Explore/Create: My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark

by Richard Garriott, David Fisher

Overview

An inventor, adventurer, entrepreneur, collector, and entertainer, and son of legendary scientist-astronaut Owen Garriott, Richard Garriott de Cayeux has been behind some of the most exciting undertakings of our time. A legendary pioneer of the online gaming industry—and a member of every gaming Hall of Fame—Garriott invented the multi-player online game, and coined the term “Avatar” to describe an individual’s online character.

A lifelong adventurer and member of the Explorers Club, Garriott has used the fortune he amassed from the gaming business to embark on a number of thrilling expeditions. He has plumbed the depths of the Atlantic ocean to see the remains of the Titanic, hunted for meteorites in Antarctica, and in 2008 became one of the first private citizens to be launched into space. Richard has been one of the foremost pioneers of the private space industry, investing his time and energy into making space travel more accessible.

In this fascinating memoir, Garriott invites readers on the great adventure that is his life. Yet his is no ordinary autobiography; throughout, Garriott engages readers with interactive activities and challenges them with “secret codes” for his games. An audacious genius with an insatiable curiosity and an irrepressible playfulness, Garriott takes readers on an unforgettable intellectual experience that is enlightening, adventurous, and fun.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062286673
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	01/10/2017
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Richard Garriott founded the gaming companies Origin Systems, Destination Games, and most recently Portalarium. His Ultima series has sold millions of copies worldwide. In 2008, Richard rode Soyuz TMA-13 to the International Space Station, becoming the first American second-generation space traveler. He lives in New York City with his wife, Laetitia, and their two children.

David Fisher is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including 22 New York Times bestsellers. He has worked with George Burns, Johnnie Cochran, and Terry Bradshaw, among others. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Titanic Mistakes 5

2 I was a Teenage Dungeon Master 13

3 The Origin of Origin 25

4 The Wonders of Wondering 49

5 Minding My Own Business 69

6 A Universal Language 79

7 IV-Play <$$$> The New Rules of Engagement 91

8 Making Enemies 102

9 The Haunted <$$$> Themed Interactive Events 115

10 The Magic of Science 135

11 The discovery of the Pina Colada 145

12 End <$$$> the Beginning of the World 151

13 Nothing for Money 173

14 <$$$> a World and Never Got a Day of Rest 181

15 <$$$>: A-Geocaching We Will <$$$> 193

16 Playing for Keeps 201

17 <$$$> 201

18 <$$$> 221

19 Taking Up Space 255

20 Don't Kill Stephen Hawking! 269

21 Oh! The Places We'll Go 277

Acknowledgements <$$$>

Editorial Reviews

Richard Garriott has inspired me to explore and create since I was a teenager. I never would’ve written Ready Player One if I hadn’t grown up playing the games he created as Lord British. This is the book I’ve been waiting to read for a long, long time.” — Ernest Cline, New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One

“Fascinating.... Demystifies an industry and a man so instrumental in it.... A rich compendium of stories from an extraordinary life.” — Eurogamer.net

“Lively and entertaining.... [Garriott] embeds puzzles and games in the book for those who want to take it beyond the simple experience of reading.... Those looking for glimpses into an adventurous life should be pleased.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Explore/Create is a chronicle of wonder, and the many wondrous things the future may hold. Richard and I have long shared a passion for space. Perhaps one day our kids will create and play games on a new world!” — Elon Musk, CEO, SpaceX and Tesla Motors

“Richard and his partners at Zero-G took me on my first flight into weightlessness. ... I applaud his spirit and have enjoyed the fruits of his labor.” — Stephen Hawking

“I was so taken by Richard Garriott’s game Ultima that I was nearly speechless when I met him at a pizza joint in Chicago. Now finally, Richard has shared his compelling story with the rest of us in Explore/Create.” — Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple

“Richard and I are both among the first private astronauts, and we have used our unbound power of imagination to take us to new heights. This book will take you on an insider’s journey into Richards fascinating mind from creating virtual worlds and characters to exploring the cosmos. Buckle up!” — Anousheh Ansari, 1st Muslim woman to go into space

“Garriott’s enthusiasm for his passions is evident and... even inspirational.” — Booklist Online

“Telling. ... Learn [Garriott’s] secret to staying creative and gain valuable insight into his crazy-interesting history.” — Brit + Co

“An entertaining book that describes Garriott’s twin passions to explore (not just space but also the deep sea and Antarctica, among other places) and create.” — The Space Review

From the Publisher

Fascinating.... Demystifies an industry and a man so instrumental in it.... A rich compendium of stories from an extraordinary life.

Eurogamer.net

Richard Garriott has inspired me to explore and create since I was a teenager. I never would’ve written Ready Player One if I hadn’t grown up playing the games he created as Lord British. This is the book I’ve been waiting to read for a long, long time.

Ernest Cline

Richard and his partners at Zero-G took me on my first flight into weightlessness. ... I applaud his spirit and have enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Stephen Hawking

I was so taken by Richard Garriott’s game Ultima that I was nearly speechless when I met him at a pizza joint in Chicago. Now finally, Richard has shared his compelling story with the rest of us in Explore/Create.

Steve Wozniak

Richard and I are both among the first private astronauts, and we have used our unbound power of imagination to take us to new heights. This book will take you on an insider’s journey into Richards fascinating mind from creating virtual worlds and characters to exploring the cosmos. Buckle up!

Anousheh Ansari

An entertaining book that describes Garriott’s twin passions to explore (not just space but also the deep sea and Antarctica, among other places) and create.

The Space Review

Garriott’s enthusiasm for his passions is evident and... even inspirational.

Booklist Online

Telling. ... Learn [Garriott’s] secret to staying creative and gain valuable insight into his crazy-interesting history.

Brit + Co

Explore/Create is a chronicle of wonder, and the many wondrous things the future may hold. Richard and I have long shared a passion for space. Perhaps one day our kids will create and play games on a new world!

Elon Musk

2016-10-20
Game designer, entrepreneur, and adventurer Garriott de Cayeux explores a number of his escapades.The author, who describes himself as a "serial enthusiast" with an "almost desperate need for adventure," is best known as the creator of the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game, "Ultima Online." During his Dungeons & Dragons-playing youth in the 1970s, he learned how to program computers; along with his brother, they began crafting video games, including a large number of "Ultima" games. His descriptions of the challenges of dealing with the surprising success of "Ultima Online," though disappointingly brief, make up the most fascinating portion of the book. The author is clearly exhilarated to find ways to make his world more detailed and fend off those attempting to destroy it, and he is astonished to observe the growing intersection between the economy of his world and the real-world economy. With the fortune he made in his various companies, he has gone on to put his dreams into action: he built a haunted house for himself in Austin, Texas, rode in a submarine down to where the Titanic rests (and almost got trapped in the process), and, most famously, bought a two-week sojourn in the Russian section of the International Space Station, an experience he discusses mostly in relation to the difficulties of using the restroom in space. This is not a book in which other people feature heavily or in which the dots are connected, though the author's stories are lively and entertaining. He embeds puzzles and games in the book for those who want to take it beyond the simple experience of reading. Not so much a conventional memoir as a series of anecdotes. While its insights are limited, those looking for glimpses into an adventurous life should be pleased.

Kirkus Reviews