By Clarisse Thorn
ClarisseThorn.com
Reprinted with permission
How does it feel to be virtually raped? Who would decide to commit rape in a game? Should we, as a society, worry about people who pretend to rape software? What does “rape in gaming” even mean, and why does it happen?
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Good morning, and happy Ada Lovelace Day — “celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and math!”
I figured today would be the perfect day to release this new anthology:
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You can buy the book now for Amazon Kindle, or in other ebook formats. You can even buy it in paperback!
I developed this anthology with Julian Dibbell, a legendary tech writer who authored “A Rape in Cyberspace” and some fine books about online communities. I am totally starstruck, I assure you!
Plus, I had a great time writing the Introduction, which meshes feminism and S&M theory and gamer philosophy.
And! I’m thrilled to report that we’re donating 10% of the profits to the Electronic Frontier Foundation — “defending your rights in the digital world.”The EFF has long been one of my favorite non-profit organizations, and is probably the closest thing bloggers have to a guild.
Description!
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How does it feel to be virtually raped? Who would decide to commit rape in a game? Should we, as a society, worry about people who pretend to rape software? What does “rape in gaming” even mean, and why does it happen?
In this groundbreaking volume, the technology writer Julian Dibbell and the feminist S&M writer Clarisse Thorn have selected ten pieces that discuss, debate, and explore the concept of rape in gaming. From the classic 1974 roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons to the video games of 2012, rape has come up in every type of game imaginable. How best can we deal with it? Nobody knows for sure, but we have a lot of ideas.
Feminist readers may find that this anthology deserves a trigger warning.
JULIAN DIBBELL has published widely about online life. He is the author, most recently, of Play Money: Or How I Quit My Day Job and Made Millions Trading Virtual Loot.
CLARISSE THORN is a feminist S&M writer who has lectured from Berlin to San Francisco and written from The Guardian to Jezebel. She’s published a lot of stuff lately, including an investigation of the “seduction subculture” called Confessions of a Pickup Artist Chaser.
ANTHOLOGY WRITERS INCLUDE: Patricia Hernandez, Mary Hamilton, Courtney Stanton, Leigh Alexander, Shawn Rider, Daniel Terdiman, Lydia Laurenson, Darren MacLennan, Jason Sartin, Anne C. Moore.
COVER DESIGN BY: Ei Jane Janet Lin.
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Buy it! Amazon Kindle, or in other ebook formats, or in paperback.
And again, if you haven’t already: check out Ada Lovelace Day!
