Boss Fight Books has opened a new Kickstarter for But Can It Run Doom?, a focused, 224-page volume by veteran games writer David L.
Craddock that traces the development and cultural afterlife of id Software’s landmark 1993 first-person shooter Doom.
The campaign, which surpassed its initial $5,000 funding target immediately, will publish the book in hardback, paperback, and eBook formats and features new commissioned art by Daniel McGuffrey.
The Kickstarter closes on December 10, and backers are being told books are expected to ship in early 2027.
Background and scope
Doom first released on December 10, 1993, and quickly became a defining title for PC gaming and first-person shooters.
Over the past three decades the game has been ported and adapted to a wide range of platforms — from classic consoles to modern systems — and spawned an internet-wide pastime of running Doom on unusual hardware.
Craddock, author of Stay Awhile and Listen, will place the original PC release and its more complex console conversions at the center of his narrative before examining the parade of unconventional “ports,” which have seen Doom displayed or adapted on devices as varied as calculators, oscilloscopes, and household appliances.
Contributors and archival access
The book includes a foreword by id Software co‑founder John Romero and features interviews with key id figures including John Carmack and Tom Hall, as well as console soundtrack composer Aubrey Hodges.
The Special Edition will collect these interviews and additional archival material.
Boss Fight Books is known for concise, single‑title examinations of classic games, and this release extends that approach to one of gaming’s most meme‑worthy subjects.
Why this matters
But Can It Run Doom? aims to document both technical history and cultural impact: the engineering behind early ports, the challenges of adapting software across hardware generations, and the viral phenomenon that keeps Doom in headlines decades after its release.
The project also underscores how a single game from 1993 continues to be relevant across modern platforms — including contemporary console releases and ports that brought Doom and its successors to systems such as the Nintendo Switch.
Campaign details
The Kickstarter campaign exceeded its opening goal quickly and is now pursuing stretch goals and additional editions.
Backers can choose between standard and special editions; the project page lists estimated delivery schedules with the publisher targeting early 2027 for physical shipments.
The campaign closes December 10.
Journalistic note
Boss Fight Books’ latest Kickstarter promises a fact‑driven chronicle of Doom’s technical lineage and cultural reach, written by an established games historian and augmented by firsthand interviews with some of the industry’s most significant creators.
Craddock that traces the development and cultural afterlife of id Software’s landmark 1993 first-person shooter Doom.
The campaign, which surpassed its initial $5,000 funding target immediately, will publish the book in hardback, paperback, and eBook formats and features new commissioned art by Daniel McGuffrey.
The Kickstarter closes on December 10, and backers are being told books are expected to ship in early 2027.
Background and scope
Doom first released on December 10, 1993, and quickly became a defining title for PC gaming and first-person shooters.
Over the past three decades the game has been ported and adapted to a wide range of platforms — from classic consoles to modern systems — and spawned an internet-wide pastime of running Doom on unusual hardware.
Craddock, author of Stay Awhile and Listen, will place the original PC release and its more complex console conversions at the center of his narrative before examining the parade of unconventional “ports,” which have seen Doom displayed or adapted on devices as varied as calculators, oscilloscopes, and household appliances.
Contributors and archival access
The book includes a foreword by id Software co‑founder John Romero and features interviews with key id figures including John Carmack and Tom Hall, as well as console soundtrack composer Aubrey Hodges.
The Special Edition will collect these interviews and additional archival material.
Boss Fight Books is known for concise, single‑title examinations of classic games, and this release extends that approach to one of gaming’s most meme‑worthy subjects.
Why this matters
But Can It Run Doom? aims to document both technical history and cultural impact: the engineering behind early ports, the challenges of adapting software across hardware generations, and the viral phenomenon that keeps Doom in headlines decades after its release.
The project also underscores how a single game from 1993 continues to be relevant across modern platforms — including contemporary console releases and ports that brought Doom and its successors to systems such as the Nintendo Switch.
Campaign details
The Kickstarter campaign exceeded its opening goal quickly and is now pursuing stretch goals and additional editions.
Backers can choose between standard and special editions; the project page lists estimated delivery schedules with the publisher targeting early 2027 for physical shipments.
The campaign closes December 10.
Journalistic note
Boss Fight Books’ latest Kickstarter promises a fact‑driven chronicle of Doom’s technical lineage and cultural reach, written by an established games historian and augmented by firsthand interviews with some of the industry’s most significant creators.
