First published 2004
David Kushner chronicles the partnership between programmers John Carmack and John Romero, two entrepreneurs who escaped troubled childhoods to create the most successful violent video game franchises in history. The book traces their journey from bedroom coders to industry titans who ruled big business and transformed popular culture through Doom and Quake. Kushner examines how these rebellious creators channeled fury and imagination into products that influenced everything from MTV to the Internet. The narrative reveals why their games featured such extreme violence and how their immersive fantasy worlds provided personal refuge. The author explores the national controversy their work provoked and shows how their creations became a formative cultural influence extending to tragic events like Columbine. Written by a leading observer of the gaming medium, this account captures the friendship and betrayal between two driven individuals who shaped a generation. The book offers readers insight into what drives young, wildly creative minds and how their personal demons fuel artistic innovation.
Genres: history, business, crime, computers, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, friendship
Period: 21st-Century
339 pages · Paperback · Random House Trade Paperbacks
Content warnings: violence