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Sridhar Bhagavathula's avatar

Wonderful piece, Erik! I’ve been interested in the intersection of literature and video games ever since Salman Rushdie wrote “Luka and the Fire of Life” in 2010. That goes the opposite way, incorporating video game elements into the novel. But I’ve never been much of a gamer, so I didn’t know how to think about it--which is why this was so interesting to read!

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William Collen's avatar

It's exciting to see a new art form develop and come to maturity. Your points about high art not having to be boring are spot-on; some of the great novels have embraced melodrama, sensational acts of violence, etc. (Dostoevsky's greatest works are, at their heart, crime dramas). I would venture that video games don't have to give up the magic swords and such to be high art, and to acquire the nuances that you describe. Excellent essay, I'm going to share it to my channels. Thanks!

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