Monsters fascinate us. From ancient folklore to contemporary digital games, they are at the core of the stories we tell. They reflect our fears, deepest desires, and the monstrosity hidden within ourselves. Monsters hold a mirror to our contemporary society and reveal who we truly are. This edited collection examines monsters and monstrosity in games and play. Monsters are a key feature of most games: we fight, kill, and eat themand sometimes, we become them. However, monsters in games and play are not only entertaining but also a reflection of the monstrosity of our world. In this book, twenty-two scholars explore how themes such as mental health, colonialism, individualism, disability, gender, sexuality, racism, and exclusion are reflected in the monsters we interact with in games, play, and our daily lives both online and offline. Monstrosity in Games and Play is recommended to readers interested in the monstrous in contemporary game cultures and their surrounding societies.
Introduction by Sarah Stang, Mikko Merilainen, Joleen Blom, and Lobna
Hassan, Part I: Monstrous Representations,
1. Honor Died on the Beach:
Constructing Japaneseness Through Monstrosity in Ghost of Tsushima by Dom
Ford and Joleen Blom,
2. For the Love of Monsters: Yokai and Colonialism in
Japanese Games by Rachael Hutchinson,
3. Translating Horrific History:
Philippine Mythological and Folk Creatures, the Trauma of Colonial History,
and the Limits of Nationalism in the Design and Narrative of Nightfall:
Escape by Christoffer Mitch C. Cerda,
4. Monster-Order Brides: Framing the
Bride of Frankenstein Trope in The Wanderer, Fable II, and Dragon Age II by
Caighlan Smith,
5. Beyond Women Monsters and Psychoanalytic Terrors: The
Monstrous-Feminine and Horror Cinematic Tropes in The Evil Within 2 by Nazely
Hartoonian,
6. The Monstrosity of Stigma: Mental Health Representation in
Video Games by Kelli Dunlap and Rachel Kowert,
7. Monstrosity as
Neurodiversity and The Procedural Rhetoric of Psychosis in Hellblade: Senua's
Sacrifice (2017) by Lisanne Meinen, Part II: Monstrous Interpretations,
8.
Hidden Monsters: Conspiracy Aesthetics in Video Games by Lars de Wildt,
9.
Performing Monstrosity in Twitch Chat by Rachel Linn,
10. Games of Personal
Horror: Shadow Work and Role-playing Experiences by Sarah Lynne Bowman,
11.
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Virtual Murder: Commodified Monstrosity
in Diablo III by J. Tuomas Harviainen, Johanna Granvik, and Henry Korkeila,
12. Monstrous Academics by Diane Carr, Shakuntala Banaji, and Hakan Ergül,
Complete References, Index
Dr. Sarah Stang is an Assistant Professor of Game Studies in Brock Universitys Department of Digital Humanities where she teaches courses in the Interactive Arts and Sciences, GAME, and Game Studies MA programs. Her research primarily focuses on gender representation in both digital and analogue games. Mikko Meriläinen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at the Tampere University Game Research Lab. His research focus in on the intersections of gaming cultures and different areas of everyday life. Further information can be found at mikkomerilainen.com. Joleen Blom is a university lecturer at the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at the Tampere University Game Research Lab. She is the author of Video Game Characters and Transmedia Storytelling published at the Amsterdam University Press. For more, see joleenblom.com Lobna Hassan is Associate Professor (tenure-track) of sociotechnical transitions in services, at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Finland. Dr. Hassans interests include game accessibility, gamification, and inclusion of people with disabilities. Her work and publications can be found at http://lobnahassan.com
