a tiny game around a common theme world rife with social and racial tensions or cause, from concept to playable game, and familiar dilemmas, it uses a relation- sometimes in the span of a single weekend. ship system familiar from many other This freedom has resulted in games role-playing games and Japanese dating that deal with subjects too risky, contro- simulations. This has the unfortunate ef- versial, or personal for major studios to fect of reducing sexual relationships to a create. From Tomorrow Corporation’s simple transactional system: pick the ob- Little Inferno, exploring the perils of con- ject of your affection, give them the right sumption and consumerism, to Anna An- presents, say the things they want to hear, thropy’s Dys4ia, taking the player through and it’s only a matter of time before they the trials of gender identity disorder and succumb to your charms. The gaming com- transitioning, the freedom and diversity munity already has a reputation for socially of indie games have undeniably improved awkward people with difficulty in relation- the medium. In fact, Anna Anthropy has ships, and this is only made worse when excellently chronicled these changes, their This freedom has resulted gamers take this sort of lesson to heart. importance, and more in her book The Rise in games that deal Now, BioWare is an excellent and di- of the Videogame Zinesters. i with subjects too risky, verse team of designers, and normally Until recently, these creators tended to controversial, or personal quite careful about the messages they con- be developers who left the major studios, for major studios to 3 vey in their games, which makes it even frustrated with the limitations that come create. more surprising that they would make this from big budgets and traditional games. sort of error. It’s quite possible that some But more and more, we’re seeing games members of the team objected to it but from people who have never worked in the were overruled. After all, that game me- major studios: artists who want new ways chanic has been used for decades, and if of involving the audience in their creations, they had tried a new system, traditional- dreamers who create alternate worlds for ist fans may have objected. As we’ve seen, others to explore, and writers who want to multi-million dollar games cannot afford expand their stories into interactive fiction. to risk alienating their fans. This has become possible thanks to Thankfully, there’s another way to make the expansion of publicly-available game games. And it’s open to everyone. creation tools. Making games no lon- Why Not Try Something Smaller? ger requires specialized programmers or expensive modeling software. Programs Making games no longer Recent years have seen a boom of like GameMaker and Unity provide easy requires specialized smaller, independent game developers. As and free ways to create games that can be programmers or expensive big-budget games have become more and shared with the world, and there are librar- modeling software. more expensive and risk-adverse, scores of ies of free art and sound assets at Open- smaller studios have sprung up, creating GameArt.Org. games that are cheaper, less constrained, One of the simplest game creation tools and far more diverse — both in their repre- is Twine, a free program that’s barely more sentation and in their gameplay. complicated than an editing program. If While major studios may consist of a you can write a story in Word, you can hundred or more designers, artists, and make a game in Twine. But its simplic- programmers, these indie studios rarely ity hasn’t kept writers and designers like consist of more than a dozen people. In Porpentine from creating highly evocative, Cont. on p. 4 n Asking the Right Questions Citations/Links (cont. from p. 3) personal, and moving games like howling Anna Anthropy’s Dys4ia: http:// dogs or UNTIL OUR ALIEN HEARTS auntiepixelante.com/?p=1515. BEAT AS ONE. There’s an entire generation of players Anna Anthropy’s Rise of the Videogame growing up and hungering for games that Zinesters: http://www.indiebound.org/ go beyond the familiar systems, and for book/9781609803728. There’s an entire generation messages that resonate with experiences BioWare’s Dragon Age: http:// of players growing up and beyond the standard “straight, white guy” dragonage.bioware.com/. hungering for games that adventures of the past. The big studios are go beyond the familiar afraid to take the risk and too rooted in Game audience statistics: http://www. systems, and for messages tradition, but indie developers are the new theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013. that resonate with forces of creativity in the medium. pdf, http://www.pewinternet. experiences beyond the Eventually, the big studios may even org/2014/01/16/e-reading-rises-as- standard “straight, white follow these pioneers. device-ownership-jumps/, and http:// guy” adventures of the How am I supposed to relate? www.pewinternet.org/2008/09/16/ past. teens-video-games-and-civics/. To this day, I don’t know how much the fantasy outfit on my main character GameMaker: https://www.yoyogames. helped or hurt our sales; it drew roughly com/studio. equal amounts of cheer and derision from Jane McGonigal’s SuperBetter: http:// the different parts of the gaming commu- superbetterlabs.com/. nity. Those of us who raised the issue have gone on to work on other projects, and we Sid Meier’s Civilization: http://www. But a change is coming continue to fight for other improvements civilization.com/. over the gaming industry. in our games, and to ask other important Open Game Art: http://opengameart. H More people are calling questions. out the problems in Even my ex-coworker who “couldn’t re- org/. representation, and more 4 late” has come to admit that his attitude Porpentine’s Twine Games: http:// developers are showing the was “kind of misogynist-y.” Some progress aliendovecote.com/intfic.html big studios that there’s a is slower than others. different way to do things. But a change is coming over the gaming Jason Rohrer’s Passage: http:// industry. More people are calling out the hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/passage/. problems in representation, and more developers are showing the big studios that Tomorrow Corporation’s Little Inferno: there’s a different way to do things. The http://tomorrowcorporation.com/ medium is coming of age, complete with littleinferno. the awkwardness and pubescent stumbles Twine: http://twinery.org/. that comes with it. And it won’t reach its potential without hearing from more peo- Unity: http://unity3d.com/. ple than just the straight, white guys who have always been in charge. Games reach a bigger audience than ever before. And that audience needs to hear your voice.

Fred Zeleny is a narrative designer and game writer whose work can be found in Fallout 3, Skyrim, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. He lives in San Francisco and spends far too much time worrying if he’s really in any position

to complain about lack of

diversity in games. n y The Women of Dragon Age by Marie Brennan

According to Hollywood legend, the missed opportunity. But in a medium still reason Ellen Ripley is such a great female dominated by male characters and the oc- character in the first Alien movie is because casional token female, including women the part was originally written for a man. without making a big deal out of it can feel “Reactivity” is the term Much the same can be said about the like a breath of fresh air. On the rare oc- for how the game changes protagonists of the Dragon Age series of casions gender does become an issue in the depending on player video games, produced by BioWare. These more standard sense, it often feels jarring. decisions, and it’s both take place in the fantasy world of The- In the first game, your companion Sten logistically and financially das, but unlike the company’s Mass Ef- comes from a society with strictly defined expensive to implement. fect games, each one focuses on a different roles for all its people, and if you’re play- main character. In Dragon Age: Origins, you ing as a woman, he complains a few times play a member of the Grey Wardens, whose about following a woman’s lead in war. Be- task is to save the nation of Fereldan (and cause sexism and the character’s struggles ultimately all of Thedas) from a Blight, an to overcome it are not woven into the story invasion of monsters called darkspawn. In or most of the setting, those moments can the sequel, Dragon Age II, you are Hawke, come across as unnecessary distractions a refugee from the Blight who rises to be- from the business at hand — which is become the most important person in the ing awesome and saving the world. Free Marches city of Kirkwall. The novelty of being awesome and As in many of their games, BioWare saving the world should not be underes- gives players multiple ways to customize timated. Dragon Age II has a framing nar- their character, one of which is the choice rative in which Cassandra Pentaghast, a of male or female gender. Back in the servant of the setting’s pope equivalent, is days when most dialogue was conduct- questioning one of your companions about …even the minimum of ed through text, this wouldn’t have been your past deeds — because, as the compan- effort—allowing players to i a very large challenge, but the Dragon ion retorts to her, “you need the one person choose a female avatar— Age games feature extensive voice act- who can help you put [the world] back to- has a disproportionately 5 large effect. ing, which means that every single line of gether.” For a male character, the narratives dialogue that references your protagonist’s of these games are fairly standard epic fan- gender has to be done twice: once for the tasy material. Hearing a female character male character and once for the female. discussed in such terms, however, is still It also imposes certain limitations that, something of a novelty. paradoxically, can make the female play It shouldn’t be, of course. But since it experience more satisfying. “Reactivity” is is, even the minimum of effort — allowing the term for how the game changes de- players to choose a female avatar — has a pending on player decisions, and it’s both disproportionately large effect. logistically and financially expensive to x implement. Every reactive element requires coding extra decision trees, record- The protagonist is only one small ele- ing extra dialogue, even designing extra ment of the gameplay experience. If that characters or locations — and all of this was where inclusiveness ended, BioWare content is, by definition, material that not would not be deserving of much praise on The protagonist is only every player will encounter. BioWare could that front. Their games, however, are also one small element of the make their games reactive to protagonist known for their companions: NPCs who gameplay experience. gender, beyond the basic level of pronoun join up with your hero or heroine, not only If that was where choices, and in a few places they do. But assisting them in battle but expanding the inclusiveness ended, faced with a choice between focusing on narrative in new directions. You can talk to BioWare would not be gender and designing reactivity for other your companions and undertake quests on deserving of much praise aspects (such as character personality or their behalf; they also banter with one an- on that front. political decisions), they seem to prefer other as you travel around and react to your the latter. decisions. The Dragon Age games include

