Dangerous games : what the moral panic over role-playing games says about play, religion, and imagined worlds
"The 1980s saw the peak of a moral panic over fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. A coalition of moral entrepreneurs that included the Christian Right, psychologists, and law enforcement claimed these games were not only psychologically dangerous but an occult religion masquerading as a game. Dangerous Games explores both the history and the sociological significance of this panic"--Provided by publisher
eBook, English, ©2015
University of California Press, Oakland, Calif., ©2015
Electronic books
1 online resource (364 pages)
9780520960565, 9781322567501, 0520960564, 1322567506
899156911
Cover; Contents; Preface. "You Worship Gods from Books!"; Introduction. Fantasy and Reality; PART I. THE HISTORY OF THE PANIC; 1. The Birth of Fantasy Role-Playing Games; 2. Dungeons & Dragons as Religious Phenomenon; 3. Pathways into Madness: 1979-1982; 4. Satanic Panic: 1982-1991; 5. A World of Darkness: 1991-2001; PART II. INTERPRETING THE PANIC; 6. How Role-Playing Games Create Meaning; 7. How the Imagination Became Dangerous; 8. Rival Fantasies; Conclusion. Walking between Worlds
English