I have a few hobbies that I've actively participated in throughout my life. I'm the kind of person who is always trying a lot of stuff to see what sticks, and if something catches my interest for a period of time and drops off, that's ok with me. However, the two constants throughout my life have been video games and books. Combining those two things is a great way to whittle away the hours on the couch or encourage myself to not stare at a screen right before bed.
When I think of Books and Gaming, there are three categories for me that these sorts of books fall into. There is another fourth category that centers around older print game manuals, strategy guides and related materials, but that discussion is probably best saved for a future article.
- Books about making video games
- Novels based on video games or the associated worlds
- Artbooks and more visually focused pieces of work
I'd like to cover off each category and provide my thoughts around them, along with recommendations of where to start for those who might be interested in picking up something new to read.
Books About Making Video Games
If you are interested in video games, you have probably wondered about what happens behind the scenes, right? These types of books can provide great insights into a number of areas. It might be about the process itself, how a game is brought to life and the factors that contribute to it becoming a cultural zeitgeist. Alternatively, maybe it's less about the game(s) themselves and more about the teams or individuals that made them. There are a lot of interesting stories out there to dive into. Be warned though, some of these tales can affect your perception of the companies, people and products. I've found myself souring on a game or company after hearing about how the product was made — so that is always a consideration for the reader.
A good starting point for these types of books is to consider what sort of stories might draw you in. Do you like a particular genre? Is there a specific game or part of game making that you would like some behind the scenes info on? Or is there some industry figurehead that you want to learn more about? I've gone down all of these paths at various times. Here are some of the books I've read and enjoyed for different reasons, during different points in life.
A memoir of Richard Garriott, most well known for the creation of the Ultima series — both the single player games and the massively popular Ultima Online. A very interesting story about a very interesting personality. His work influenced multiple genres of video games and outside of the industry he was an avid adventurer, using the money made from gaming to push himself to some of the furthest reaches a human being has ever achieved.
The amazing true story of John Carmack and John Romero. These two coming together brought us one of the most impactful entries to the FPS genre — Doom and Quake. It's a wild ride that recounts the history of two young kids taking an idea to fruition through sheer creative force and desire to do something different. Over time the reader gets to better understand how strong relationships can morph and twist when fame and fortune are brought into the mix, with heartbreaking consequences.
Jason Schreier has been covering the video game industry for over 15 years. Known for his unwavering honesty and accurate reporting, he has become one of the go-to people for news, insight and exclusives when it comes to the companies behind the games.
Both books cover a variety of topics, companies and stories as it relates to how video games are made — the ups and downs of the industry and a wonderful look behind curtains that are often pulled tight, or only opened under the watchful eye of PR departments.
Another Jason Schreier deep dive into the business of gaming, this time covering all of the past — and probably still present — drama at Blizzard. A tough read if you don't like corporations or the CEOs that turn artistic pursuit into a method of milking money from a dedicated fanbase. An eye-opening look at what happens when shareholders are the top priority and egos must be protected at all costs.
The story of Roberta and Ken Williams, founders of Sierra On-Line and the creators of titles such as King's Quest, Space Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry. This book chronicles how a small idea that started at home turned into a massive corporation. Throughout we see that creating something cool and running a business are often at odds with one another, and when money and personalities are mixed in — the results can be truly tragic.
This book recounts the story of Blizzard North and the eventual assimilation into Blizzard proper after a chance encounter. While this encounter transformed the company from a grassroots organization into part of a corporate empire, it also provided David Brevik and others the support necessary to create the original Diablo. Without the journey, the ARPG genre would not have had the influential series that has spawned so many other games.
Novels Set in Video Game Worlds
If you are a fan of any popular video game, whether it be a series or a one-off, there is a good chance some novels of varying quality will have been written using that setting. To be clear — many of these books are either straight fan service, or simply shoehorning stories into a setting in an attempt to find an audience. While this can sound disheartening at first, sometimes an ok story set in a world that is relatable and understood can be just what you might be looking for. Sometimes the story isn't what matters, but it's all the little details sprinkled throughout that further build on the lore you already have, or perhaps questions are answered in print that otherwise would not have been. This is a type of book that can really be hit or miss — but there are rare times when the books complement a series and represent a culmination between various mediums to really create a great picture of what that world might be like.
Also worth mentioning: some of the heavy-hitters in terms of sheer volume of reading material — the Forgotten Realms, Warhammer, and Shadowrun — have a huge amount of novelization around them. Reading a whole bunch of the novels provides a really amazing perspective, almost like looking at a world from many different directions.
There are a surprisingly high number of Assassin's Creed books out there. Many are direct one-to-one recounts of the stories covered by the games, which is a great way to get your lore fix without having to play through multiple 20+ hour adventures. As an added bonus, the books don't appear to cover the present-day Desmond storyline — so if that wasn't your jam you won't be subject to it in the novels.