For players wanting an exploration a mechanical element that reflects each of gender ideology, this may seem like a companion’s opinion of your protagonist: Cont. on p. 6 n The Women of in the first game this is approval/disap- of a dwarf woman into a stone body. Shale Dragon Age proval, while the sequel replaces that with has no recollection of this, and shows no friendship/rivalry. The latter scale in partic- inclination to self-identify as female after (cont. from p. 5) ular can result in widely different relation- learning its origins. The voice actor, Ger- ships with your companions, depending on aldine Blecker, speaks in a low, raspy voice how you choose to characterize your own that doesn’t register as feminine. Although hero or heroine. Even apart from vari- no one within the game uses any term like ability, the companions offer a variety of “genderqueer,” it seems the most appropri- experiences, which are worth discussing in ate label to apply to Shale. greater detail. (This will, of necessity, in- Awakening, the expansion to Origins, clude minor spoilers for the games.) introduces two new female companions: Dragon Age: Origins Dragon Age: Origins contains a total of an elven mage named Velanna, and a contains a total of ten ten possible companions, though depend- dwarven woman named Sigrun. Velanna possible companions, ing on the situation the player may not end comes across as being the expansion’s re- though depending on the up recruiting all ten. Of these, six are male placement for Morrigan, as the two share situation the player may (one of those being a war dog), three are many personality traits. Sigrun, however, not end up recruiting all female, and one is arguably genderqueer. provides more variety. She is a member of ten. Of these, six are male Three female companions is not an the Legion of the Dead, a dwarven group (one of those being a war enormous number, but they span a decent made up of people who have undergone dog), three are female, range, from the antisocial witch Morrigan, symbolic “funerals” and dedicated them- and one is arguably to the sweet-tempered bard Leliana, to the selves to fighting the darkspawn. Her ori- genderqueer. grandmotherly mage Wynne. Each one gin is grim, but her demeanor is tirelessly is recognizably a type, but the variation cheerful and amusing. among them is satisfying, and the types The array of companion types opens up are merely starting points: each character even more with Dragon Age II. Class-wise, has history and individualized quirks that the previous games restricted your female makes them stand out as individuals. companions to mages (Morrigan, Wynne, H Morrigan, for example, is not antisocial and Velanna) and rogues (Leliana and Sig- for no reason. She was raised by another run). DAII, however, introduces the war- 6 witch in the inhospitable Korcari Wilds rior Aveline, who is an absolutely splendid and has little experience of society, espe- character. At first glance, she seems like cially of the male variety. Moreover, she the standard no-nonsense fighter type, has a rather complicated relationship with her adoptive “mother,” whom she suspects being fairly stern, law-abiding, and unro- of intending to steal her body as a way mantic. But when you encounter her fight- of being effectively immortal. Leliana, so ing darkspawn, she has a husband at her friendly and kind, is on the run from her side. Years later, after Aveline’s husband has former master, the woman who trained her died — DAII spans a full decade of in-game Each one is recognizably as a bard — in a society where “bard” means time — there is a minor quest that involves a type, but the variation “highly trained spy and assassin.” She is pi- Hawke trying to play matchmaker between among them is satisfying, ous and loves fancy shoes, and knows more Aveline and another member of the Kirk- and the types are merely about killing people than any nice person wall city guard. It’s a charming bit of ro- starting points: each should. Wynne has a near-death experi- mantic comedy, for a character who would character has history and ence during the events where you recruit normally not receive that kind of story. individualized quirks that her, which results in her being possessed by Aveline is one of four female compan- makes them stand out as a spirit. Although her demeanor is gener- ions in DAII, out of a total of nine. One individuals. ally grandmotherly, she is not above turn- of the remainder is Hawke’s sister Bethany, ing this back against the other companions a mage whose role in the story can vary when they presume too much upon her wildly depending on player choices. Mer- goodwill. rill is another elven mage, but unlike the Shale is especially interesting from a prickly Velanna, she is anxious to make gender standpoint. This companion is a friends after being exiled from her clan. centuries-old stone golem that refers to ev- Her sweetness and innocence contrast with eryone as “it,” regardless of gender. During the reason for her exile: she is a practitio-

Shale’s personal quest, you discover that ner of blood magic, which in this setting is

the golem was made by infusing the spirit both highly illegal and highly dangerous. n The fourth member of the set, Isabela, Dragon Age: Origins offers four romance is remarkable for the balance with which possibilities. Two are male and two female; her concept is deployed. More than any two are straight and two are bisexual. other female companion in the entire se- Dragon Age II follows a similar pattern, ries, she is overtly sensual and exotic: a except that both women and both men dark-skinned pirate who shows no par- are bisexual; in addition, there is one male ticular shame where sex is concerned. She companion under a vow of chastity who could easily have been a terrible charac- can form a non-sexual romance with a fe- ter, and no doubt some players will react male Hawke. to her that way. In my opinion, though, The straight options in Origins are Mor- This is another gameplay Isabela is a successful example of the de- rigan (for male Wardens) and Alistair (for element BioWare is known fense often trotted out for highly sexual- female Wardens), while the bisexual ones for, which few other ized female characters: she’s in charge of are Leliana and another rogue, Zevran. games include, at least to her own sexuality, even empowered by Furthermore, if the player has made the this degree. Rather than it. She talks on more than one occasion correct dialogue choices at earlier points presenting the player with about how she manages her male crew in the story, it is possible to have a brief a single scripted romance, multi-way tryst with Isabela, who appears Dragon Age games include and their sexual needs, making sure they as a minor character in Origins before re- multiple potential love have opportunities to indulge themselves, turning as a companion in DAII. interests, who must be but never forming relationships with them Although the story’s female characters cultivated through in- herself. During a cutscene in a local tavern, are the focus of this review, their effect game decisions before a she shuts down one man’s clumsy attempts on the player depends partly on the larger relationship can happen at flirtation, but this doesn’t translate to a context, which includes the male love in- general haughtiness and untouchability; terests. Zevran in particular offers an inter- Isabela is more than happy to enjoy her- esting contrast, because he is, if anything, self. But it happens when she wants it to. even more sexual than Isabela. Although Any such statement, of course, must be it is difficult to get him to confess feelings taken in its full context. Isabela is a char- of attachment, he begins flirting with the i acter, not a real person; her choices are the Warden as soon as he appears in the story, choices made by her writer (Sheryl Chee). and can be brought to bed almost imme- 7 The test here is one of believability: does diately. He also makes sexual innuendos it seem like Isabela is behaving coherently, at other companions — the elderly Wynne following an internal model that guides not excluded. Because our real-world cul- her toward or away from sexual behavior ture attaches different values to promiscu- according to in-story factors? Or is she ous men and promiscuous women, Zevran “fan service,” acting purely for the enter- cannot be treated as a precise analogue to tainment of an audience presumed to be Isabela. His existence, however, goes some Although the story’s largely male and heterosexual? Player re- way toward counter-balancing negative female characters are the focus of this review, actions may differ, of course, but I find her judgments of Isabela’s own behavior. their effect on the player to be a plausible character, one for whom Like Zevran, Isabela is much more depends partly on the comfortable with merely enjoying sex than sexuality is merely a portion of her nature, larger context, which rather than her defining purpose. with admitting any real attachment to the includes the male love x protagonist. Morrigan has difficulty with interests. intimacy of any kind, even friendship; Sexuality becomes a central topic for Leliana, by contrast, moves easily from many of the female companions (as well as friendship to affection, but will not sleep several of the male ones) when we stop to with the Warden until fairly late in the consider romance. game. Merrill is by far the most innocent This is another gameplay element Bio- of the female love interests, often miss- Ware is known for, which few other games ing the point of Isabela’s innuendos dur- include, at least to this degree. Rather than ing party banter — but her embarrassment presenting the player with a single scripted usually seems rooted in surprise rather romance, Dragon Age games include mul- than shame. tiple potential love interests, who must be In fact, shame plays very little role in cultivated through in-game decisions be- any of the game’s sexual content. When fore a relationship can happen. the protagonist enters a romance, other Cont. on p. 8 n The Women of companions may not approve, but their tions. Although not all of the specifics have Dragon Age disapproval has little to do with prudery: been announced yet, in addition to straight they may not trust the love interest or may and bisexual love interests, there will be at (cont. from p. 7) worry that personal matters will distract least one man who can only be romanced by the protagonist from his or her duty. They a male Inquisitor, and at least one woman are just as likely to be protective, though, only available to female Inquisitors. threatening retribution if either partner x hurts the other. There is no societal disapproval of same-sex relationships, though Because the Dragon Age games are an audiovisual medium, any analysis of the There is no societal some characters may express surprise to female characters should include a men- disapproval of same-sex find themselves falling for someone of relationships, though some their own gender. Outside of the games tion of their appearances. The results here characters may express themselves, BioWare has received some have varied over time. In the first game surprise to find themselves amount of pushback from people who ob- and its expansion, almost every character falling for someone of their ject to seeing the series “pander to” gay and can equip with any of the armor, provided own gender. bisexual players by including these options, they have the stats necessary to wear it. but the company has been noteworthy for This works acceptably well with the medi- its refusal to budge or even apologize: lead um and heavy armor, as well as with mage writer David Gaider in particular has been robes, but the light armor falls victim to outspoken in defending such content. the regrettable tendency in video games Sadly, they have not often done as well to differentiate male and female models: when it comes to transsexual characters. an item that gives full-torso coverage on Sadly, they have not Zevran bares cleavage and midriff on Leli- often done as well when Both Origins and Dragon Age II feature ana. Fortunately, this ceases to be an issue it comes to transsexual a brothel as a location the character can in Dragon Age II. A female Hawke receives characters. Both Origins visit (and optionally patronize) at various good coverage regardless of what armor and Dragon Age II feature points during the game, and both places a brothel as a location the contain transsexual characters as sex work- she equips with, and companions are taken H character can visit (and ers, whose presence is played for comedic another route entirely. optionally patronize) at effect. Additionally, one of those characters Like Morrigan in Origins, the com- 8 various points during the can be encountered outside the brothel, in panions in the sequel each have their own game, and both places the downloadable content Mark of the As- distinctive look, instead of being equipped contain transsexual sassin, but a badly-designed dialogue tree with whatever gear the player chooses. This characters as sex workers, means the meeting can come off as offen- was somewhat problematic with Morri- whose presence is played sively transphobic. If Hawke has enjoyed gan, because her outfit included a low-cut for comedic effect. the company of the prostitute Serendipity red top that must have been held on with at the brothel, then Serendipity greets the magic; nothing else could possibly explain protagonist in an embarrassingly explicit it. (Amusingly, the mobile game Heroes of fashion, prompting a brief exchange that Dragon Age depicts her wearing a bra-like ends with the temporary companion Tal- garment beneath the usual top.) Not only lis commenting “Awkward….” If Hawke is she the only companion in the first game has not made use of Serendipity’s services, to be supplied with a piece of character- however, then the prostitute merely offers specific clothing, but later in the game the a greeting in an unexpectedly deep voice, player can acquire a replacement that has which leads to the exact same comment the exact same appearance, but improved from Tallis and an embarrassed reaction stats. The message is clear: the game de- from Hawke. The game designers have signers intend her to always be seen wear- acknowledged this as a bug, rather than ing an impractical, navel-draping garment an intended result, and apologized for that has less to do with in-story logic than …the upcoming game the error. This misstep did inspire Gaider with catering to the (presumed male and Dragon Age: Inquisition to include the transwoman Maevaris Ti- heterosexual) audience. will be the first to include lani in the tie-in comic books, however, With the companions in Dragon Age II, gay-only romance options. and that character seems to have been however, the situation improves immense- well-received. ly. Aveline first appears wearing a practical Finally, it is worth noting that the up- outfit that bares little more than her im-

