Press Start to Play: Stories

An anthology of short fiction inspired by the virtual world, Press Start to Play presents a stellar lineup of stories from bestselling authors and industry stars that's sure to appeal to fans of all video games--no matter if they are retro, modern, handheld, console, indie, or (yes) Kardashian-related. A VINTAGE PAPERBACK ORIGINAL. IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE! TAKE THIS. You are standing in a room filled with books, faced with a difficult decision. Suddenly, one with a distinctivecover catches your eye. It is a groundbreaking anthology of short stories from award-winning writers and game-industry titans who have embarked on a quest to explore what happens when video games and science fiction collide. From text-based adventures to first-person shooters, dungeon crawlers to horror games, these twenty-six stories play with our notion of what video games can be-and what they can become-in smart and singular ways. With a foreword from Ernest Cline, bestselling author of Ready Player One, Press Start to Play includes work from- Daniel H. Wilson, Charles Yu, Hiroshi Sakurazaka, S.R. Mastrantone, Charlie Jane Anders, Holly Black, Seanan McGuire, Django Wexler, Nicole Feldringer, Chris Avellone, David Barr Kirtley,T.C. Boyle, Marc Laidlaw, Robin Wasserman, Micky Neilson, Cory Doctorow, Jessica Barber, Chris Kluwe, Marguerite K. Bennett, Rhianna Pratchett, Austin Grossman, Yoon Ha Lee, Ken Liu, Catherynne M. Valente, Andy Weir, and Hugh Howey. Your inventory includes keys, a cell phone, and a wallet. What would you like to do?

Table of Contents:
God Mode Daniel H. Wilson   NPC Charles Yu   Respawn Hiroshi Sakurazaka    Desert Walk S.R. Mastrantone   Rat Catcher’s Yellows Charlie Jane Anders   1UP Holly Black   Survival Horror Seanan McGuire   Real Django Wexler   Outliers Nicole Feldringer   < end game > Chris Avellone   Save Me Plz David Barr Kirtley   The Relive Box T.C. Boyle   Roguelike Marc Laidlaw   All of the People in Your Party Have Died Robin Wasserman   Recoil! Micky Neilson Anda’s Game Cory Doctorow   Coma Kings Jessica Barber   Stats Marguerite K. Bennett   Please Continue Chris Kluwe   Creation Screen Rhianna Pratchett   The Fresh Prince of Gamma World Austin Grossman   Gamer’s End Yoon Ha Lee   The Clockwork Soldier Ken Liu   Killswitch Catherynne M. Valente   Twarrior Andy Weir   Select Character Hugh Howey

About the Author :
Daniel H. Wilson Daniel H. Wilson is a New York Times bestselling author and coeditor of the Press Start to Play anthology. He earned a PhD in robotics from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he also received master's degrees in robotics and in machine learning. He has published more than a dozen scientific papers, holds four patents, and has written eight books. Wilson has written for Popular Science, Wired, and Discover, as well as online venues such as MSNBC.com, Gizmodo, Lightspeed, and Tor.com. In 2008, Wilson hosted The Works, a television series on the History Channel that uncovered the science behind everyday stuff. His books include How to Survive a Robot Uprising, A Boy and His Bot, Amped, and Robopocalypse (the film adaptation of which is slated to be directed by Steven Spielberg). He lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. Find him on Twitter @danielwilsonPDX. John Joseph Adams John Joseph Adams is the series editor of Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He is also the editor of many other bestselling anthologies, such as The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination, Armored, Brave New Worlds, Wastelands, and The Living Dead. Recent and forthcoming projects include- Loosed Upon the World, Robot Uprisings, Dead Man's Hand, Operation Arcana, Wastelands 2, and The Apocalypse Triptych, which consists of The End Is Nigh, The End Is Now, and The End Has Come. Called "the reigning king of the anthology world" by Barnes & Noble, Adams is a winner of the Hugo Award (for which he has been nominated eight times) and is a six-time World Fantasy Award finalist. Adams is also the editor and publisher of the digital magazines Lightspeed and Nightmare and is a producer for Wired.com's "The Geek's Guide to the Galaxy" podcast. Find him on Twitter @johnjosephadams.

Review :
“Fascinating. If you want some interesting, adult takes on aspects your favorite hobby, this is worth picking up.” –Felicia Day, author of You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) and creator of The Guild "Even those who doubt the editors' claim that "video games have come to play a vital role in modern human civilization" will be enthralled by these 26 stories (most of which are original to this volume). . . . Wilson and Adams have assembled a provocative assortment of thoughtful stories, making a valuable contribution to ongoing conversations about the future directions of video gaming." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Sci-fi fans will find [Press Start to Play] well worth their while” —Kirkus Reviews