{"product_id":"monsters-aliens-and-holes-in-the-ground-isbn-9780262048224","title":"Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground","description":"\u003cb\u003eA richly illustrated, encyclopedic deep dive into the history of roleplaying games.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson released \u003ci\u003eDungeons \u0026amp; Dragons \u003c\/i\u003ein 1974, they created the first roleplaying game of all time. Little did they know that their humble box set of three small digest-sized booklets would spawn an entire industry practically overnight. In \u003ci\u003eMonsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground\u003c\/i\u003e, Stu Horvath\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eexplores how the hobby of roleplaying games, commonly known as RPGs, blossomed out of an unlikely pop culture phenomenon and became a dominant gaming form by the 2010s. Going far beyond \u003ci\u003eD\u0026amp;D\u003c\/i\u003e, this heavily illustrated tome covers more than three hundred different RPGs that have been published in the last five decades.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eMonsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground\u003c\/i\u003e features (among other things) bunnies, ghostbusters, soap operas, criminal bears, space monsters, political intrigue, vampires, romance, and, of course, some dungeons and dragons. In a decade-by-decade breakdown, Horvath chronicles how RPGs have evolved in the time between their inception and the present day, offering a deep and gratifying glimpse into a hobby that has changed the way we think about games and play.Introduction ix\u003cbr\u003eThe 1970s 1\u003cbr\u003eThe 1980s 65\u003cbr\u003eThe 1990s 203\u003cbr\u003eThe 2000s 269\u003cbr\u003eThe 2010s 307\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments 381\u003cbr\u003eGlossary 383\u003cbr\u003eAppendix A: The Games 387\u003cbr\u003eAppendix B: Stu's \"Appendix N\" 399\u003cbr\u003eAppendix C: Artists of Note 403\u003cbr\u003eAppendix D: Dungeons 409\u003cbr\u003eAppendix E: Thoughts on Collecting 415\u003cbr\u003eAppendix F: RPG Publishers 417\u003cbr\u003eContributors 419\u003cbr\u003eIndex 421“Horvath’s love for the genre shines through every entry in this immaculately researched tome. It’s exhaustive but not exhausting; you’ll keep reading for pleasure long after you’ve found the info you came for.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Steve Jackson, perpetrator of \u003ci\u003eMunchkin\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Stu Horvath has lovingly compiled this guide through tabletop RPG history with profound care, and I \u003ci\u003ecannot\u003c\/i\u003e wait to revisit this tome time and again!”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Skinner, psychedelic nightmare artist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This comprehensively researched, lovingly written book accurately reflects the world I saw around me: the hobby as I lived, worked, and participated in it for more than forty-five years.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Liz Danforth, artist, editor, game designer, and writer\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“More than just a guide, Stu Horvath’s compendium is a deep dungeon crawl and a personal journey through the history, evolution, and culture of tabletop RPGs. Absolutely wonderful, and an essential addition to any gaming library.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Evan Dorkin, writer and cartoonist, \u003ci\u003eMilk \u0026amp; Cheese\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eStu Horvath is a writer from New Jersey. He is the founder of \u003ci\u003eUnwinnable\u003c\/i\u003e, an outlet for independent cultural criticism. He also manages the VintageRPG account on Instagram and cohosts the \u003ci\u003eVintage RPG Podcast\u003c\/i\u003e.","brand":"The MIT Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302066540773,"sku":"NP9780262048224","price":49.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780262048224.jpg?v=1767732935","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/monsters-aliens-and-holes-in-the-ground-isbn-9780262048224","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}