coming game Dragon Age: Inquisition will pressive arm muscles; later she wears plate

be the first to include gay-only romance op- armor noteworthy for its complete lack of n breast contours. Bethany’s robes change non-companion women are in prominent depending on the direction her story takes, roles. Orlais is ruled by an Empress; it is but always suit her role in the world. Mer- also the home of the Divine, the woman rill is covered from neck to ankle, though who leads the Chantry in a manner much The message is clear: the she swaps out her standard outfit for a like that of the real-world pope. Both of game designers intend her brilliant white costume if engaged in a ro- them will figure heavily in the plot. The to always be seen wearing an impractical, navel- mance. Only Isabela’s costume flaunts her game will also deal to some extent with draping garment that has sexuality — but she is the one companion your protagonists from the previous games, less to do with in-story who may have been female. Therefore, this for whom that makes sense. Putting any logic than with catering to story is one in which women occupy many of the others in thigh-high boots, a waist the (presumed male and cincher, and a tiny excuse for a skirt would prominent roles outside of your immediate heterosexual) audience. be a clear case of prioritizing sex appeal party, which Gaider cited as a counterbal- With the companions in over characterization. For her, however, ance for the party itself. Dragon Age II, however, the two go hand in hand. Isabela’s outfit It makes me a little wistful. He isn’t the situation improves is undeniably ridiculous, but it cannot be wrong, insofar as it goes; this will already immensely. called inappropriate for her personality. be a story in which women play a major x part. But what if party composition were closer to gender balance, as it was in the The companions are not the only female previous game? Play a female Inquisitor; characters to appear in the games; they are import a world state in which the Warden simply the most prominent ones. Perhaps and Hawke were also female…you’d end one of the best praises I can lay upon Bio- up with a game in which women aren’t Perhaps one of the best Ware is that they don’t forget that women just present, aren’t just represented, but praises I can lay upon exist when filling in the rest of the world. actually have the edge. In other words, the BioWare is that they don’t Female characters appear in all walks same kind of situation we’ve seen a thou- forget that women exist of life in the Dragon Age franchise, from sand times with men, and almost never when filling in the rest of street thieves to merchants to noblewom- with women. the world. en to scholars to guards. The player regu- Inquistion will not be that game. But Female characters appear i larly encounters female humans, elves, and even without it, the Dragon Age series in all walks of life in the dwarves; the fourth race in the setting, the stands head and shoulders above many Dragon Age franchise. 9 qunari, appear much more rarely, and thus of its competitors, many of which are still far a female qunari has only shown up in caught in the “Smurfette” mode of female the comic books. (Theirs is also the one representation. The companions and other society that maintains strict gender roles.) NPCs cover a gamut of character types The dominant religion in the setting is, and receive the same kind of in-depth …the Dragon Age according to David Gaider, based on the storytelling as the men do — sometimes in- series stands head and shoulders above many of concept of “what if Jesus had been Joan cluding elements where gender differences its competitors, many of of Arc?” The savior was a warlike woman are relevant, but more often simply treat- which are still caught in named Andraste, and her clergy is almost ing both groups as people, about whom the “Smurfette” mode of exclusively female; men can become lay many kinds of stories can be told. This is female representation. brothers, but only in one schismatic nation especially true where the protagonist is are they allowed to become priests. concerned: whether you play as a man or This has had an interesting effect on a woman, you can enjoy the pleasures of the upcoming third game, Dragon Age: being an admired peacemaker or a feared Inquisition. Responding to fan criticism autocrat, a warrior or a mage or a rogue, over only three of the nine companions the hero who saved a nation or the trou- being female, Gaider first said that three blemaker who tore a city apart. vs. four was not a very large change. While Marie Brennan is an true in direct numerical terms, that under- anthropologist and folklorist values the relative change; it’s one-third who is currently misapplying of the companions instead of nearly half, her professors’ hard work to the Victorian adventure women being outnumbered two to one in- series The Memoirs of Lady stead of nearly having parity. But Gaider Trent. The first book of that also pointed out that the setup of Inquisi- series, A Natural History of tion, which will take place in the country Dragons, has been nominated of Orlais, creates a situation where many for a World Fantasy Award. n y The Othering of Women in Gaming In the beginning, Sarkeesian’s Kick- by L. Wagner starter project attracted a notable degree of negative attention and threats that went beyond the usual Internet trolling. A New Thus humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but Statesman article about the Kickstarter as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being. launch refers to the resulting threats and [...] She is defined and differentiated with reference to man and not he with reference to her; she is the incidental, the inessential abuse as “a maelstrom of hate” and “con- as opposed to the essential. He is the Subject, he is the Abso- certed attempts to wreck her online pres- lute — she is the Other. ence” (Lewis, June 12, 2012). The Globe — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex and Mail published an online article about a particular instance of online abuse, the In Western society, men are considered creation of a game that allowed players to to be the standard. Therefore, women are virtually punch a picture of Anita Sarkees- … whenever a woman predetermined to be deviations from the ian, applying bruises and other injuries to tries to make a name for standard. This informs general assump- her image. The article refers to the “extent herself in a given field or tions about culture and women’s place in it, of Internet viciousness” and the “campaign industry, she must prove such that whenever a woman tries to make of harassment” focused on Sarkeesian herself to be worthy of a name for herself in a given field or indus- (Moore, July 11, 2012). joining the men already try, she must prove herself to be worthy of Once Sarkeesian began actually produc- there. joining the men already there. ing videos, the harassment got worse, with Despite the existence of female game many online forums calling her a fraud developers, programmers, writers, and en- and a cheat. The attacks on her profession- thusiasts — women’s involvement on every alism are frequently accompanied by more The initial notoriety of level of video games — they face a signifi- direct insults to her, her appearance, and the Kickstarter campaign cant struggle for recognition and equality her motivations. A more recent article in started a wave of abuse in the gaming industry. And as this strug- the New Statesman covers the increased that grew as word about gle progresses, the establishment backlash intensity of the online abuse Sarkeesian H the campaign spread. intensifies, trying to drive the women in has received as she has gained popularity … A New Statesman the industry out of the limelight and back and credibility in the world of gaming and 10 article about the Kickstarter to the sidelines. Two recent controversies pop culture criticism. “Sarkeesian became launch refers to the have arisen around the presence of spe- a lightning rod for attacks from anyone resulting threats and cific women in the field of gaming: Anita pissed off at the concept of serious liter- abuse as “a maelstrom of ary criticism of gaming, especially from a hate…” Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn. Though each woman faces a different situation, the feminist perspective” (Steadman, August 27, 2014). The harassment culminated re- overall community reaction to these wom- cently in a Twitter account posting graphic en exemplifies the general resistance to the threats to Sarkeesian and her family, in- overt presence of women in gaming and cluding personal information such as her the forms that resistance takes. home address and the names of her fam- First, there is Anita Sarkeesian, blogger ily members. This caused her to leave that and media critic. She is the creator of the address to protect her safety: “A few days Tumblr and video blog Feminist Frequency. ago, Sarkeesian tweeted that she had left “In 2012, Sarkeesian was targeted by an her home to stay with friends because she online harassment campaign following The harassment of Anita had received specific threats — ones so seri- her launch of a Kickstarter project to fund Sarkeesian is clearly ous that she had reported them to police” gendered, making the Tropes vs. Women in Video Games se- (Steadman). reference to her with ries. At the same time, supporters donated The harassment of Anita Sarkeesian is gendered slurs and over $150,000 to the project, far beyond clearly gendered, making reference to her threatening her with rape. the $6,000 she had sought. The situation with gendered slurs and threatening her was covered extensively in the media, plac- with rape. Sites such as A Voice for Men ac- ing Sarkeesian at the center of discussions cuse her of “damseling for dollars” to bring about misogyny in video game culture and in “gash-cash” from playing up the threats online harassment” (Wikipedia). The ini- against her (Elam, August 28, 2014). Oth- tial notoriety of the Kickstarter campaign er sites and blogs keep track of the online

started a wave of abuse that grew as word conversations about Sarkeesian and other

