A few weeks ago I had the chance to listen to a panel at a local book festival that included author Ethan Gilsdorf talking about his book Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. The book explores and celebrates fantasy and gaming cultures and the people involved in them. Gilsdorf is a self-proclaimed geek and was happy to sit down and answer a few questions relating to his geekiness, gaming, and why he chose to write a book about such an interesting subculture.

Nate: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me about your book. I may be a little biased, but it’s such a great topic to talk about! You must get asked this a lot, but would consider yourself more of a fantasy freak or gaming geek?

EG: While I used to be a hardcore Dungeons & Dragons player (OK, maybe addict?), nowadays I seem more attracted to fantasy movies and books than gaming. Perhaps it’s because I don’t have the time to immerse myself in role-playing games, or I just haven’t connected with a group of friends who also like to game. This is one of the topics I talk about in my book and I’d say in general, I tend towards “escaping” into a fantasy realm like Tolkien’s Middle-earth more so than playing Xbox or World of Warcraft. Besides, I never had all that good hand-eye.

Nate: I saw on your website you are full of Geek Pride. What was the geekiest thing you did while researching this book?

EG: I would have to say dressing up in costumes to participate in live-action role-playing games (LARPs) and events for the Society for Creative Anachronism (or the SCA, a medieval re-enactment group). For the LARP, I dressed in a blue monk’s tunic and wore a belt and carried a mace (and a reporter’s notebook). For the SCA’s biggest event, 12,000 folks dress in medieval garb for two weeks and camp in period tents. I hung out in the hot sun in an itchy brown tunic I’d made myself. Maybe the fact that I sewed it, and a matching medieval man-purse (to carry my reporter’s equipment secretly in the medieval world) was the geekiest thing I did. No, wait, I think me flying to New Zealand and traipsing around for three weeks on a quest to see as many of the Lord of the Rings filming locations might count as the geekiest thing. I even took pictures of my Lord of the Rings figurines in various locations, and made geeky fan movies. Hmmmm. I flew my freak flag pretty proudly on that trip.

Nate: That. Is. Amazing. Now that you are on tour promoting your book, how do you find time for these geeky/completely awesome activities?

EG: Yes, the tour is pretty much all I’m doing these days it’s all-encompassing, and it’s all powerful. Mwwahh hahah! So, at the moment, a lot of my nerdly ways are being fulfilled vicariously by interacting with others. One of the joys of being on tour and traveling across the US, is meeting so many other fantasy freaks and gaming geeks. I’ve spoken to so many folks who are dying to share their stories of how they got into gaming or what role fantasy plays in their lives. That said, I did recently attend a special screening at Radio City Music Hall of the first movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, complete with live accompaniment by an orchestra and choir, some 300 musicians in total, who played Howard Shore’s rousing and moody score in front of the hall’s massive screen. When Elijah Wood, Howard Shore and Billy Bowd came on stage after the movie, we all got more than our share of geek moments.

I would like to thank Ethan Gilsdorf for taking the time to speak to this gaming and give a little insight into his fantasy worlds. For more information, to pick up a copy of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks, or to enter his Great Geek Giveaway, visit his site.

Author Ethan Gilsdorf showing his geek pride