Author(s): Rollin Bishop, Andrew Vanden Bossche, Ian Miles Cheong, Shelley Du, Denis Farr, Ryan Morning, Maddy Myers, Lana Polansky, Ashton Raze, Matt Riche, Dylan Sabin, Alan Williamson, Alois Wittwer
Editor(s): Lana Polansky, Brendan Keogh
Purchase: Amazon, Gumroad, Lulu

Ghosts in the Machine is an intriguing anthology of short stories by a cast of well-known people in the games writing scene and artists. At least, they appear as figureheads of the communities I follow on Twitter. It’s likely the gaming “majority”, whatever that consists of, is less aware of those invested in critically discussing video games.

In any case, the stories aren’t necessarily all about games, but use them as the starting point. Game glitches, the things we all laugh at or get angry about, are what each story shares – although in very different ways. Because Ghosts in the Machine is a special sort of book, I’m going to try to give the review a conversational tone, responding to the short stories with my own thoughts rather than necessarily dissecting them.

Of course, a standard review will also be provided. Take a look at that if you don’t want to see my ramblings. Or read both! With that said, here is the review.

Ghosts in the Machine includes thirteen short stories from a host of notable contributors. In the beginning, readers are provided with very short stories. Reading on shows that there are a few longer stories included, but it takes working through all the brief ones first. All the pieces are not equal but they do all center around concepts of game glitches, game character identity, and the like.

Quite the abrasive introduction is given with the very first short story. I’m probably not far off the mark to say most people reading Ghosts in the Machine have vested interest in the intriguing conversations taking place around games rather than the games themselves. This story in no way caters to the mindset of these individuals and brazenly forces us to deal with a temperamental (but expected) example of gaming culture.

Moving beyond that story, readers are able to participate in less repugnant narratives. They force game players to think about things which likely never come to mind when playing a game itself. After all, who enters into an RPG and wonders what it would be like for the characters of the team to exist only as long as the game is playing? Although the questions are not all very deep, they stand as neat topics worth investigating.

There’s a lot of fun to be had with reading these short stories as some focus rather obviously on known franchises. I was unable to recognize others probably based on real titles, but there was definitely a story about Animal Crossing in there. As entertaining as it is to see a known game being written about it also gives the short story a stronger fan faction vibe. There’s nothing wrong with fan fiction, except when compared to other fan fiction works where there are excellent stories being produced.

If there’s one thing that pulls Ghosts in the Machine down it’s that some of these writers do not appear to be big fiction buffs. Honestly, that’s to be expected. Or, even if they do wolf down fiction stories, many are trained to write from a journalism standpoint – not fiction. It’s because of that I feel some of the stories are lesser. Instead of delivering a salient point they can feel hammy and contrived like your average “creepypasta” tale.

Another odd trend was how many stories in this set are focused on men. Considering the cast of writers includes both women and men who speak critically about gaming it seems incredibly strange that this would be the case. Perhaps this was done to accurately depict the current landscape of games. Primarily, you’ve got stories about men for men. Still, with the control to write your own fiction, it would make sense to inject some more diversity into the casts.

Still, it’s hard to simply ignore this collection. It is an interesting example of how fans can write about games without necessarily writing about any specific game. Video games writing is not devoted entirely to reviews and needs to expand like this. If readers wish to see more out there like this then show that there is a market for Ghosts in the Machine by picking up a copy. And if it turns out you don’t like the end result then try your hand at a short story as I suspect we will see more books like this in the future.

2 out of 5 alpacas

About our rating system

Now begins the section full of my ramblings on each of the thirteen short stories. Author names are linked to their Twitter pages. Each accompanying photo is of a game that I considered while reading, whether or not the story was meant to reflect that game or not.

GDD – Ashton Raze

“I sit at the computer and the Internet is bullshit. I play some flash games, and they’re all bullshit. I rate a few, leave a few comments. I’m already picturing my game up there, top of the rankings, a game for gamers by a gamer. None of this corporate-funded red-tape crap.”

I feel a distinct sense of knowing and pain when being exposed to these thoughts. Not only was there a time that I desired to make a game (and still do) but expected it to be possible. Although the possibility may still exist, the dream has long since left me. That’s the familiarity I share with this, although it may be beyond that.

There was also a time I was more violently opposed to myself in my head. The moments of feeling grave injustice when I was nothing more than a “nice guy” although virulent thoughts clouded my mind were plenty. It was hard, and reading GDD is hard. It reminds me of a part of myself that I hope to never recapture – lifeless, hateful, and self aggrandizing.