about the campaign spread. women who are harassed for trying to n make space for themselves in areas that game journalists,’ which influenced cover- some consider to be set aside for men. A age of her game. There is no evidence to blog post on We Hunted the Mammoth re- support this assertion, and the only fact fers to “the top post on the Men’s Rights that it’s based on — that Quinn began a subreddit, in which a fellow calling him- relationship with Grayson sometime af- self mradiscus lamented what he called ter he quoted her in an article and never “a pattern of female feminists migrating published anything about her again — dis- The community is the to formerly male spaces, demanding to proves it. The other two people named in video gaming community, be accommodated and eventually caus- the post are a sound designer and Quinn’s and all gamers should ing conflict” (Futrelle, August 26, 2014). boss, who do not work in gaming journal- be welcome. However, This delineates the space of video gaming ism” (Johnston, August 29, 2014). the dichotomy is not set as male, with no room for women. In the An editor of Kotaku made a post about between male gamers minds of some, women’s demands cause these accusations, declaring them to be and female gamers, but the conflict. unfounded with respect to the journal- between gamers and Women’s attempts to fully participate in ist involved. “The allegations have been women. …women are not spaces such as video gaming are seen as en- extreme. Nathan has been accused of in considered gamers. They croachment, and the men who claim these some way trading positive coverage of a are interlopers, outsiders spaces as their own fight back against the developer for the opportunity to sleep who are trying to force perceived invasion. The community is the with her, of failing to disclose that he was their way into a space not video gaming community, and all gam- in a romantic relationship with a developer meant for them. ers should be welcome. However, the di- he had written about, and that he’d given chotomy is not set between male gamers said developer’s game a favorable review. and female gamers, but between gamers All of those are troubling claims that we and women. Framing the conflict this way take seriously. All would be violations of marks out separate groups, making clear the standards we maintain. Having spoken through language that women are not to Nathan several times, having looked considered gamers. They are interlopers, closely at the numerous messages sent outsiders who are trying to force their way our way by concerned readers and, having i into a space not meant for them. compared published timelines, our leader- It is true that Anita Sarkeesian, as a pop ship team finds no compelling evidence 11 culture critic and blogger on feminist is- that any of that is true” (Totilo, August 20, sues, might not be a full insider in the vid- 2014). Despite this clear evidence, Internet eo game world. The other woman who has gaming communities and message boards recently drawn the wrath of the Internet continued to call Quinn a liar and a fraud. video gaming community, however, is an Although based on personal revelations independent game developer. An Ars Tech- made by someone else, these accusations A woman working in the nica article summarizes Zoe Quinn’s situ- are similar to those leveled at Sarkeesian. video gaming industry ation: “The tide of abuse first surged over A woman working in the video gaming must be a fraud, less Zoe Quinn, creator of the game Depres- industry must be a fraud, less worthy of worthy of consideration sion Quest, who got a deluge of negative consideration than the many anonymous than the many anonymous attention, abuse, threats, and harassment posters who only consume games rather posters who only consume over a blog post written about her by an than creating them. Her qualifications do games rather than creating ex-boyfriend that was published Au- not matter, as they can be dismissed as them. Her qualifications gust 16” (Orland, August 21, 2014). The false by attributing them to her gender in- do not matter, as they blog post “exposed many personal details stead of her experience. can be dismissed as false about Quinn irrelevant to her profession Because of the personal information in by attributing them to or professional conduct” (Orland) and her ex-boyfriend’s online post, Quinn has her gender instead of her led to a widespread discussion of Quinn’s received more overtly sexualized abuse experience. supposed professional and personal fail- than Sarkeesian has. However, both wom- ings. “Details from the post were quickly en have received rape and death threats spun into a conspiracy. Based on the lone that make explicit reference to their anato- fact of Quinn’s relationship with one Ko- mies and perceived sexualities. Both have taku writer, Nathan Grayson, who quoted been called frauds, accused of cheating, her once in an article and never covered and derided as not real gamers. The harass- or reviewed her game, rumors circulated ment aimed at Quinn and Sarkeesian is a that Quinn had ‘alleged affairs with video way of pushing them away, declaring them Cont. on p. 12 n The Othering of to be outside the space to which they are References staking their claims. Women in Gaming Casti, Taylor. 2014. “Women play video However, the framing of this as gam- (cont. from p. 11) games. Can we cut the sexist crap ers versus women overlooks, or perhaps now?” Huffington Post,April 24. http:// denies, the truth about the video gaming www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/ community. The Huffington Post describes female-gamers_n_5207137.html. the actual demographics on video gamers: “According to the Entertainment Soft- Elam, Paul. 2014. “Damseling for ware Association’s annual Essential Facts Dollars. Anita Sarkeesian Scores “…women enjoy gaming About the Computer and Video Game Indus- as much as men, with Again.” A Voice for Men, August 28. try report, women enjoy gaming as much 48 percent of gamers https://archive.today/ykg8w (saved identifying as female and as men, with 48 percent of gamers identi- from http://www.avoiceformen.com/ 52 percent identifying fying as female and 52 percent identifying feminism/damseling-for-dollars-anita- as male.” as male” (Casti, April 24, 2014). An earlier sarkeesian-scores-again/. article on CNN.com discusses a different report showing that nearly half of all Entertainment Software Association. gamers are women, but notes that many April 2014. “Essential Facts About the women are still mocked and harassed Computer and Video Game Industry”. when they play games. “Story after story http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ recounts female gamers who, once they ESA_EF_2014.pdf. ventured into gaming circles beyond fam- Frum, Larry. 2013. “Nearly half of ily and friends, faced mockery, dismissive all video-gamers are women.” CNN. attitudes and even abuse from their peers” (Frum, August 11, 2013). com, August 11. http://www.cnn. The discourse of gamers com/2013/08/08/tech/gaming-gadgets/ versus women needs to Women are not encroaching into a male female-gamers/. H change, to make it clear space when they play, critique, or produce that the issue at hand is video games. The space was already half Futrelle, David. 2014. “Men’s Rights women openly claiming theirs, logically and demographically. The Activists: Video gaming should be 12 their fair share of a space professional video gaming world has al- a ‘safe space’ for male nerds.” We that they have been ready begun to take notice of this. “In inhabiting all along. Hunted the Mammoth, August 26. 2014, Sarkeesian received the Ambassador http://wehuntedthemammoth. Award at the 14th Annual Game Devel- com/2014/08/26/mens-rights-activists- opers Choice Awards for her work on the video-gaming-should-be-a-safe-space- representation of women in video games, for-male-nerds/. becoming the first woman to receive the award” (Wikipedia). The wider world of Johnston, Casey. 2014. “The death of fans and consumers also needs to recog- the ‘gamers’ and the women who ‘killed’ nize the truth. The discourse of gamers them” Ars Technica, August 28. http:// versus women needs to change, to make arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/08/the- it clear that the issue at hand is women death-of-the-gamers-and-the-women- openly claiming their fair share of a space who-killed-them/. that they have been inhabiting all along. Women are not The Other; they are half Lewis, Helen. 2012. “Dear Internet: of the world’s population and half of the This Is Why You Can’t Have Anything category labeled gamers. Nice.” New Statesman, June 12. http:// www.newstatesman.com/blogs/ internet/2012/06/dear-internet-why- you-cant-have-anything-nice.

L. Wagner has a BA in English literature, a job in information technology, and

a 25-year history of playing

video games. n Moore, Oliver. 2012. “Woman’s call to end video game misogyny sparks vicious online attacks.” Globe and Mail, July 11. http://www.theglobeandmail. com/news/world/womans-call-to-end- video-game-misogyny-sparks-vicious- online-attacks/article4405585/. Orland, Kyle. August 21, 2014 “What Depression Quest taught me about dealing with mental illness.” Ars Technica. http://arstechnica.com/ gaming/2014/08/what-depressionquest-taught-me-about-dealing-with- mental-illness/. Quinn, Zoe. Depression Quest. http:// www.depressionquest.com/. Sarkeesian, Anita. Feminist Frequency. http://femfreq.tumblr.com/; http:// www.feministfrequency.com/. Steadman, Ian. 2014. “Tropes vs Anita Sarkeesian: On passing off anti-feminist nonsense as critique.” New Statesman, August 27. http://www.newstatesman. com/future-proof/2014/08/tropes-vs- anita-sarkeesian-passing-anti-feminist- i nonsense-critique. 13 Totilo, Stephen. 2014. Kotaku, August 20. http://kotaku.com/in-recent-days- ive-been-asked-several-times-about-a- pos-1624707346/all. Wikipedia. “Anita Sarkeesian.” http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_ Sarkeesian.

Twain, the protagonist of Clan, meets eyes with Chad, his bully, from across the courtyard. For the

