Gamer Fantastic [Mass Market Paperback]

Martin H. Greenberg (Editor), Kerrie Hughes (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

Let the games begin!

These thirteen original stories by veterans of the fantasy realms take role-playing games and universes to a whole new level.

From a teenager who finds a better future in virtual reality; to a private investigator hired to find a dying man's grandson in the midst of a virtual reality theme park; from a person gifted with the power to pull things out of books into the real world; to a psychologist using fantasy role-playing to heal his patients; from a gaming convention where the real winners may not be who they seem to be; to a multi-layered role-playing game that leads participants from reality to reality and games within games-these imaginative and fascinating new tales will captivate both lovers of original fantasy and anyone who has ever fallen under the spell of role-playing games.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

In 1995 Martin H. Greenberg was honored by the Mystery Writers of America with the Ellery Queen Award for lifetime achievement in mystery editing. He is also the recipient of two Anthony awards. Mystery Scene magazine called him "the best mystery anthologist since Ellery Queen." He has compiled more than 1,000 anthologies and is the president of TEKNO books. He lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: DAW; Original edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756405637
• ISBN-13: 978-0756405632
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,697,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Collection!, December 10, 2009

By 

Steven Woodcock "Ferretman" (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gamer Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm a huge fan of the "Fantastic" series of anthologies, and I'm proud to say this is easily one of the best of the bunch that I've read to date.

There are 13 stories in all and they range from so-so ("Aggro Radius") to flat out superb (hard pick a couple, but both "Mightier Than The Sword" and "Game Testing" were wonderful). All of them are centered on gamers--be they hard-core boardgrame grognards or computer gaming geeks (I fall into both categories) to one degree or another. Several take place at gaming conventions, and one is set in Lake Geneva, the birthplace of Dungeons and Dragons (the granddaddy of all role playing games, whatever its other flaws). I found it difficult to restrict myself to merely reading a single story per night before bed, as most of them are simply *that* *good*.

An excellent collection....highly recommended!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, but what else could you expect?, November 23, 2009

By 

Wulfstan "wulfstan" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gamer Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

Another complilation by Greenburg & co, this time about Fantasy Gaming as it edges into real life and "real" fantasy.

Some are just so-so, but others are real gems.

If you like this sort of thing, pcik it up and enjoy!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid, fun anthology for anyone who loves games, August 20, 2009

By 

Steven Saus (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Gamer Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

Gamer Fantastic is a great anthology, and loads of fun for anyone who is a gamer (in any sense of the word) or knows one. From Chris Pierson's powerful opener, through Jim Hines' hilarious "Mightier Than the Sword", to Ed Greenwood's moving tribute to E. Gary Gygax, this anthology of 13 tales is solid through-and-through.