March 2010 – Denis Farr

“Or not. Just stay on this page of your life for a bit. Consider the ramifications. Close the story. Skip it. Do you need to see the end?”

This is the question I find myself asking more and more as life continues. Despite living a rather safe life, there are considerations to be made in regards to choices. Choices are all we have. What do you do with your time? I sit here typing, primarily. What if the choice were to make something of my life? Again, a choice – a choice ignored.

As Farr’s piece is a Choose Your Own adventure you feel compelled to see it through. However, it only seeks to illuminate the lack of choice. We have no choice in the matter, it seems, due to fate or our own predetermined personalities. If we are cruel, we will hurt. If we are kind, we may mend. In this case, we have no choice in the matter but to obey the story’s rules. If game characters were living and had autonomy it’s likely obsessive violence would become a niche topic.

Unto Dust – Maddy Myers

“I am tired of being alive, being safe, just sitting by as the world burns down and reconstructs again and again and again, so fast that it makes me sick.”

The question I just posed is examined with this piece. If the polygonal or pixelated people in our games had a mind of their own how would they feel about having no control of their body? Would it be perceived? But if you were aware of it, wouldn’t that just cause worse problems? All I’ve got is questions and no answers.

This story reveals a character in a shooter being hacked to be supremely powerful. An omnipotent other – a game player is the culprit, we must assume. Stirring up the world like that might be the only way anyone would normally recognize a power beyond themselves. And yet, despite being only game characters, it almost seems too much. Too ridiculous – as if the notion of FPS soldiers having cognitive thought weren’t. It’s almost scary how readily we accept the world of fiction.

Ten Steps – Lana Polansky

“He takes a step back, and the world crumbles away. The lines disappear, all the details shatter, and a fractal forms around him. Waves, diffraction, and eventually darkness.”

Furthering the prospect of characters having consciousness is this piece which deals with a hero. He appears to be no different from the leagues of other heroes we have come to know in games (muscled, masculine, a master fighter). But then we experience his weakest point – his game glitches. The hero is forced to start from nothing.

But when he is reducing to the likes of a child who can barely stand and mumble sounds, he becomes nothing. The realization is sensible, but disheartening. What are games when they all follow the same precedent? Yes, indies fight against this notion (sometimes) and provoke us, but to what end does that change massive corporations? It doesn’t. Glitched or not, the hero Bud became a more interesting hero than was ever programmed. If only this could be utilized within a gaming context.

All Time Heroes – Matt Riche

“That there, was his identity. To become number one, you had to want only that, and live only that.”

What does it mean to be a hero? It seems to be the biggest marker of “hero” status in our culture is to survive long enough for someone to honor you. No, this doesn’t mean there are no All Time Heroes out in the world, because there are, but the term has never been used for many deserving individuals.

I want to be number one too, but it’s a thing that comes rarely. Then again, who detests a possible chance to shine as the best in some regard? Reading this story reminded me of failures and how useless the quest to be “the best” actually is. Strive for what you believe is best, but not to wedge yourself into someone else’s label.

The Hierarchy of Needs – Ian Miles Cheong

” ‘Would it be so wrong to take a piss in the corridor?’ He wondered aloud.”

The Sims is one game series that has affected me more than most others in existence. Although I never considered a message within the game, it certainly pairs up well with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Comparing Sims to humans seems pretty outlandish, but this piece did help me consider the vast similarities in our “programming”. After all, that was kind of the point Maxis had been going for.

Thank god then that we rarely have to experience childish tweaks to our homes, such as disappearing toilets or doors or fridges. Without these tools, our lives would be painfully uncomfortable – just as a Sim is who really has to pee. Weirdly, the realization that Sims emote shame is something my younger self also glossed over. But it’s definitely there, telling you to show some empathy for the avatars. But then, if you’d put them in a situation where they had to pee themselves or starve then you likely won’t respond in kind.

Slow Leak – Rollin Bishop

“The sky is a thing of beauty that shifts in color but never really leaves. That’s what I might have said before. Then it left.”

Much of the narratives to be found within Ghosts of the Machine focus on the realization of something greater than oneself. What an odd conversation to have, though. Because we are aware that these fictional figures are controlled we share writings that evoke a feeling of the unknown and control from elsewhere. Yet, in person, it seems likely that many of the authors would not necessarily pledge allegiance with any particular religion. At least, that is my perception.

