This week’s ‘Meet the Author’ series marches on with a topic that I think many people will find familiar, some people discover, and some will want to write off. The focus is on videogames, but I’m going to be looking more specifically at gaming as a creative medium and how that ties into writing. I won’t be doing a top five list (as even defining what constitutes a videogame is nearly impossible), but I will be pointing to some specific examples of games that illustrate certain points, such as how modern games take to task the social issues that Hollywood used to address, but now shies away from.

As a child of the ‘80s, videogames have always been a part of my life. I was born into the first home console boom, the era of the NES, Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt, and a light gun. Soon thereafter followed the SNES, Genesis, PlayStation, Xbox, et al. Before I even sampled console gaming, however, I played early games on 5.5” floppy disks loaded into an AT&T personal home computer. I couldn’t even tell you the titles of those old games, but they laid the foundation for my zeal for videogames and what they represented: self-directed entertainment, creativity, and art.

As the years passed, I transitioned from PC gaming, to console, to a hybrid of the two, and then back to PCs. What drew me back into the PC gaming market was both the desire to build my own rig to game on, and the quality in content and capacity that was becoming the norm for the PC game market. While the console game industry did have some glimmering moments of genius, such as with the Rock Band series, the majority of the games coming out seemed more and more to be simply exercises in graphical prowess with watered down gameplay and repetitive characters and stories. Though the gap is closing now, even the most powerful console still cannot stand up to the juggernaut that is a well-built gaming PC.

While the console market became saturated with repetitive sequels and drab titles, I rediscovered several PC titles that were fresh, original, and challenging. Many of these titles were either simultaneously available on console or else later ported, but always with compromises to graphics, controls, or other factors. The added benefit to rejoining the PC fold was that aside from one or two “need to own” titles, the games I wanted to play were slightly older, and thus could be had for a bargain. The result is that I am even now slogging through a backlog of titles and having tremendous fun finding my own path through the gaming industry without the pressures that come with trying to keep up with the latest and greatest. An added benefit is that I have been more willing to explore niche titles and stray from my traditional gameplay preferences, resulting in some very rewarding experiences.

Viewing video games through the lens of an author allows me to both appreciate the game as a form of entertainment, as well as to look behind the curtain at the mechanics, design, art, and writing, building on the aforementioned rewarding experiences. There are several questions that come up often and that I like to examine in regards to digital entertainment. Are videogames art? Is playing a videogame a waste of time, or is it a hobby, a skill, to be worked at and perfected like any other? Should writers in the videogame industry be given as much merit and popular acclaim as someone such as J. K. Rowling? In many respects, the industry is so new and evolving so rapidly that we haven’t even had time to fully consider these questions. Even now we’re just beginning to scratch the surface as to what makes a “good” game, often using movies as a benchmark, as it’s the nearest known equivalent against which we can measure.

In this there is some truth. Movies can be considered well made on many different fronts, whether it’s the acting, the editing, the visual effects, or even the musical score. Where video games move beyond movies, however, is through the increase in the amount of freedom and resultant consequence that has become a staple in many of the greatest videogame titles. From a writer’s perspective, this aspect is particularly exciting. When writing a novel, there is a set path that an author must ultimately take, forgoing many “what if” scenarios and committing to only one outcome (unless you’re writing those old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books). In video games, the “what if” is a driving force, and let’s both the writer and the player experience multiple scenarios, exploring alternate decisions, motives, and character developments.

It is for this reason that I have come to greatly enjoy the more cerebral videogames, as well as those rooted deeply in strategy and tactics.  These are the games that I feel are hall of fame members that showcase how videogames have transformed into a multifaceted art form, pulling together disparate elements to craft an experience that is engrossing and unique. It’s comforting to know that even though ten similar, dull games might come out, the eleventh will be something special and unique. This even applies to the genre most often derided as formulaic: the first person shooter.