I've only read one of the Guild Wars novels and this was an example of reading without having ever played the game or really understood the world, story, or lore. It's been a while since I've read it but I recall it being a good story with some interesting characters, races and approaches around standard fantasy setting material.
I've read several of the Diablo novels and really enjoyed them. These books are not a direct recount of any story covered in-game, but do cover off the lore of the world in a really excellent way. They're more about all the things occurring throughout Sanctuary and how the forces of hell are always working to destroy humanity once and for all.
These novels are... something. The story starts out true to form and provides some great background on how the demons first invaded in the Doom universe. As the novels progress, it continues to get weirder and weirder. I can't imagine the stories are cannon with the newer Doom games, but it's still a fun read — if only for the hilariously named demons the characters encounter along the way.
There are four novels written in the Everquest universe and I found them to be absolutely fantastic. There is enough fan service to bring out that sense of nostalgia and familiarity with the setting. Well-written stories from various authors that are absolutely worth the read if you are a fan of the games or the lore of Norrath.
There are many novels set in the lands of Azeroth — 57 at the time of writing. I recall not being able to finish a few simply because the writing quality wasn't there. However, if you are a fan of the games there are good reads to be found amongst all of the stories written. Since there are so many, it may be best to do a little research and see what people are recommending these days.
Dungeons and Dragons and the Forgotten Realms world has contributed so much to video games for decades. Reading some of the hundreds of novels available can really help to flesh out the lore and understanding of games like Baldur's Gate. I've been a particular fan of the Drizzt Do'Urden saga, along with the Elminster books, and some lesser known series like the Avatar series and the Netheril books.
Another series that started from tabletop first, then novels, then games. There is a ton of material available in this universe, although coming from so many different authors the quality can vary. The universe itself — a future cyberpunk setting where the net is navigated by jacked-in folks controlling avatars, corporations run the world, and orks, elves, and dragons also run the corporations — is the type of setting that draws me in.
There are some fantastic books steeped in cool lore. While many of the 40-odd books aren't directly connected, great tidbits strewn throughout keep a sense of ongoing continuity. My favourite is the Never Deal With a Dragon trilogy — a great introduction to this crazy world.
Warhammer is another great universe to dive into — ripe with history, characters, events, and tragedies to get wrapped up in. With over 70 novels covering various history, battles and figures in the universe, there is something here to enjoy if you find the setting compelling. Absolutely a series of books I'll be filling my shelves with at some point in the future.
Artbooks and More Visually Focused Pieces of Work
Beautiful work from Bitmap Books
Sometimes you need a good reference book or want to get a behind-the-scenes look at games in a more visual form. This is where artbooks and more visually focused pieces of work come into play. Less of a paperback you might read before bed, and more of a monolithic tome that sits on a shelf or your office desk for browsing. These types of books are a favourite of mine, used to get the imagination going or to grab hold of a piece of nostalgia when the time calls for it.
Many of these books can be focused directly on a single game, and typically come bundled within collectors editions or are compilations of work spanning a genre or specific topic. One of the best ways of finding these collector edition inclusions is to hunt eBay or your local used game store, as artbooks will often end up separated from the other bits and pieces, consequently being able to be picked up at a more reasonable price.
For game specific books, it's worth figuring out why you may want that book. Do you need some reference for a specific genre or art style? Perhaps you appreciate a specific game enough that you want to see the concept art? If so, it's best to make a list of those games and then start hunting.
On the other side of this coin is the compilation books. More and more there is a growing reappreciation for printed media and companies are starting to pop up where their sole purpose is to document info and images of various gaming topics into great books. Since artbooks and collector's edition books are so subjective, I've decided to not include specific examples below — instead covering off some sites that put together really great compilation style books.
I have several books from Bitmap books and have been really impressed with their quality and consistency. Their topics range from old school arcade to gaming box art and even more specific things like the history of CRPGs. These are really cool, well put together tomes of information to browse through or refer back to when working on a specific project.
Darkhorse has branched out over the years and started producing more products around videogames and outside the comics / graphic novel space. With titles covering things like the art of the original Final Fantasy games, a Heroes of Might and Magic retrospective, to newer properties like Tomb Raider or Marvel Rivals, there is something for any type of gamer.
Lost in Cult is a niche within a niche. While they do produce amazing anthologies, the spectrum of games they cover has been very narrow at this point. With titles like Outer Worlds, Alan Wake, or Citizen Sleeper. While the selection is limited, if you are a fan of one of the games covered by this publisher, there might be a special addition to your collection available from them.
I love collecting books, my shelves are packed with stories both real and make-believe that cross over into gaming. Sometime focusing on a screen isn't wanted or available, instead the comfort of picking up a physical book and flipping through pages, allowing your imagination to wander is what will fill your cups. While this is a short list of some of the various types of gaming literature out there, I hope that it broadens your horizons and provides some new avenues to explore.