first time, Chad senses a deeper connection beyond

their victim-tyrant relationship (Lovejoy). n y The Legend of Kit Reed The Story Until Now: A Great Big Book of Stories by Kit Reed, Wesleyan University Press, March 2013, 468 pp., $35, Ebook, $27.99. by Marc Laidlaw Kit Reed’s The Story Until Now is a A writer like Reed wastes little time landmark collection spanning fifty-five skewering trivia, unless trivia itself is key years of tales from a career that contin- to the full picture. So in a satire like “Fam- Kit Reed has been so ues to surprise and entertain, as well as ily Bed,” while centering the story on an continually productive, intimidate. The earliest story has a publi- exaggerated example of a modern social and so consistently cation date of 1958; the latest, 2013. For trend, and filling it with recognizable con- brilliant, that readers, maximum impact, at the end of the vol- temporary details such as iPods and Game editors, and other writers ume Reed has put her latest story directly Boys, she crafts a modern yet classically might just possibly be proportioned revenge drama involving hu- guilty of taking her before her first, so that from the last word manity’s oldest dramatic unit: The Family. for granted. of “The Legend of Troop 13” to the first word of “The Wait,” the reader steps across From the smothered child to the evening’s a half-century-wide gap without missing a entertainment news, she deftly shifts scale step, gaining a glimpse of her entire career from the individual to the societal, so that in one instant. If you have been reading the experience of reading many of these Reed all your life, one story at a time, this stories is akin to that of watching an artful sudden vista is vertiginous. It comes with cinematographer’s dolly zoom: pushing in the realization that Kit Reed has been so on a single character while simultaneously continually productive, and so consistently pulling back the frame to throw them into brilliant, that readers, editors, and other greater relief against their background. writers might just possibly be guilty of One thing that has always been clear, even to the occasional reader, is how con- taking her for granted. sistently strong Reed’s sense of voice is. In H I first encountered Reed’s work in 1972, such stories as “On Behalf of the Product” when her grim 1969 story “Winter” ap- (1973), one often catches a paradoxical, an- 14 peared in a collection of the best recent ticipatory echo of George Saunders. There horror. It tells what happens to two elderly are early tales set in the South, inflected sisters living in privation in a harsh wilder- with the inescapable drawl of Flannery ness when a lost man arrives in their midst, O’Connor or Eudora Welty (“Piggy”), starved and conniving. From that story containing macabre twists that suggest an forward, the name “Kit Reed” has always affinity with Shirley Jackson (“The Wait”). promised black comedy and artistic in- But what she really shares with these other tegrity. She has been a model of concision stylists is not their voices, but simply an and focused effect — a writer to emulate, understanding that in fiction, voice is ev- in some ways more accessible to me than erything, and each story, to succeed, must my other feminist heroes, James Tiptree find its own. The fact that in all of these Jr. and Joanna Russ, because she grounded varied performances we can clearly hear her work in the present and near future, the singular voice of Kit Reed is more evi- never (in this collection anyway) straying dence of her achievement: all the voices of to distant planets or alien viewpoints. Kit Reed heard, strikingly, as one. The collection culminates in the pairing Another thing this omnibus grants us is of her last and first stories, and it proceeds the chance to watch her develop, moving there in a similar whiplash manner. Reed from strength to strength. The first stories arranges the stories by following common are already strong. They tend to be slick, threads that tie them together across the fantastic parables, often written from a course of her career. The themes seem ob- male point of view, with traces of such vious once you notice them: war, women, literary models as Vonnegut and Cheever. men, parents, children, siblings; family as In “The Automatic Tiger,” a business-

Grandmother Magma the underlying template for society; soci- man discovers his inner power only after

ety itself. One thinks, “Of course these are purchasing an electric simulacrum of a

her subjects!” They’re appropriately huge. tiger…a polished story, cleanly construct- n ed but impersonal, betraying little of the that appeared individually in earlier sto- writer herself. ries, so that in “The Legend of Troop 13” Thrillingly, we see Reed hitting her we get a suspenseful adventure, multiple stride just as science fiction moves into viewpoints, a marriage in freefall, lost chil- the New Wave of the 1960s and early ’70s. dren, comedy, and, ultimately, horror. One thing that has always Her stories grow more personal, her voice Reed’s aptitude for horror, never far re- been clear, even to the more consistently the one we recognize moved from the humor in her work, is still occasional reader, is how now as Reed’s: sharper, starker, simultane- a large part of its appeal; it keeps her work consistently strong Reed’s ously overarching and introspective. Reed, feeling relevant and real. For while there sense of voice is. ever more in control of her material, begins is hope in some of her work, there is an- to combine multiple viewpoints, crosscut- ger in almost all of it; and where a happy ting scenes and fragments of disembodied ending would feel forced, the structure of voices and multiple characters. It is not horror comes naturally to these stories. So hard to see these stories as engaged in dia- I return at last to “Winter.” I was twelve log, deliberately or otherwise — for there when I first read it, and I have thought may be many conversations going on in of it frequently since as a perfect example the same rooms--with the work of Russ, of the short form. It has shaped my own Tiptree, and Kate Wilhelm. The editors of ambitions as a writer, and thus my career. the day prized and encouraged confronta- Specifically, it has a last line I have never tional stories such as “The Food Farm” and forgotten for a minute, even though for “Songs of War.” many years the tale was hard to find. In 1984, Reed penned one of her best- Well, it’s hard to find no longer. It’s sur- known stories, “The Bride of Bigfoot.” rounded by others just as good and even Much like her classic “Attack of the Giant better in The Story Until Now. And you Baby,” it begins as a comic conceit: a cli- should read it. chéd suburban housewife escapes domes- ticity to shack up with Bigfoot. But unlike …while there is hope in some of her work, there is that earlier piece about an uncontrol- i anger in almost all of it; lable infant and its humorously resigned and where a happy ending parents, this one allows a distinctly non 15 would feel forced, the -satirical possibility of change, with the structure of horror comes clichéd suburban husband himself giving naturally to these stories. voice to a transformative passage of real wildness and beauty. After this energetic era, the work becomes more confident, the black humor more sublimated. While still capable of switching into antic mode to detail the teenage anarchy of “High Rise High” (2005), her most interesting recent stories have become less easily framed by moral argument, more completely open to remaining ambiguous. “The Singing Marine,” a haunting retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Magic Tin- derbox,” steadfastly refuses to settle into a neat resolution, as a soldier seems to be marching in a dream of death from which there is neither waking nor rest. “The Marc Laidlaw is an Black Dog” takes off in a flight of typi- American writer of science cally Reedian satire — an hubristic scientist fiction and horror and also a computer game designer. thinks she has created a canine breed that He is perhaps most famous can identify the next person to die — and for writing Dad’s Nuke and turns into a curse for a man who capital- The 37th Mandala, and for izes on the program’s failure. And there is working on the popular also a defter combination of the elements Half-Life series. n y The Chicks Should Dig This Chicks Dig Gaming, edited by Jennifer Brozek, Robert Smith?, and Lars Pearson, Mad Norwegian Press, November 2014, 224 pp., $14.95. reviewed by Victoria Elisabeth Garcia

Billed as “A celebration of gaming by in space, players routinely engage in real- women who love it,” Chicks Dig Gaming world deception to further their in-game is a collection of writings by journalists, interests and to sabotage those of others. Though all of the entries SF authors, fan fictioneers, game design- Dixon unflinchingly describes her transi- are by women, and all ers, academics, and others. Though all of tion from benign newbie to sophisticated concern games, the pieces the entries are by women, and all concern predator. Through her eyes, we experience vary wildly in terms of games, the pieces vary wildly in terms of both the thrill of hoisting online misogy- topic, tone, and approach. topic, tone, and approach. They also vary nists by their own patronizing petards and in quality. But though the book contains the shame of collaborating with bullies definite low points, its highs provide more to betray innocent trust. Other excellent than enough loft to compensate. entries include Amy Hanson’s wise and A substantial portion of Chicks Dig funny article about playing Second Life and Gaming consists of autobiographical piec- “We Play to Lose,” Emily Care Boss’s in- es about coming to understand life and sightful post-play report on an emotion- self through gameplay. Some of these are ally demanding live-action roleplaying rather unremarkable, but most are inter- game. E. Lily Yu’s crisply evocative “Black esting, and a few are truly excellent. Mary Windows,” about playing the text-based Anne Mohanraj’s “Refuge” is a lumi- precursors of today’s MMPORGs, is an- nous chain of vignettes about the power other highlight. Alas, not all essays of this of games to foster human warmth. Here, type are similarly strong: this cluster also aunts and uncles laugh and curse their includes much of the most frustrating H way through hands of bridge; a Dungeons writing in the book. Some of the prob- & Dragons session leads to a first kiss, and lematic pieces fail to deliver much beyond 16 SimCity, played while a new baby sleeps in simple description; others confine them- a shoulder sling, helps balm the exhaus- selves to extremely well-worn intellectual tion of first-time parenting. G. Willow paths; while still others sacrifice clarity for Wilson’s “Looking for Group” also stands cleverness, with unpalatable results. out. While most authors in the collec- The pieces that focus on children and tion tend to treat gaming as a means to youth, on the other hand, are consistent- self-actualization and mastery, Wilson ly solid. In “Raising Gamers” we follow boldly explores what it means to suck at Filamena Young as she designs a custom World of Warcraft. Witty and revealing, the game for her daughters, aged six and three. piece shows us the unexpected blessings Young’s creative process is fascinating, and that can flow from being the weakest link. the degree of respect she shows for her Racheline Maltese’s “Castling,” an elegant children as independent storytellers is in- reminiscence about chess and childhood, spiring. In addition to Young’s piece, there is also superb. are several testimonials about specific ben- Other articles spotlight specific games, efits of gameplay for young people, show- genres, and subcultures. Rosemary Jones ing how games help with critical thinking, writes of a turn-of-the-century board mathematical competence, and under- game that let children play out journal- standing gender identity. Persuasive and ist Nellie Bly’s record-breaking 1888 trip well-illustrated with examples from the around the world. Interleaving musings authors’ own lives, these articles will be par- about Bly’s life, the game’s evolution, ticularly valuable to parents and educ ators. and the author’s own youth, the piece is The book’s more scholarly entries are a delight. Also exceptional is Jen Dixon’s also consistently wonderful. Cathrynne “Blood on the Hull: Gender, Dominion, M. Valente’s charming and vividly over- Reviews and the Business of Betrayal in Eve.” In thought contribution draws not-uncon-

