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One of the things that fell through the cracks during our hiatus was a review of The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto: Critical Essays edited by Nate Garrelts. Based on my presentation of Game Couch as a legitimate website and a hint at my connection with a local newspaper, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers kindly provided a review copy with the simple request that any review include a link to their website (www.mcfarlandpub.com) and their phone number (800.253.2187).
Anyway, an earlier, timelier review would have gone something like this…
Most coverage of Grand Theft Auto is reactionary. Mainstream media outlets sensationalize what GTA satirizes and the gaming media automatically assumes a defensive position. Throw in punditry and you have a lot of talking about Rockstar’s controversial game series, but very little thinking. This selection of critical essays presents a refreshing change.
Garrelts, an assistant professor of English at Saginaw Valley State University, has assembled a collection of 14 essays from academics with backgrounds in new media, linguistics, digital games, and communications. While Hot Coffee, egregious violence, and the glorification of criminal culture are all analyzed, Meaning and Culture also presents interesting takes on the role of the gamer within the game and the influence of GTA on a global scale. Washington State University’s David Leonard offers GTA as a ghetto simulator for suburbanites and wonders why the call to “protect the children” from exposure to violence doesn’t include games like America’s Army. Zach Whalen, from the University of Florida, looks at the immersive nature of GTA: San Andreas, specifically how the fictional Los Santos mirrors Los Angeles’ aesthetics while not duplicating its geography.
With essays titled, “Inviting Subversion: Metalepses and Tmesis in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto Series,” accessibility to Meaning and Culture often requires more than mere familiarity with the games. This book clearly has a place in any public discussion of GTA and should be waved in the face of anyone dismissive of gaming, but its academic tone makes Meaning and Culture hard to recommend for a general audience or even diehard GTA fans.
Published in October 2006, this book is still available for $35 from the publisher and most online retailers.