It also makes me feel a little uncomfortable. After all, science itself is primarily centered around theories and not facts. We take these theories as facts because we have ample evidence to support them but contradictory or changing evidence could still appear down the line. With such a weird, massive set of theories to rely on, my consideration of these fictional tales changes slightly. My existence is not questioned – nothing that extreme – but there are tweaked considerations clouding my mind.

If the Sun Rises Again – Dylan Sabin

“You have accomplished the impossible… Have you paused once since you rested upon that throne to question the sheer absurdity of what you have done?”

This is the consideration that has been seeing far more discussion as of late in the world of games writing. Characters consistently do incredible, impossible, and ridiculous things. Still, many christen these games as “realistic”. In ways they are, but in other ways they are ridiculous cartoons dressed up with a mature appearance.

In part, it seems that Spec Ops: The Line led the charge to discuss this sort of thing in games rather than just the gameplay or other commentary offered. For that reason I’m surprised this wasn’t written by Brendan Keogh, considering his novella-sized essay Killing is Harmless focuses entirely on Spec Ops.

A Perfect Apple – Alois Wittwer

“As she picked up the leftover fruit off the ground, she realized that this tree would be brimming with apples again within a few days. It would always be producing something. It would never stop.”

Memories of Animal Crossing washed over me. Not of the latest 3DS rendition, Wii, or even DS version. No, these were the recollections of my hours spent on the GameCube. It was a period when I was young enough to play for 4-6 hour stretches on the weekend with no reason to do anything else. Anything and everything could be wrong outside, but the digital world was mine to hone.

Does it feel sad to remember? In a way, sure, just as reading this piece does. There was no ultimate point to the game and that was something I didn’t need to worry about. With the 3DS game, I’m constantly aware of the futility of playing. Now it seems the task is to keep up with everyone else playing. I gave it up because there was no lure for me to play for myself anymore.

See You on the Other Side – Shelley Du

“This is what happens after a Game Over.”

By this point it felt as though there would be no territory left to plow through with short stories, but there is still something left. In my childish mind, I used to consider that inanimate objects would animate once people had stopped manipulating them. These ideas were probably fostered by films such as Toy Story and Small Soldiers rather than an active imagination.

In any case, the ideas shared here are different. Once the player has given up then there is no life granted to the characters in the game. With such a melancholic atmosphere, it’s hard to even consider the player in the equation. There are very few games that I can ever play routinely without stopping. It would be nice to have one game that could keep me hooked in the long run the way I used to play.

Patched Up – Ryan Morning

“You’re one of the original characters. People will always play you.”

Video game patches have become a necessity in the gaming world but are something I’m not fully ready to embrace. It’s not as if games before now were pristine, glitch-free experiences but they were usually required to pass some standard before being published. Now it’s those games with zillions of dollars poured into them that produce the most consistent and massive glitches out there. Granted, complexity breeds new unforeseen issues, but it’s still annoying.

It’s online games that seem best suited toward a world of patches. Even still, new patches often cause new headaches. Riffing off a similar concept of a previous story, we see here one where glitches are caused by overeager developers. What a pain it would be to have your skills continually changed from one extreme to the other because of the whims (or mistakes) of developers.

Supercollider – Alan Williamson

“Nick wondered how a bird’s-eye view of the city would look: maybe like a computer’s motherboard with visible electric pulses. The traffic lights were logic gates that let the vehicles pass, but there was no logic to this repetition.”

Although this was likely not the intention, my mind rushed away to memories of Grand Theft Auto 3. It was with that game I started a love affair with the PlayStation 2 that continues to this day. It never made me think about anything deep though and simply let me focus on destruction.

Purposeful destruction is one of the great joys of playing a game and I think this notion is shared by many. We may not always want games that are so pointless, but there is something deeply pleasing about doing something for no reason other than seeing what you can make happen. There’s no need to run from such emotions and instead embrace them when a game allows an open playing field for chaotic decision-making.

Good Losers Are Pretty – Andrew Vanden Bossche

“Pretty Monster was made by some rules, and what she thought and who she was, what she had done and would most likely do, were as fundamental to her as her walk speed and the active frames of her heavy punch.”

Humanizing game characters was taken to its most extreme with the final story in the collection. Here we have a character named Pretty Monster who is alive though she was designed for a game. I like this story the most because it is not attempting to harp on some treacherous part of humanity or be saccharine either. Instead we’ve got a very simple story about the worst character in a fighting game.

Even if they’re the worst, though, there’s always someone out there who will play them. I likely do that a lot myself considering my love but lack of knowledge for fighting games as a whole. Who is the worst and who is the noob character? I don’t know, but they all are enjoyable to play from my perspective.