I’ve read a lot of books about video games over the years, some of them dry and academic, others more nerdy and obsessive, but I don’t think any of them have been as insightful or important as Tom Bissell’s Extra Lives. Bissell is a fiction writer who just so happens to love playing video games in his spare time, which puts him in a unique position to offer criticism. He is an unabashed fan, filled with optimism and excitement about the potential of interactive entertainment, but he also knows a thing or two about storytelling and has no problem exposing the eye-rolling shortcomings of what is still a very immature medium from an artistic point of view.

Yes, he does talk a little bit about the whole “Are video games art?” debate, a fire that was fueled by Roger Ebert not too long ago, but he doesn’t dwell on it. The book is a collection of his own experiences playing games like Resident Evil, Far Cry 2, and Grand Theft Auto 4 mixed with interviews from various game developers including Jonathan Blow (Braid), Drew Karpyshyn (Mass Effect), and of course, Cliffy B. (Gears of War). Along the way, he describes his experiences in these virtual worlds almost like a travel writer would, but the literary critic in him also cannot help condemning some of the limitations and failures of his favourite games.

It’s a compelling read with a relatively casual and personal feel, and I think it asks the kinds of questions that more gamers need to be asking about the stuff they play instead of just mindlessly plowing through them. We know what the technology is capable of, but where do we go from here? When will games truly set themselves apart from novels and movies? The truth is, it’s already happening… it’s just a question of when the mainstream will follow.