One of my favorite examples is the Borderlands series, a franchise which is goes beyond the FPS genre by being artistically unique, well written, full of excellent voice talent, and completely over the top. Not only is it over the top, but it knows it and play to it, making it a great strength. I can’t tell you how much I laughed when I found a pony made out of diamond named ‘Butt Stallion’, which was shortly after I picked up a rifle that fired swords that exploded like grenades. Read that sentence again, it’s all true. On the more serious side, games such as those in the Bioshock series are marvels of artistic beauty and gripping storytelling, with twists and betrayals that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you wonder what impossible situation you may be shoved into next.

On a parting note, I’ll say that cyberpunk writers are also well covered in video games, with several titles capturing the anxiety and paranoia of the dark future. Games such as the original Deus Ex and its later reiteration, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, mix elements of RPG gameplay with stealthy tactics to lead players down a dark and twisted path where nothing is certain except for the need to watch your back and keep your cool.

I think it’s safe to say that videogames have impacted me as a writer, and there’s no reason they can’t do the same for other aspiring authors. We all have to draw from somewhere, and I appreciate the diversity I get from movies, books, and videogames, all of which help to fuel my imagination and inspire me to push my writing ability in the hopes of crafting that one moment that so completely grips the reader, they feel like they’re actually there in the pages of my novel.

Next week my ‘Meet the Author’ series moves into outside hobbies. See if you can’t find some ideas for new challenges you’d like to tackle in life. I’ll also be updating my blog on a more regular basis, so look for entries on both Mondays and Wednesdays. This is a preliminary schedule as I try to create more valuable content for my readers. Things may shift around as I get into the new rhythm.

A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.

Two weeks I took a break from my ‘Meet the Author’ series to pay my respects to the late Leonard Nimoy. After a day off out of respect, I’m continuing on to Part III: Books.

In the same way I approached my article on movies and how they influence me, I’ll be going through my top five novels and explaining what exactly it is that makes them special to me as well as to those that may be discovering them for the first time.

Obviously no long introduction is necessary here. Writers are readers, and we all have various sources of inspiration. Books we read over and over and authors that we aspire to be like. It’s not my goal to mimic another author—I have my own voice to speak to you all—but I can appreciate the aspects of an author or novel, whether that is fluidity of prose or sheer technical brilliance.

5. “Shōgun,” by James Clavell – I first read Shōgun in early high school. I then read it again. I read it so many times that the paperback copy I had fell apart, the spine unable to handle the roughly 1,000 pages that were bound together to form the epic, gripping tale that is Shōgun. When the book came apart, I bought another copy and started the whole process over. I believe I am now on copy three. As Oscar Wilde put so well, “If you cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” That is true of every book on this list, but Shōgun in particular captivates and moves.

The novel, which follows the tale of an English pilot who finds his ship cast upon the shores of medieval Japan, is incredibly insightful in its knowledge and portrayal of Japanese customs and traditions, especially during a time of great upheaval. Though the names of the major characters are changed from their historical counterparts, those who have a background in Japanese history will have no trouble discerning who all the major players are. The crowning achievement of Shōgun, however, is that you don’t require a degree in Japanese language or history in order to enjoy it, but you very well may find yourself seeking one after you finish it. Take myself, for example. Although it wasn’t what I originally attended college for, I ultimate graduated with a degree in Japanese language and culture. Shōgun most certainly shares the blame in this regard.

Filled to the brim with cultural insight, humor, love, passion, intrigue, and bravery, it truly is a modern classic. Once Blackthorne and company find themselves in Japan, readers will find themselves alongside him as he discovers a land that to this day remains mysterious to most westerners.

4. “Starship Troopers,” by Robert A. Heinlein – While I debated between allocating this spot to either “Troopers” or “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,” I came to realize that while both Heinlein pieces are epic novels, “Troopers” had a far greater influence on my writing. A novel I first encountered all the way back in middle school, I was immediately taken in by the military action. It was only later that the political and social messages became more meaningful, and as I grew older I found myself more and more intrigued by the ideas put forward by Heinlein.