Eve Online, a massively multiplayer on- vincing parallels between the repeated

line roleplaying game (MMPORG) set respawnings of Nintendo’s Mario and the n Buddha’s journey through Samsara, the be read, quoted, and forwarded for years cycle of death and rebirth. In “Leopards at to come. the WeddingL Finding Love in a Glitchy Chicks Dig Gaming, in sum, is a book Readers who can tolerate Landscape,” Miriam Oudin discovers joy with much to offer. Readers who can tol- a bit of chaff will find a and promise in software bugs and render- erate a bit of chaff will find a great deal of great deal of nourishing, ing errors. Opening an interesting inquiry nourishing, golden wheat. golden wheat. into issues of chance, player agency, and artistic intent, the piece is one of most intellectually stimulating in the book. The set of essays addressed primarily to issues of gender and feminism is surpris- ingly small, but it does include one of the book’s very best pieces. Lynnea Glasser’s “How to Design Games for Boys” is a Victoria Garcia lives in knife-sharp satire of the sexist and falla- Seattle with her husband, cious assertions that are often made about comics creator John Aegard, why girls aren’t interested in games. Glass- and a chunky but agile little dog. Her fiction has been er delivers her first coup de grâce before published in Polyphony, the end of the first paragraph. Later lines the Indiana Review, and about “trashy boys’ romance” and tribble- elsewhere. petting will likely make many CSZ readers laugh out loud. This piece has the makings of an instant classic and seems destined to y Mass Effect: Choice and Limitation in Storytelling Mass Effect Trilogy, by BioWare, 2007-2012, $40 (Collected Edition). i reviewed by Rachel Blackman 17 The combined Mass Effect series com- But the reason Mass Effect stands out …the reason Mass Effect prises arguably one of the most memorable in so many players’ minds is that they have stands out in so many and beloved computer RPGs (Role-Play- the feeling the story is theirs in a way most players’ minds is that they ing Games) of recent years. Why is that? games are not. Play a story-driven game have the feeling the story The storyline is full of elements we’ve like Tomb Raider or Uncharted, and then go is theirs in a way most seen hundreds of times before: human- talk to a friend who has also played it; the games are not. ity, having discovered alien ruins, finds stories you two experienced will be much an interstellar travel system right in our the same. But players discussing what own backyard and blunders out into the they’ve experienced across the three Mass greater galaxy, where we promptly embroil Effect games will often have very different ourselves in a war and get a reputation as tales to tell. the hot-tempered new kid. Decades later, The series has been a topic of discussion a human military officer, Commander in the gaming press for years, so the idea of Shepard, stumbles across an ancient threat an RPG driven by choice and consequence to the entire galaxy. Of course, no one be- is a familiar concept to most gamers, and lieves the Commander at first. many other companies have tried to fol- Fear of synthetic life and artificial in- low the Mass Effect formula (with vary- telligences, the consequences of playing ing degrees of success). When it was first God, rivals and enemies pulling together announced, though, the idea of a game in the face of a shared conflict…all are fa- trilogy where seemingly inconsequential miliar elements. They’re handled well, and choices made in the first game would have an excellent voice-acting cast gives life to an impact years later in the third game a diverse cast of characters — human and seemed a huge undertaking, not only from alien — that many have come to care deep- the technical standpoint, but from the ly about. storytelling one. Cont. on p. 18 n Mass Effect Shepard, a colony kid whose early military (cont. from p. 17) career gives him a reputation for ruthless- ness. The background can influence bits of dialogue throughout the game, but your Shepard’s sex only really determines who might be interested in Shepard romanti- The player has a feeling cally; some characters are straight, some of choice that is absent in are gay, some are bi. many other story-driven This differs from a lot of science fiction, games. where a well-known female military of- If you look behind the After all, how could a writer possibly ficer might be given a nickname like “the scenes, though, the choice script the third installment of a trilogy if Ice Queen” or “the Iron Bitch.” In Mass the players perceive is the ending of the previous game wasn’t cer- Effect — likely in part to avoid too much largely an illusion. tain? Yet the Mass Effect series seemed, in duplicate dialogue — Commander Shepard many ways, to achieve this impossible feat. is simply always called “Commander,” Choosing to resolve a situation through “Shepard,” or “sir,” regardless of sex. And — diplomacy in the first game may lead to again, almost certainly to avoid duplicating an unsatisfactory resolution but also give content — the way Shepard’s actions play you a new ally who could assist with some- out tend to be first and foremost military thing in the third game, while resolving rather than gendered in any sense. the situation through force may make for a In short, Shepard is written much like positive outcome to that particular conflict Ellen Ripley was in the original Alien: a but start a grudge that could come back to role that could be played by either a man haunt you in the third game. Characters or a woman. And like Ripley, the end result can die; political leaders can change, alli- is compelling. You have a world where a The main character of ances can form or fall, all based on your woman can be a prominent military officer, the series is largely a actions. And along the way, you can make and her sex is treated as if it were not even H blank slate: you can friends, even start a romance with one of worth mentioning. Shepard is a woman? choose a sex, origin, and your allies, friends, or crew. The player has So what; the bigger question is whether 18 background, as well as a feeling of choice that is absent in many she can keep the galaxy from burning Shepard’s appearance and other story-driven games. down. first name. If you look behind the scenes, though, Though it may have been driven in part the choice the players perceive is largely by the technical limitations inherent in an illusion. A character may die, but if the trying to fit in as many illusory choices as action that character would have taken is possible, the end result has been a revela- crucial, another character will be there to tion to many gamers. And so Mass Effect carry out an equivalent action. The sto- remains, even two years after the release rylines reuse as much content between of the final installment of Shepard’s story, different branches as possible, to keep near and dear to the hearts of many gam- the game from becoming unmanageably ers, and one of the most oft-replayed com- large, while trying — successfully, for many puter RPGs out there. players — to preserve the feeling that your Now, excuse me; I have another new particular playthrough, your Shepard, is Shepard calling my name. uniquely “yours” in some way. Mass Effect remains, even It’s a trick that ends up leading in part two years after the release to one of the elements of Mass Effect that of the final installment is most lauded: the portrayal of the female of Shepard’s story, near version of Commander Shepard. and dear to the hearts of The main character of the series is many gamers, and one largely a blank slate: you can choose a sex, of the most oft-replayed computer RPGs out there. origin, and background, as well as Shepa- rd’s appearance and first name. So you can Rachel Blackman, an engineer at have Commander Danielle Shepard, the a technology development firm in child of another military officer who is Seattle, has been gaming in one form

the sole survivor of an early military mis- or another fairly nearly since she

sion. Or you can have Commander Mark could roll dice or hold a controller. n y Forty-two Skills to Power Long Live the Queen, by Hanako Games, 2012, http://www.hanakogames.com/llq.shtml. $9.95. reviewed by Linsey Duncan

Long Live the Queen is a visual novel/life short enough that replaying the game af- simulation hybrid about a nice fourteen- ter a death is easy. But I do consider the year-old princess who will be crowned game’s somewhat rigid win states to be queen on her fifteenth birthday. If she can a flaw. Although most of the forty-two survive that long. skills will be checked at some point, many The gameplay is simple enough. Our of them only offer background informa- Story events also provide heroine, Elodie, has forty weeks until the tion or allow you to avoid minor mistakes. Long Live the Queen with coronation. Elodie can choose two classes And many lesser skills require a significant its primary draw: risk. to take each week. Classes raise skills (of point investment to be even that useful. Most involve skill checks; which there are forty-two, no joke) and I would, however, also argue that the many of them also involve are dependent on her mood for impact: a frustration of being unable to play exact- choices. depressed Elodie learns how to sing bet- ly how you want to play is an interesting ter than an angry Elodie does, while an comment on the story in itself. angry Elodie can practice her swordplay Elodie is a young woman born to power, with greater fervor. Weekends and story but actually acquiring that power requires events give Elodie the chance to tweak her her to either conform to strict social ex- mood. Feeling too angry and need to settle pectations — some of which she can’t be This is not a game that down? Head to the church. expected to know ahead of time — or to encourages you to “be Story events also provide Long Live the be dangerously formidable in exactly the yourself.” This is not a Queen with its primary draw: risk. Most right ways. This is not a game that encour- game that encourages the involve skill checks; many of them also in- ages you to “be yourself.” This is not a game pursuit of anything but volve choices. Any player will fail at least that encourages the pursuit of anything but strength. i some skill checks, and that’s all right. You’re strength. For example, Elodie has a list of raising a queen, not a goddess. But you potential mates to choose from, and while 19 can’t fail everything. For example, being some can be love matches, more often terrible at “presence” (whether you project, they’re just another set of data points to say, queenliness) and manners can make raise this or that portion of Elodie’s social you a lot of enemies. If you don’t look like a standing. Long Live the Queen’s queen or act like a queen, you run the risk I don’t mean to disparage the writing, very trial-and-error of looking weak or clueless or capriciously which is terse but atmospheric, or the difficulty makes it a violent. And you’re not the only person in characters, which are quickly sketched unique take on the line for this throne. but detailed enough to be distinct. It’s just maneuvers of female This isn’t to say that an Elodie who kills that the world of Long Live the Queen is a ambition. It’s also a people right and left and focuses on ag- harsh one, and Elodie has no clear allies. charmingly designed gressive magic and archery is doomed, or You must make your decisions without the and wickedly brutal life that Elodie needs to be a social genius. She hope that anyone will back you up. Elodie’s simulation. will have a harder road with fewer friends task, ascension to the throne, is nearly im- and more assassination attempts. In theo- possible on a first playthrough, and I be- ry, the road to alternate methods of seizing lieve this is intentional. It’s never enough power in Long Live the Queen is simple: if to be skilled when the path to success is you want to be the kind of queen no one obscured or arbitrary. expects, you’d better have excellent smarts Long Live the Queen’s very trial-and- Linsey Duncan is an oft- or raw Murdertown skills. error difficulty makes it a unique take on times knowledge manager In practice, Long Live the Queen relies the maneuvers of female ambition. It’s also and a sometimes freelance on trial-and-error, and most players will a charmingly designed and wickedly brutal writer. Her work has appeared in Kill Screen die multiple times before finding a work- life simulation, where death comes cheap. Definitely recommended. Daily, Everyday Poets, and able route through the game’s perils. It’s in the upcoming Torn Pages far from the only game with a handful of anthology. She blogs at optimal builds and a bunch of alternate http://www.linseyduncan. builds that will get you killed, and it is com. n y The High Price of Feminism in Video Games Tropes Vs. Women in Video Games by Anita Sarkeesian, Feminist Frequency, http://www.feministfrequency.com, no charge. reviewed by Arinn Dembo As I sat down to write an article about by Bitch Magazine and tackled tropes like Anita Sarkeesian, the famous feminist pop “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” “Women The new generation of culture critic was fleeing her home. Her in Refrigerators,” “The Demon Seduc- active feminists is made up latest videoblog had triggered a new flood tress,” and “The Mystical Pregnancy.” Al- of women now in their mid- of harassment, including some threats on though the viewer might not always agree twenties and early thirties, Twitter that were starkly terrifying — not with her, the blogs are thoughtful and and they insist on being because they were abnormal in the level of well-reasoned and usually represent signif- both seen and heard. The rage and violence expressed, but because icant skill in the medium. The arguments price for being seen and they included the street addresses of the are impressive, largely because the illus- heard as a woman in the blogger and her loved ones. trative examples and clips are extremely modern world is sometimes “I’m going to your apartment at [real well-chosen, and the scripting and edit- very high. street address] and rape you to death,” one ing are excellent. The Tropes series updates of her stalkers said. “After I’m done, I’ll and carries forward the old points about ram a tire iron up your cunt…. I’m going representation into new media, and makes to kill your parents too. [He gives their full feminist critique more relatable to modern address.] I’ve seen their house.” audiences by using examples from modern Sarkeesian screen-captured and re- media: the TV shows, comics, and movies …the blogs are thoughtful posted the threats with her personal infor- that we consume in the present. and well-reasoned mation and that of her parents removed. Sarkeesian was already meeting with and usually represent She was already in motion herself; she had hostility and harassment for her work significant skill in the abandoned her apartment to spend the in other pop culture media, but the heat medium. The arguments H are impressive, largely night with friends. Police were taking steps turned up by an order of magnitude when because the illustrative to assure her safety and that of her family. she turned her attention to the study of 20 examples and clips are If this seems a pretty high price to pay video games. In May 2012 she launched extremely well-chosen, and for the crime of posting a mere videoblog a small Kickstarter project for a new vid- the scripting and editing on YouTube, it is…and it isn’t. In many eoblog series, Tropes Vs. Women in Video are excellent. respects, what Sarkeesian suffers for en- Games. A savage backlash of misogynis- gaging with videogames as a medium is tic abuse and resistance followed, coming simply par for the course. The new gen- from a largely male self-designated “gamer eration of active feminists is made up of community,” only to be swamped by a women now in their mid-twenties and more overwhelming tidal wave of support early thirties, and they insist on being from both men and women. The original both seen and heard. The price for being funding goal of the project was a mod- seen and heard as a woman in the modern est $6000; in the end Tropes Vs. Women in world is sometimes very high. Video Games raised over $150,000, which For old school academic feminists, a allowed Sarkeesian and her producer, Jon- review of Sarkeesian’s work in general re- athan McIntosh, to make the production veals it to be intellectually innocuous. Her of the series a fulltime job and hire other videoblogs are simple, articulate, and well- team members to assist in production. What is noteworthy and illustrated attempts to educate the public Since May 2012, the team at Feminist truly laudable about about the unexamined misogyny of pop Frequency has released six videos in this Sarkeesian’s analysis of culture media. She began her series of series, though they cover only a few top- these tropes in video videoblogs in 2011, with lucid reviews of ics. The first three videos are a three-part games is the depth and a few misogynistic tropes common in cur- study of the “Damsel in Distress” iconog- breadth of the research. rent film and television. raphy and plot devices in video games, Her work is mainly notable for tack- starting from the Donkey Kong era in the ling pop media through the lens of “Geek early 1980s and continuing to the pres- Culture,” which has been a sheltered cove ent day. A fourth video covers the concept

