Authors (card game)

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Authors or, The Game of Authors is an educational game for three to five players. First was published by G. M. Whipple & A. A. Smith of Salem, Massachusetts in 1861, The Game of Authors was in 1897 published by Parker Brothers, also located in Salem, Massachusetts at that time.[1]

Overview[]

Game of Authors card deck from 1897
Parker Brothers Game of Authors card deck from 1897

The Game of Authors is one of the earliest versions of the family of Go Fish games, in which players call on each other to give up a named card.[2] The play is based on a specialized deck of playing cards. The deck consists of eleven sets of four cards, each set representing the works of eleven famous British and American authors, mainly of the 19th Century. The object of the game is to form complete sets of the four cards comprising the works of a particular author. The winner is the player with the most sets.[1]

The game is the creation of Anne Abbott,[3] a Beverly, Massachusetts clergyman's daughter and editor of a young people's literary journal. Abbott also designed the hugely popular mid-19th Century card game, Dr. Busby.[4]

Later decks included additional authors, but the authors represented in most decks are:

Derivative games[]

Similar playing card games have been developed with decks having similar rules and set building mechanics. Some of these are:[1]

  • American Authors
  • American Women Authors
  • Baseball Legends
  • Children’s Authors
  • Composers
  • Explorers
  • Inventors

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c McAdam, D. J.. Authors Card Game. 2001-2004. Retrieved 11 November 2008.
  2. ^ The Game of Authors (1861) BoardGameGeek, accessed 11 June 2021.
  3. ^ Orbanes, Philip E.. The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit. Harvard Business School Press, 14 November 2003. ISBN 1-59139-269-1; ISBN 978-1-59139-269-9.
  4. ^ Wolverton, Nan. "Toys and Childhood in the Early 19th Century." Old Sturbridge Village Visitor, Spring 1998.

External links[]


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