Sex Change in RPGs

Rani Baker has written an interesting article on gender bending in tabletop role playing games throughout the ages: “Is Every Woman Here A Sex Change?” — Trans In Cyberpunk RPG

Here is a relevant quote:

But in the 90s, the cyberpunk genre emerged to dust off these Atomic Age artefacts and carefully lay a patina of grunge over them, showcasing them between images of shock value fetish and surprisingly accurate speculation on an internet culture that was barely beginning to exist. Atomic Age fascination with transsexuals as a form of body augmentation fared no differently. The genre, with it’s focus on self-identity, chaos and tech, seemed to go hand in hand with tabletop and computer role-playing, and many series developed congruently with their spin-off RPGs. Hell, even Infocom, the makers of Zork, released a computer game where you could do drugs and hook up with transsexual strippers.

More here!