of unexamined misogyny for decades. of “Ms. Male Character” (i.e., “Ms. Pac

Her first few videoblogs were sponsored Man”), a common trope in comics and n animation that has carried over to video into each twenty-minute segment. The games. The most recent two videos are the violence and dehumanization of women first two parts of an in-depth examination you have to witness in some episodes can of “Women as Background Decoration” in get a little overwhelming. But these slaps video games — a deeply disturbing exami- in the face are no reason to avoid the series. nation of the use of female NPCs (“Non- A great many modern feminists have Ultimately, my review of Player Characters”) in modern AAA titles failed to engage with the new medium of the Tropes Vs. Women in (the open-world action/adventure and ro- games in the last thirty years. We do not Videogames series comes down to two words: leplaying games). all play the immensely popular games that Watch it. What is noteworthy and truly laudable are made for PC and console gaming plat- about Sarkeesian’s analysis of these tropes forms, even though they’re shaping our in video games is the depth and breadth culture on a daily basis. of the research. Her Damsel in Distress The gut-wrenching montage of disre- miniseries begins with the origins of the spect, degradation, and violence that Sar- art form in games like Donkey Kong, Ma- keesian has pasted into her scrapbook is rio, and Zelda. Her examination of the Ms. a sign of just how well the medium has Male Character begins with Ms. Pac Man gotten along without us. Watching these and goes all the way to “Fem-Shepard,” the videos is a wakeup call, and will help a lot female-playable variant of the male proof non-gamers understand what has been tagonist of BioWare’s Mass Effect series peddled to the younger generation while covered elsewhere in this issue of The CSZ. our backs were turned. If you ever won- Cogent commentary focuses useful dered why Little Billy seems so incredibly attention on how the sexist attitudes of defective in terms of empathy for women a single powerful designer can do a dis- and girls, these videos definitely provide A great many modern proportionate amount of harm. The story part of the answer. feminists have failed of how in 2002 Shigeru Miyamoto and References to engage with the new Nintendo coopted a game originally de- medium of games in the signed and written for a female character http://www.feministfrequency.com/. last thirty years. We do i with agency and power, and had it revised not all play the immensely https://www.youtube.com/user/ to serve as a vehicle for Miyamoto’s male popular games that are 21 feministfrequency. playable character in the Star Fox franchise made for PC and console is sobering, considering that this practice https://www.kickstarter.com/ gaming platforms, even has become standard. In 2007, the same projects/566429325/tropes-vs-women- though they’re shaping our culture on a daily basis. thing happened to a game called Black Lo- in-video-games. tus, which had been conceived as a Hong Kong action thriller about a deadly female http://www.gamasutra.com/view/ assassin. The game was coopted by the news/120558/InDepth_No_Female_ True Crime franchise and its protagonist Heroes_At_Activision.php. was Y-washed by high-ranking executives http://www.ibtimes.com/feminist- at Activision. Even when they dropped the gaming-critic-anita-sarkeesian-facing- True Crime franchise label and marketed the final game as Sleeping Dogs, the female death-threats-1672288. protagonist didn’t make a comeback. Ultimately, my review of the Tropes Vs. Watching these videos is a wakeup call, and will Women in Videogames series comes down to help a lot of non-gamers two words: Watch it. Sarkeesian and other understand what has been female game journalists, critics, and devel- peddled to the younger opers desperately need our support. I’ve Arinn Dembo is an American generation while our backs author currently living and been working as a game journalist and de- were turned. veloper for twenty years; I assure you that writing in Vancouver, British things are getting much worse, not better, Columbia. She is best known for her work with Vancouver-based as the industry becomes increasingly more Kerberos Productions, where she powerful and profitable. is lead writer and has worked on About half the episodes of this video the background fiction for the blog series come with trigger warnings for Sword of the Stars series and the level of disturbing content aggregated Fort Zombie. n y The Old Testacles “X!” by Anna Tambour “X!” Moses hastened to correct himself. “Now,” She said, “Tell us about these so-called Com- mandments. And don’t worry about Him.” “Ahem,” said Moses. “Well,” said Moses, and suddenly all that learning he “Do I need to repeat myself?” had received at the Pharaoh’s court made his eyes shine Moses trembled. “Do you need to repeat yourself?” with pedantry. “The first one isn’t a Commandment.” “DO I?” She smiled. God’s face was full of wrath. He was furi- “Do… No, 0 Lord my G-d.” ous but powerless to change the fact that in She resides all “Then get —” Understanding. “Ahem,” said Moses, with an understandable 90 percent “Go on,” She said, like oil on bread. temerity but 10 percent chutzpah. Moses spoke at Her eyes, though it was hard not to get “WHAT?” distracted by the shape of Her breasts, and the attraction God’s voice loosened a boulder that nudged Moses’ of that slit of all slits, through which pours Creation. He shoulder. His grip on the tablets slipped. closed his eyes, the better to spurt out, “And the next three “Now look what you’ve done,” thundered God. “No, Commandments are tautologies.” don’t pick them up yet. Speak!” “WHAT?” “Well, G-d,” said Moses. “You know these Command- “They all say the same thing,” She said, explaining as ments?” patiently as any good teacher. “Why should I know them? I just gave them to you.” “Go on,” said X to Moses. Moses ignored the sticky shower that had just fallen “And those plagues.” on him. “WHAT ABOUT THEM?” “We both know, O Lord, Creator of Heaven and “Over these forty years, O Lord my G-d, King of the Earth,” he continued, “that the people are having the time Universe, I’ve wanted to ask you, more and more. Why did of their lives down there.” you kill all those innocents? All those beasts who served so “Why else did I call you here?” well. And the seed of the poor, who have no power. And “Why?” above all, all those first-born of the slave girls. And why do H “SPEAK ALREADY.” you think we’re so obsessed with gold and silver?” Moses rubbed one horny toe in the dirt. “So these God was mercifully quiet, encouraging Moses. 22 Commandments, to be effective, you want for them to be “And why,” said Moses, “did you have to make everyone the best that they can be?” you killed in the plagues suffer such horrible deaths? All “Why should I want that? I wouldn’t want that,” said that skin peeling. And what is this Commandment about God. He’d dropped His voice to almost silent, the calm not coveting the slave of my neighbor? What makes us before — ex-slaves different to any other slaves?” “No, G-d. Yes, you wouldn’t.” Moses tucked his neck “So you don’t want my liberation?” into his shoulders. “But?” “G-d forbid you should think that, Lord,” said Moses, “BUT?” tugging at his beard. “But —” “Oy, let the man talk.” God’s beard thrashed like a storm at sea, froth tossing A blinding light dropped between the old man whose everywhere. He might have poured forth Words, but they face was twisted with malice, and the merely wizened old were drowned by the sound of X’s laughter. codger, Moses. God’s hands clenched, He bared his great yellow teeth, The light transmogrified into — into… and…exploded, catching a nearby bush on fire. “And you,” She said, looking at the bulge that suddenly And suddenly, He was No More to Be Seen. appeared in Moses’ filthy robe. “You who have refused to “About time,” said X. lay with your wife because you think to lay with Me.” Moses took heart, looking to X with the eyes of an an- “Is this true?” asked God, flabbergasted. cient ram. Moses cocked his head and opened his hands toward “Don’t even think of it,” She said. “Now let’s get you God, “You’d grown tired of Her, no? And haven’t your down to the valley below. I’ll grant you a little lease on hu — uh, servants destroyed all mention of — uh, and for- younger life so you can entertain your wife again. And bidden us to —” now I can get back to work creating joy, and fruitfulness “TTHAT DOESN’T GIVE YOUU —” and understanding. The nce-marriedo couple looked at one another, and “It’s been too long,” said Moses, still hoping. the female laughed. “NOT SO FAST.” “I admit to having made bad choices in my time,” She Moses’ heart skipped a beat. That was the Voice of G-d,