Make no mistake, the book has excellent action and has inspired countless derivative works in novels, movies, and video games. My second novel, “Unto Persephone,” features a main character who is a power armor pilot, due in no small part to the influence of “Troopers.” Beyond the technical detail and excitement of combat, the novel puts forth interesting and influential ideals about citizenship and civic duty. While I don’t believe that Heinlein’s proposed system would work (a system in which only those who have served and sacrificed in the military are allowed to vote), it does make one question if they truly understand putting the interest of others before themselves. As another great man once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Or, in this case, for your planet as it fights a horde of terrifying giant bugs from outer space. Did I forget to mention that part? 

3. “Snow Crash,” by Neal Stephenson – aka “baby’s first cyberpunk novel.” Snow Crash is not Steaphenson’s first novel, nor is it his most ambitious. It is, however, his most raw and savage. The book already starts cranked to 11 and only goes up from there. While Gibson’s “Neuromancer” is considered by many to be the first full length cyberpunk novel, I read Snow Crash first, and so will always shave a special place for it on my shelf.

While “Neuromancer” can make your head spin, Snow Crash is accessible to readers that have absolutely zero background in cyberpunk. For me, it was a gateway drug into a world of new novels and new ideas about the future. This wasn’t the far flung future of Star Trek, nor was it the gritty, epic, and multi-species world of Star Wars. This was the real world, immediately recognizable, stretched just enough so that one could see further down the road.

As befitting a cyberpunk book, the novel oozes style and charisma, and Neal Stephenson very handily writes some of the most hilarious bits of prose that will have you laughing aloud while you try to explain the concept of a “deliverator” to your spouse. I’ve gone so far as to read this novel aloud; that’s just how much energy Snow Crash is jammed with, like a crushed sun waiting to be cracked open and go nova inside one’s skull. 

2. “Neuromancer,” by William Gibson – While “Snow Crash” is full of fast cars, sword fights, and hypersonic Gatling guns, “Neuromancer” is noir atop technological grit. Gibson is an unapologetic writer who simply dumps you into the middle of his universe and leaves you to explore it. No map, no compass, nothing. From the very first line all the way to the end, nothing is explained except via context, making “Neuromancer” a very challenging read for some. If you learn to let go and let the book wash over you, though, then you’ll suddenly find yourself connecting the dots. Something clicks and the universe makes sense, and then you’re shocked at what you are seeing. “Snow Crash” deals in a more traditional villain, while “Neuromancer” instead makes you wonder just who is on the right side. Paranoia is certainly a part of cyberpunk, and Gibson infuses his novel with just the right amount.

A twisting tail of intrigue, technology, and the evolution of humanity, “Neuromancer” moves at a pace more akin to Blade Runner (which, coincidentally, was featured in my list of top five films). Full of predictions that we have come to find are startlingly true, the novel also embraces the concept of “high-tech, low-life.” The characters live on the fringes of society, coming together to carry out a do-or-die task before drifting apart again. If “Neuromancer” and cyberpunk have taught us anything, it’s that the future is disposable, and that includes your friends. 

1. “Brave New World,” by Aldous Huxley – Written in 1931, “Brave New World” sets a standard for dystopian science fiction that I believe has yet to be matched. While Orwell’s “1984” is didactic and boisterous, “Brave New World” is subtle and nuanced, and that reason makes it all the more terrifying.

A crowning achievement in literature, “Brave New World” was thrust into my hands by my father, starting me down the path of dystopian futures and instilling in my mind a cautionary stance on all things technologic. We can rule over technology, or it can be made to rule us. The most alarming part about “Brave New World” is that technology is used by the few to control the many, and the masses accept this because they simply do not care. They are healthy, well fed, and allowed to be as promiscuous and drug addled as they see fit. Sound familiar? The only catch to all this freedom is the fact that they are so obviously not free. The fetus of each new human is handled so as to produce a desired outcome, delivering a global caste system that is so complete that those within are blind to it.

