Minecraft: The Island

Minecraft: The Island
Author	Max Brooks
Language	English
Genre	Fiction
Publisher	Del Ray Books
Publication date	July 2017
Pages	288
ISBN	9780399181771

Minecraft: The Island is an young adult isekai novel by Max Brooks, published in July 2017 by Del Ray Books. It was followed by two direct sequels: Minecraft: The Mountain (published in March 2021) and Minecraft: The Village (published in October 2023).

Background

Brooks' interest in the sandbox video game Minecraft began around 2012 when a friend introduced him to the game. In 2015, he was asked by Mojang to write a novel centered around the game. By the time his contract with Mojang had been completed, Brooks had finished a manuscript.^[1]

When he was writing the novel, Brooks was given creative freedom for everything except the protagonist's physical traits. Mojang wanted readers to picture themselves in the novel, and were, according to Brooks, "very hands on when it came to inclusiveness".^[1]

Plot

Written for a young-adult audience,^[1] the book is divided into chapters that each teach a specific life lesson.^[2] It begins with an unnamed narrator from the real world, whose gender Brooks does not identify,^[1] arriving at a deserted island and finding that they are stuck in the world of Minecraft. They are forced to learn how this unfamiliar world works.^[2]

Publication history

Minecraft: The Island was published in July 2017 by Del Ray Books. Two audiobooks, one narrated by Jack Black and the other narrated by Samira Wiley, were commissioned by Mojang in order to give listeners the option to choose between a male and female voice.^[1]

Reception

Jason Sheehan of NPR was intrigued by Brooks' ability to create a story that adhered to the restrictions imposed by Minecraft's game mechanics, calling the novel "a master's thesis on internal consistency in genre literature".^[2] Tim Martin of 1843, however, found the novel to be uninteresting.^[3] Though describing the plot as "ha[ving] a mechanical feel", John Peters of Booklist wrote that the book contained "useful hints and strategies".^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Alter, Alexandra (July 26, 2017). "'Minecraft: The Island' Blurs the Line Between Fiction and Gaming". The New York Times. Vol. 166, no. 57671. p. B1. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Sheehan, Jason (July 22, 2017). "Life Lessons (With Zombies) In 'Minecraft: The Island'". NPR. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
^ Martin, Tim (July 10, 2017). "The first Minecraft novel...or is it a self-help book?". 1843. The Economist Group. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
^ Peters, John (October 4, 2017). "Review: Minecraft: The Island". Booklist Online. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.

[nyt-1] Alter, Alexandra (July 26, 2017). "'Minecraft: The Island' Blurs the Line Between Fiction and Gaming". The New York Times. Vol. 166, no. 57671. p. B1. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2023.

[npr-2] Sheehan, Jason (July 22, 2017). "Life Lessons (With Zombies) In 'Minecraft: The Island'". NPR. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2023.

[1843mag-3] Martin, Tim (July 10, 2017). "The first Minecraft novel...or is it a self-help book?". 1843. The Economist Group. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.

[booklist-4] Peters, John (October 4, 2017). "Review: Minecraft: The Island". Booklist Online. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.

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