I freely acknowledge that I am a card carrying member of the Geek community. Sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, conventions, I do it all. About the only aspect of the Geek community I'm not really into is Larping, mostly due to a lack of time and energy. But I was extremely excited when the free gift at last months publisher's conference in NY was a copy of Leaving Mundania, by Lizzie Stark.
Leaving Mundania is a fabulously written ethnographic study of the "transformative world of Live Action Role-Playing games." (LARP) Larping has long been a misunderstood subset of the geek community, looked down upon by both normals and other geeks alike. Stark takes this premise and provides a wonderfully well written study of the community as it exists and the reasons why members would participate. The ethnography is engaging and interesting to both insiders and outsiders. Stark's treatment of the topic is respectful and non-derogatory, while acknowledging the sometimes surreal aspects of the world which she is studying. She provides a rich and detailed look at the various aspects of larping in both the US and abroad, while taking the reader on a journey of discovery about larping in general, and her own experience in particular. All in all I thoroughly recommend Leaving Mundania to fans of both Geekdom and general anthropological ethnography.
Final Verdict: Sober Read. Enjoy the wonderful detail and expressive writing of Stark's style while sober. Leaving Mundania is available as both a paperback and ebook through Barnes and Noble.com
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