Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms »

Ethan Gilsdorf is a journalist, poet, critic, editor, and teacher whose writings have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, USA Today, and National Geographic Traveler. He has been a guest on talk radio as a fantasy and escapism expert.

What could one man find if he embarked on a journey through fantasy world after fantasy world?

In an enthralling blend of travelogue, pop culture analysis, and memoir, forty-year-old former D&D addict Ethan Gilsdorf crisscrosses America, the world, and other worlds—from Boston to New Zealand, and Planet Earth to the realm of Aggramar.

Kirkus Reviews

Journalist and former Dungeons & Dragons obsessive Gilsdorf explores the imaginative alternate realities populated by fantasy gamers worldwide. The author offers readers a look into the genesis of his love of escapism by describing life at home in New Hampshire at age 12. He sorrowfully writes of his divorced, formerly "beautiful, vivacious, and fun" mother, who morphed into the "Momster" after an aneurysm caused major brain damage and forever robbed her of any semblance of physical or psychological normalcy. Desperate for any escape from home, Gilsdorf took up the role-playing game D&D, and soon others joined him in a "collaborative refuge" from the angst of being high-school outcasts, where "girls were scarce commodities." While females-and adulthood-eventually lured him away from the hobby for a time, his mother's death caused him to immerse himself into more contemporary versions of fantasy escapism. Nearing 40, Gilsdorf fully embraced his "geekdom" and initiated an international "dungeon-crawling search for fellow fantasy companions." His adventures included a trip to England for the Tolkien Society's annual meeting; chats with serious D&D gamers across the country; LARPing (Live Action Role-Play) in rural Georgia and Milwaukee; majestic medieval castle-building in southeast Paris; jamming with rock band Harry and the Potters; a fan convention called Dragon*Con; and a tour of New Zealand set locations for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. As his journey expanded, it took a toll on the already imbalanced relationship with his nongaming girlfriend and the two split. Maps, photographs and a glossary illustrate the popularity and seriousness of this interactive form ofentertainment. Gilsdorf is an informative, personable guide, but the larger story, established early on, compassionately details his mother's tragedy and how it stunted his emotional growth, bringing forth an "unformed, perpetually fetal me."A vicarious peek into an escapist pastime. Agent: Sorche Fairbank/Fairbank Literary Representation