Masters of Doom

How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

By: David Kushner

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Masters of Doom is the amazing true story of the Lennon and McCartney of video games: John Carmack and John Romero. Together, they ruled big business. They transformed popular culture. And they provoked a national controversy. More than anything, they lived a unique and rollicking American Dream, escaping the broken homes of their youth to produce the most notoriously successful game franchises in history - Doom and Quake - until the games they made tore them apart. This is a story of friendship and betrayal, commerce and artistry - a powerful and compassionate account of what it's like to be young, driven, and wildly creative.

©2003 David Kushner (P)2012 Audiobooks.com

Critic reviews

"Compelling . . . Masters of Doom succeeds on several levels. It's just great storytelling, with perfect pacing, drama and characterization. It's also an excellent business book, a cautionary tale with the kind of insider detail that other writers working in the genre should envy." ( Houston Chronicle)

“Kushner’s mesmerizing tale of the Two Johns moves at a rapid clip . . . describing the twists and turns of fate that led them to team up in creating the most powerful video games of their generation. . . . An exciting combination of biography and technology.” ( USA Today)

“Meticulously researched . . . as a ticktock of the creative process and as insight into a powerful medium too often dismissed as kids’ stuff, Masters of Doom blasts its way to a high score.” ( Entertainment Weekly)

could not stop listening

I grew up with those games as a kid and I really appreciate learning all about the history and behind the scenes. a very easy to comprehend book. highly recommend

Like the book. Dislike the narrator

A fascinating account.
I could do without Wheaton though. His voice starts to grate during longer listening sessons.

A New Perspective For My Favorite Games

I always knew id was the maker of some of the most amazing games of my teenage years, but I never knew that they were made by just a handful of people. The story behind their rise is amazing and if anything, to short. I was sad to reach the end of this book, but so happy to have heard the story. And to top it off, it was narrated by Wil Wheaton who has an amazing talent to bring books to life.

A look into the 90s video game industry

Incredible book. Makes me wish I could go back in time and try to follow in the footsteps of these two John's.

As always, Wil Wheaton's narration far exceeds expectations. I've reached a point where I don't think I can listen to another book unless it's read by Wil!

Also 4 non gamers

I grow up at time of home computers and game culture revolution, although I don't consider myself a gamer I loved this book, amazing story of the boom of the game industry, today one of the most popular and profit.
Amazing job from Wil Wheaton making you dive into the book.
Strongly recommend, you will have a great time... Guaranteed!

Wow, I loved the games these guys made!

Well read, but the real appeal was personal. If you ever felt the primeval thrill of a Quake deathmatch, this yarn is for you.

Great Book!

Great book of you're a fan of gaming history and especially Doom!

Wil Wheaton always does a great job performing.

My favorite book this year so far

This book was fantastic and I finished it within a week. The story, the narration, the research... Everything was great! I've been a gamer for over 30 years, and the references to many of my gaming developer heroes was borderline magical. I have been recommending this book to friends all week, because it almost feels like it's filling in a missing part of my childhood. Incredibly recommended!

Enlightening and Entertaining

If you have fond memories of the early gaming Doom era like me, you'll love this book. The story of John Carmack and John Romero is incredibly fascinating and the performance by Will Wheaton is absolutely captivating (I admit I actually found this book by searching for other narrations by him after having heard his incredible reading of Ready Player One). Not only is this book very informative but I've never had so much fun with an audiobook as I did listening to this one. I wish there was another update or similar style of book as I am definitely wanting more!

Addicting, fast paced, and a blast of nostalgia

Would you consider the audio edition of Masters of Doom to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version, so I can't say.

What other book might you compare Masters of Doom to and why?

Sadly I haven't read enough books to make a one to one comparison, but any book about friendship turning to rivalry would suffice.

What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Yes, he does an excellent job giving life to the characters and helping you visualize them with lots of details.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was fortunate enough to experience some of the bliss they were sharing over the story, particularly with an exciting breakthrough. I was giddy at times and shared their joy, and at times their frustration.

Any additional comments?

Loved this book, one of my favorites and totally worth the time and cost. You won't regret picking this up.