Jordan R. Youngblood

Biography

Dr. Youngblood is a digital humanities researcher with particular interest in the intersections between video games, gender, and sexuality. His work covers a range of material from participatory fan culture to level and narrative design. A life-long Southerner prior to Eastern, Dr. Youngblood earned his Ph.D in English from the University of Florida and his M.A. from the University of Mississippi.

Research Interests

• video games
• gender & sexualities studies
• digital culture and rhetorics

Teaching Interests

• Interactive design
• Technology and culture
• Identity and power

Publications

“When (and What) Queerness Counts: Homonationalism and Militarism in the Mass Effect Series.” Game Studies 18.3 (January 2019):

“The Endless End of the World: Queering the Eco-Apocalyptic Narrative of Final Fantasy VI.” TRACE 1.2 (Winter 2018):

“‘Your Life? Your Family? They’re a Fairy Tale, Kid’: Queering Timelines and Reproduction in BioShock." Beyond the Sea: Navigating BioShock. Ed. Felan Parker and Jessica Aldred. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018.

“‘What kind of monster are you…?’: Undertale, Queer Play, and Horror(ific)Video Games via Critical Gaming Literacy.” Horror Literature and Dark Fantasy: Challenging Genres. Ed. Mark Fabrizi. Boston: Brill, 2018.

“‘I Wouldn’t Even Know the Real Me Myself’: Queering Failure in Metal Gear Solid 2.” Queer Game Studies. Ed. Adrienne Shaw and Bonnie Ruberg. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017.