What’s on your bookshelf?: QWOP, Getting Over It, and Ape Out’s Bennet Foddy

From Academic Philosophy to Literary Rediscovery

Foddy candidly describes a period in his life when he stopped reading for years, feeling burned out from his career in academic philosophy. During this time, his focus shifted almost exclusively to games and film, leaving little room for other forms of storytelling. However, over the past couple of years, he has rekindled his reading habit, approaching books with fresh enthusiasm.

Currently, Foddy is engaged with Mary Beard’s The Fires of Vesuvius, a historical exploration of Pompeii inspired by his recent visit to the ancient ruins. This choice reflects his interest in history and culture, as well as a personal connection to the subject matter. Beard’s work, known for its scholarly rigor and accessible prose, offers Foddy a way to connect with the past through a contemporary lens.

Literary Works That Resonate: Humor, Philosophy, and Social Commentary

Among the recent books Foddy has read is The Husbands, the debut novel by game designer and curator Holly Gramazio. He praises the book for its blend of humor and philosophical depth, highlighting how it uses a series of imagined husbands to explore the nature of romantic commitment. This approach mirrors the narrative technique of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, which employs fantastical settings to reflect on real societal themes.

Foddy’s appreciation for literature that combines wit with thoughtful reflection underscores his own creative sensibilities. The Husbands’ ability to provoke laughter while encouraging deeper contemplation aligns with the kind of layered experiences he strives to create in his games.

Exploring Graphic Novels and the Evolution of Comic Storytelling

Looking ahead, Foddy plans to read Monica, a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. A fan of Clowes’ influential Eightball series from the 1990s, Foddy is curious to see how the author’s work has evolved over the past 25 years. Clowes’ Ghost World, a cult favorite, was instrumental in expanding the possibilities of comic books beyond traditional boundaries.

This interest in graphic novels reflects Foddy’s broader engagement with diverse storytelling mediums and his recognition of comics as a form capable of innovation and artistic experimentation.

Memorable Literary Moments and Personal Reflections

Foddy recalls a particularly striking scene from Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, where a young man’s request for financial help is met with a deliberately evasive and humorous response from his wealthy father. The passage’s blend of wit and subtle social critique left a strong impression on Foddy, who admires the father’s advanced level of verbal trolling despite not being a parent himself.

Such moments highlight Foddy’s appreciation for nuanced writing that combines humor with insight into human relationships and social dynamics.

Books Recommended to Friends: The Power and Responsibility of Art

Foddy often encourages his game designer friends to read Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World. The novel centers on an artist grappling with his role in Japan’s involvement in World War II and raises enduring questions about the influence and responsibility of artists.

The book’s exploration of whether art can truly affect the world beyond its own sphere resonates with Foddy, especially in today’s digital age where the impact of creative work is frequently debated. This theme aligns with his own reflections on the power of games as artistic expressions.

The Challenge of Adapting Books into Games

When asked about adapting literature into video games, Foddy expresses skepticism about the compatibility of the two mediums. He believes that books and games often operate under different conventions and that direct adaptations can be challenging.

However, he is intrigued by Leonard Richardson’s Constellation Games, a novel featuring a game designer protagonist who plays alien retro games to understand their culture. Foddy sees this as a unique opportunity to break free from conventional game design and explore new creative lineages inspired by literature.

This perspective highlights his interest in innovation within game design and the potential for literary concepts to inspire novel gameplay experiences without strict adherence to traditional adaptation.

What this means

Bennet Foddy’s reflections on his bookshelf offer a window into the mind of a game designer who bridges the worlds of philosophy, literature, and interactive media. His renewed passion for reading and his thoughtful engagement with diverse genres underscore the importance of cross-disciplinary influences in creative work. While he remains skeptical about direct adaptations of books into games, Foddy’s openness to literary inspiration signals a fertile ground for innovation in game design. For readers and gamers alike, his insights highlight how storytelling in all its forms can inform and enrich the experiences we create and enjoy.