A Strategy Guide for Studying the Grand Theft Auto Series: An Edited
Collection of Essays
Abstract Submission Deadline: October 15, 2005
 
The Grand Theft Auto series of digital games is one of the most popular,
innovative, and provocative game series to date‹and rightly so. The games
feature voice acting from stars such as Dennis Hopper and Burt Reynolds, and
the soundtracks are provided by artists like Rick James, 2Pac, Lynyrd
Skynyrd and Willie Nelson. Beyond this, gamers have been continually
impressed with the freedom to explore and exploit the game environments,
which have grown exponentially in size and complexity. At the same time,
games in this series have also presented gamers with options for gameplay
that range from misdemeanor illegal acts to psychopathic criminal behavior.
For this reason, popular media outlets, parents, and politicians have
criticized the potential gameplay that Grand Theft Auto games offer. (Of
course, very few criticisms acknowledge the freedom of the gamer to abstain
from criminal or violent behavior. Nor do detractors mention that the games
in this series are sometimes insanely funny satires of American culture.)
 
The present call for papers is for chapter length essays (5,000-7,500 words)
that address one or more games in the Grand Theft Auto series, including:
Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto 2
Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San
Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Advance, and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City
Stories. Prospective contributors should e-mail a brief abstract or complete
essay to ncgarrel_at_svsu.edu by October 15, 2005. At the top of the abstract
please include the title of the essay, your name (and the name of any
co-authors), school or work affiliation, mailing address, and e-mail
address. Contributors will be accepted on a rolling basis and receive a
detailed e-mail with more information as soon as a decision is made.
Materials received after October 15 may not receive full consideration.
 
International perspectives and essays on the following subjects are
particularly encouraged: the appeal of Grand Theft Auto games; the ways in
which gamers engage or do not engage the controversial content; the
intersection between games in the series and other popular media texts; the
connection between the cities and time periods depicted and
history/nostalgia; the culture of the game world; the impact of the series
on game design, game culture, and society.
 
A large commercial publisher has approved this project. A contract will
likely be issued after I have secured abstracts from all contributors.
 
 
Nathan Garrelts, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
Saginaw Valley State University
7400 Bay Rd.
University Center, Michigan 48710
(989) 964-4032
ncgarrel_at_svsu.edu
http://www.svsu.edu/~ncgarrel
 
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Received on Wed Oct 05 2005 - 11:01:58 EDT