B.J. Novak

Video Games for Literature Lovers

The Narratologist
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Source: James Bit Originals.

“A game is a narrative experience that does not hold your hand.”

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (2014)

At last, it is time to bring two of my interests together: literature and video games. I have tried to create a varied list of games that are either directly inspired by works of literature or are a strong narrative experience themselves. However, my own personal bias has definitely influenced what made the cut (I am all about atmosphere), not to mention the fact that I have tried to recommend only those games that I have either played myself or watched playthroughs of. That said, hopefully there will be something on this list for everybody, from the more experienced gamer to someone who is completely new to the field. Think of this list as a starting point. If you have any suggestions or recommendations that you want to share, please leave a comment below!

Note I: These games are presented in no particular order.

Note II: Take a shot every time I use the word “journey,” “experience,” or “patience.”

Note III: Take another shot when I recommend a game that features terminal illness and/or traffic accidents in some way.

Note IV: Or Troy Baker.

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Book Review: “One More Thing” (2014) by B.J. Novak

The Narratologist

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This book reminded me a lot of a That Mitchell and Webb Look sketch where David Mitchell is planning out the next episode of their show: “I think it should go: hit, miss, hit, hit, miss, miss, miss, hit, miss, hit, hit.” When Robert Webb asks him why they even have to include the misses (because they are such a bother to write), Mitchell replies that they have to “perversely include about 50% deliberately unamusing material” because that is what people expect from a sketch show.

B.J. Novak’s One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories reads a lot like a sketch show, consisting of one “wouldn’t it be funny if” scenario after the other: what if an Ugandan war lord went out on a date? What if there was a Comedy Central Roast of Nelson Mandela?  Appropriately, One More Thing has about 100 pages of misses that could have, and should have, been cut.

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