said to Moses. “But I’m still not desperate.” and now that Moses couldn’t look Him in the eye, He was

“Please accept my apologies, wife of —” even more terrifying than before. n “YOU,” boomed He. “You were trouble from the be- voice laughed, telling him that he, Abraham, had passed ginning.” the first test of loyalty. There were more to come. All the “And you,” X shot back. “I picked you up from the gut- voice wanted was blind obedience or death, an order so ter. My curse is that I’ve got bad taste in consorts.” simple that even Abraham the schlemiel was able to carry She turned to Moses. “I picked him up on the rebound, it out. someone so opposite from my great love that I thought he “Remember,” the Voice boomed now, with the terrify- would make me forget, like dropping that tablet on your ing confidence that Abraham remembered all too well, foot made you forget what you were thinking of the mo- “how I told you that you could know certainly that your ment before you did it.” descendants would be strangers in a land that is not “Tell me more,” said God. theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them for X ignored the sneer in his voice. four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve “My great love — don’t get your hopes up, either of you. will I judge; and afterward they will come out with great He was another god. His favourite drink was the libation possessions?” that once a month I pour from between my legs. That’s “Yes, O Lord of the Universe who is the One and Only why my creation-works inside are a cup. And why all my G-d,” lied Abraham. Actually, the only thing he remem- daughters have them, too.” bered was that someone in some unimaginably far future Moses blinked. A cup inside? And that couldn’t be — would have possessions greater than he did. G-d hadn’t “Disgusting,” spat this god. Moses felt the spatter, and exactly showered him with wealth, an oversight that made it stunk. God had obviously never felt the need for per- Abraham’s conjugal relations rather fraught, since he sonal hygiene. mostly either sat around daydreaming, or wanted to lay X gazed at Moses, then at God (He couldn’t hide from with his wife who was too busy trying to make ends meet Her). “Good thing I changed men as I did,” She mused. to put up with his nonsense. Besides, he couldn’t count “What was that?” said God, who reddened with embar- to ten. rassment. He hadn’t a speck of curiosity in his making, but “That time has now come to pass, said the Lord. You was full of forgetfulness. will now take on the mantle that Moses shed.” “I let him help create you,” She said to Moses. “Men. “Who is —” But he wanted you to have forty balls.” “Thick as two mudbricks,” laughed X into God’s ear. “She reduced them to two,” said God. “It doesn’t matter,” he snapped. “From now on, you i “Only when I saw what you were planning.” shall be known as Moses. And don’t look at nothing like a “One to hold your seed,” She explained. “And one to sheep. I’ll tell you what to do.” 23 kick when necess —” And God, with one stroke, erased the witless coun- Moses looked in the direction of God’s Voice with sur- tenance of Abraham and replaced it with one infinitely prise and accusation. learned, pained, censorious, unquestionable, meshugganah “Enough already,” He said. “I’ve still got SOME power.” as God — making him the first riestP of the Hebrews. And with that, His hands must have risen, for whoosh. “Now pick up those tablets,” said God, “and only throw When the smoke cleared, another old man stood in Mo- them down when the people answer with the first question.” ses’ place. And Abraham who was raised from the dead to become “Abraham!” two voices rang out, not in harmony. “Moses” did as he was told. X left in a huff. As for his home life, X took care of that. “G-d?” said Abraham uncertainly. His eyes were crusty So he “lived” with Moses’ wife for an interminability as dried-up saltponds. His head shook like a rotten flower of years, till one sunset when he was finally released. And head in a breeze, and he smelt of moist death. she who possessed X’s Understanding lit a candle and ate “You remember that Covenant we discussed?” God said some fruit and honey, for she was also blessed with infinite to Abraham. Outlastability. Abraham tried to stand straighter. “How could I forget?” “You, too.” God sounded exasperated. “Why is this night different from all other nights, that everyone’s an- swering a question with a question?” Abraham prostrated himself. “Blessed be He who has delivered me here.” “Now we’re getting somewhere.” The Voice was con- Anna Tambour is an author of satire, fable, and other strange and tent. “Remember the Covenant?” hard-to-categorize fiction and Abraham shuddered. How could he forget? He woke poetry. Her novel Crandolin was up one night with a voice telling him to kill his son, or he’d shortlisted for the 2013 World be killed himself. Of course he was going to kill his son, Fantasy Award. She lives in the but then when he had the knife on the boy’s throat, the Australian bush. n Telling My Stories Realm Lovejoy I grew up in Nagano, Japan, and Wash- shock, we were all offered jobs at Valve ington State. My Japanese father and my with the purpose of creating a game fea- American mother separated when I was turing our portal technology. I was only five years old, so I spent a lot of time go- twenty years old at the time, and it was ing back and forth between two countries. quite exciting and overwhelming to see My mother was extremely impoverished, my dreams coming to fruition. I was hard so we lived in some difficult circumstances, at work creating the visual identity from such as a tent, homeless shelter, trailer, and the ground up with my team, involved in a a cabin with no water or electricity. For as variety of content creation: concepting, de- long as I can remember, I have been draw- signing, modeling, animating, and partici- ing and writing stories. It’s given me a way pating in every level of design session to to live in a better world and keep my big come up with new maps for the game. We dreams alive. created what is known today as Portal, and When I was twelve years old, things we certainly did not anticipate how big the were a bit better financially for my mother, game would become in the industry. though we were still very poor. We were I continued to work on games such as able to get an old computer, which was Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, and placed on top of an upside down cardboard Dota 2. After eight years at Valve, I tran- box, and a Super Nintendo. The first game sitioned to Microsoft 343i and am now working as an environment artist on Halo I ever played—Chrono Trigger—shocked 5. While continuing to work on games, I me because I could be in a different world also write and draw for myself. My debut and experience storytelling and gameplay novel, Clan, was published in 2013, and in a way that I didn’t know was possible. It my second book, Henge (Le Fay Series), was magic to me. I got hooked on games is coming out later this year. As I move H and dreamed of working in the videogame forward with my career, I’m excited to see industry. My dreams were all big: devel- what’s next. Above all else, I’ve learned oping a game, directing a film, creating 24 that no dream is too big. graphic novels, and writing novels… Basi- cally, I wanted to create worlds and tell a www.realmlovejoy.com story through my writing and art through various mediums. Going to college and getting away from my trailer life in the middle of no- where seemed like an impossible task, but through countless hours applying for scholarships, I was eventually able to pave my way into the DigiPen Institute of Tech- nology, a school specializing in videogame production. It was overwhelming to learn everything about 3D modeling and games within the accelerated two-year program, but I pulled through. For my senior project, I worked on a game called Narbacular Drop with my team. Little did I know that this game would be what launched my career in the video game industry. Prior to graduation, I began working as Front Cover Illustration: A promotional a paid intern at Nintendo Software Tech- image that Realm created for CLAN. This nology, which concentrated mostly on 3D is the Incubation Chamber, where Clans modeling and animation. Immediately are created. In Clan, everyone is the

Featured Artist same; they are cloned from one human after graduation, my team and I showed man. However, one is different: Twain,

Narbacular Drop to Valve Software to re-

the main character. ceive feedback from the Industry. To our n Bio-Regeneration Tank: An image of the main character, Twain, in Realm’s debut YA sci-fi novel CLAN. The fluid in the Bio-Regeneration Tank works like an x-ray so his bones are visible beneath the waterline.

Cover Art for HENGE (Le Fay Series): Artwork for the upcoming YA fantasy novel, HENGE, the first book in the Le Fay Series. The series features Morgan le Fay, who is a powerful and complicated female figure in the Arthurian legends.

Tintagel (HENGE, Le Fay Series): An illustration featuring Morgan’s hometown, Tintagel. Realm was able to travel to Tintagel and took note of the imagery to accurately portray her hometown. n Aperture’s Requiem (Portal 2): Created for a set of limited edition lithographs that were released through the Valve Store. In this image, GLaDOS and Chell face each other amidst the ruin of Aperture.

Syringe: Another illustration from CLAN. Many of the illustrations feature dark, iconic imagery similar to this one.

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