"Barrowcliffe...wonderfully captures the insensitivity, insecurity and selfishness of the adolescent male. His eye for the oddities of 1970s British life is equally astute...Barrowcliffe renders all the comedy and sorrow of early manhood, when boys flee the wretchedness of their real status for a taste of power in imaginary domains."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"[A] fine first memoir... Elfish Gene amounts to a portrait of the artist as a young nerd...What, readers might wonder, did Barrowcliffe learn from his stints as a fighter, cleric and magic user? Certainly he learned about the uses (and abuses) of fantasy—the subject of this incisive, sometimes touching remembrance. Although he never states the formulation so straightforwardly, Barrowcliffe very likely attributes his career as a novelist to his time as a role-player. "—Paste

"Such a success...both astounding and almost poignant...genuinely heartwarming...[Barrowcliffe] allows the book to transcend the rather arcane game that is, ostensibly, its subject. Certainly, those of us who grew up playing D&D will roll our saving throws against this particular grimoire's charm-person spell at a substantial penalty (-5). But even those unable to decipher that last sentence might like it, too. "—Time Out Chicago

"The word geek has been co-opted as of late, transformed into a moniker of pride. In a world where wizards are actually cool, it's an easy label to live with. But Mark Barrowcliffe, author of the uncomfortably confessional memoir The Elfish Gene, lived the geek life back in the '70s, when it was a plague on your house...Thanks to his immersion in D&D, Barrowcliffe was an emotional and social wreck. Luckily, he emerged a funny one, and his gently knowing style makes the pain of identification a pleasure.” "—Entertainment Weekly

"A brilliantly funny memoir about adolescent awkwardness in the 1970s...Barrowcliffe is hilariously self-aware...though much of the book includes particulars of D&D, making it a must-read for gamers, the former standup comedian is so genial, his memoir will appeal to a wide audience."—Philadelphia Weekly