Generation Decks: The Unofficial History of Gaming Phenomenon Magic: The Gathering

by Titus Chalk

Overview

The incredible true story behind the global gaming phenomenon! Generation Decks tells the story of the mould-breaking fantasy card game Magic: The Gathering. The brainchild of misfit maths genius Richard Garfield, Magic combines fiendishly complex gameplay with collectability. When it came out in the early '90s it transformed the lives of gamers who had longed for a game that combined challenging mechanics and kick-ass artwork with a chance to connect and compete with likeminded people.

Titus Chalk's tale is part biography, charting the author's own relationship with the game, part history, and part love letter to the card game that made it cool to be a geek. Prepare to meet Generation Decks, a community like no other...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781084908
Publisher:	Solaris
Publication date:	04/11/2017
Pages:	356
Sales rank:	214,204
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Titus Chalk is a freelance journalist based in Berlin, Germany. He writes and broadcasts about sport, culture, and games for outlets including Deutsche Welle, Tagesspiegel, and FourFourTwo. He has been playing Magic since Revised Edition and even occasionally wins. He is on the wrong side of 30, but coping, thank you.

Table of Contents

It's a Kind of Magic 5

Great Minds 7

Meet Kird Ape 11

Testing, Testing: 1, 2, 3 … 17

The Basement Blues 25

The Sub Pop of Gaming 37

Unleashing a Monster 47

We are One 55

Sermon on the Mount 61

Scriptures and Shrines 69

I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide 81

The Deck 89

Plug Me In 101

Play the Game, see the World 111

Which Way Home? 123

Heroes … 127

… and Villains 135

The Best There Ever Was 145

Gordon, Plum, Spence and Eric 157

"I started at Wizards, I left Hasbro." 169

Buy Low, Sell High 177

Playing a New Hand 191

Lords of the Pit 197

It's a Small World 211

He Works Hard for the Money 221

Good Afternoon Sports Fans! 233

Magic's Missing Tribe 247

Meeting the Maker 259

The Best Game in the World 269

Editorial Reviews

It was a pleasure to read this well researched book and get back in touch with the game design world from the '90s—Richard Garfield "Game designer and creator of Magic: The Gathering " Who doesn't love a story about small town dreamers who make it big? A gripping tale with a journalistic eye for how fast fortunes, and the world, changes.—Samira Ahmed "Culture journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Front Row " After reading Generation Decks, I fell even more in love with the game.—Jonathan Little "Professional poker player and author"

From the Publisher

Who doesn't love a story about small town dreamers who make it big? A gripping tale with a journalistic eye for how fast fortunes, and the world, changes.

Culture journalist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Front Row - Samira Ahmed

It was a pleasure to read this well researched book and get back in touch with the game design world from the '90s

Game designer and creator of Magic: The Gathering - Richard Garfield

After reading Generation Decks, I fell even more in love with the game.

Professional poker player and author - Jonathan Little