“Brave New World” doesn’t just predict a grim future, it accurately accounts for those things which have happened in the past and are even happening right now. It’s the callous disregard for their own situation that makes the characters of Huxley’s novel so tragic, save for John the savage, the outsider who gives the necessary perspective in to the seemingly tranquil world which exists in the future. So shocking is this brave new world, however, that he finds it impossible to cope with, leading to his ultimate fate.

If you have read the novel, then you understand as to what I am referring to. For those of you who have not, I suggest you pick up a copy as soon as you can, before they’re made forbidden for your caste.

A.C. Harrison
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I was gearing up to write Part III of my ‘Meet the Author’ series when I instead found myself faced with the sad announcement of the passing of Leonard Nimoy, whom we all knew best of all as Mr. Spock, the half-Vulcan, half-human first officer of the starship Enterprise.

Much ink (both real and digital) has already been spilled covering this story. It has crept all over the internet and through the churning, ancient machine known as The Media. We know what roles Nimoy played, when he was born, when he died, how old he was, what he was best known for. Oddly enough, the passing of the great Mr. Nimoy didn’t come down upon me as some outside news that I consumed. Rather, Nimoy’s death crept up from inside, with a hunch and a niggling feeling, and then the inevitable death that felt more like losing a friend, even though I never had the privilege to meet him in person.

This may sound a bit egotistical or overly dramatic, but let me explain it this way: the internet is weird. Hear me out on this one.

For those of you who aren’t aware, I spend a lot of time building connections and promoting my work on Twitter. On said site (Or is it an app? The lines blur), I followed Leonard Nimoy’s feed. And while many actors have Twitter feeds and Facebook pages, not many of them are actually run by the actor in question, but rather handed off to a PR team as yet another addition to be bolted on to the ever growing machination of The Media. Nimoy, however, was as genuine as he appeared to be. He sent out his own messages, always keeping his followers in the loop on his latest news and appearances, as well as preaching his personal gospel on the importance of quitting smoking, something he wished he had never been involved with in his life and something that certainly contributed to his death.

In short, Mr. Nimoy was a presence, like an uncle who lives down the street and gives you advice when you need a place to turn to. He remained optimistic and pure, a Vulcan Mr. Rogers there to brighten your day. And then the tweets started to taper off…

You know that feeling you get when your favorite older relative doesn’t call as much as they used to or doesn’t come out to family functions as often? Even though everyone is putting on a brave face, the family knows what’s coming. In a sense, the internet, or at least the Twitter slice of it, was seeing that withdrawal from public life, at least for those who were willing to notice it. It wasn’t long thereafter that I heard that Mr. Nimoy had been admitted to a hospital. Though the reports advised that it wasn’t for anything serious, I had my sincere doubts and shared them with my closest friends (two of which hold Mr. Spock as personal role models, something more people ought to consider). Even so, when I told them the news I reiterated that things “weren’t serious,” the words ringing hollow to my ears.

Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock, died February 27, 2015. The enormity of that information has yet to hit me, despite the fact that I had advanced warning. If anything it let me brace myself. His final tweet was sent five days before his passing. It reads as follows:

            A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in                        memory.   LLAP.

There are no words I can find as an author that can complement such a beautiful piece of prose, and I can’t think of a better way to say farewell to the world. And while people—myself included—pour out their sentiments over the passing of a phenomenal man, astronaut Terry Virts very quietly and very simply gave the most poignant send off to a man who made us question ourselves as a species and had us think as to what direction we wished to go in the future. The American astronaut did something few could do: he shared with everyone a picture of the Vulcan salute against the backdrop of an orbiting Earth below, timing his photograph so that Nimoy’s native Boston was captured as well. The picture was, naturally, sent via Twitter. As I said earlier: the internet is weird. But it’s also a home, a place, and a future. Nimoy embraced it, saw the best in the people, not the technology, and used it to spread a message of hope and love. For that, we should be ever thankful.

Live long and prosper, my friends. Live long and prosper.

A.C. Harrison
Like what you see here? Spread the word and support indie authors! Follow me on Facebook or Twitter. Find me on Smashwords and Kindlemojo.