Introduction

The introduction provides a background and overview of the research. The chapter begins by examining fantasy in contemporary consumer culture and research. Based on this, the aim of the book is outlined: exploring the subjectively experienced performance of fantasy as a lived phenomenon. The chapter further provides a description of the research context, live action role-playing games, which is followed by a summary of the research approach of performance theory and the research methods, which included ethnography, interviews, and art-based research. The chapter concludes with a description of the cultural context, the limitations of the research, and an outline of the book’s structure.