- Table View
- List View
Game On!: Gamification, Gameful Design, and the Rise of the Gamer Educator (Tech.edu: A Hopkins Series on Education and Technology)
by Kevin BellHelping teachers take advantage of game design principles and intrinsic motivators to build more effective courses.The changing student body in American higher education demands a new approach to teaching, one that moves toward inclusive, hyperpersonalized learning environments that have much in common with games and social media. Kevin Bell’s Game On! presents dynamic case studies of gamer educators and game-derived techniques to help instructors creatively formulate their own teaching strategies. Breaking gamefully designed classes into their component parts, Bell analyzes what these classes are actually doing and explains why they work. He offers faculty a rubric to assess their own courses for their propensity to engage students, particularly those from low socioeconomic and high-risk populations. Bell explores how game design, pedagogy, and intrinsic motivators can level the playing field to produce rigorous learning environments that are as addictive to all participants as the latest apps and social media systems. He also discusses best practices, lays out the broader context of computer-mediated teaching and learning, and considers the challenges and opportunities that gamification presents.Instructors would do well to consider the key tenets of successful games if they are to engage and graduate the coming generations of learners. Bell’s careful analysis of the theories behind gamification, cognitive science, and instructional design will help them to do just that.
Game Over: Press Start To Continue
by David SheffThe history of Nintendo. How did a Japanese company that once manufactured playing cards end up capturing nearly all of America's multi-billion dollar video-game industry in the early '90s? What is it about games that feature an obstinate ape ("Donkey Kong") and an intrepid plumber ("Super Mario Bros. ") that make them so addictive to consumers of all ages? And was it inventive genius or business hardball that enabled Nintendo to gross more after taxes in 1992 than Apple, IBM, Microsoft or all the major U. S. film studios combined?
Game Poems: Videogame Design as Lyric Practice
by Jordan MagnusonScholars, critics, and creators describe certain videogames as being “poetic,” yet what that means or why it matters is rarely discussed. In Game Poems: Videogame Design as Lyric Practice, independent game designer Jordan Magnuson explores the convergences between game making and lyric poetry and makes the surprising proposition that videogames can operate as a kind of poetry apart from any reliance on linguistic signs or symbols. This rigorous and accessible short book first examines characteristics of lyric poetry and explores how certain videogames can be appreciated more fully when read in light of the lyric tradition—that is, when read as “game poems.” Magnuson then lays groundwork for those wishing to make game poems in practice, providing practical tips and pointers along with tools and resources. Rather than propose a monolithic framework or draw a sharp line between videogame poems and poets and their nonpoetic counterparts, Game Poems brings to light new insights for videogames and for poetry by promoting creative dialogue between disparate fields. The result is a lively account of poetic game-making praxis. “Everyone who loves the true power of games will benefit from the treasure trove of insights in Game Poems.” — Jesse Schell, author of The Art of Game Design “Magnuson shines a sensitive and incisive light on small, often moving, videogames.” — D. Fox Harrell, Ph.D., Professor of Digital Media, Computing, and Artificial Intelligence, MIT “[Game Poems] tells a new story about games— that games can be lyrical, beautiful, emotionally challenging—to inspire creators and critics alike.” —Noah Wardrip-Fruin, author of How Pac-Man Eats “Even as the news swells with impending doom for creativity, writing, and text itself, this literate and crafty book pursues poetry not through implacable algorithms but in concrete and personal play. It should be an indispensable guide for anyone who aims to maintain the true, human promise of technical poetics.”—Stuart Moulthrop, coauthor of Twining: Critical and Creative Approaches to Hypertext Narratives “For far too long videogames have flourished – and commanded both capital and attention – in a kind of counterculture that they seem to have created as if ex nihilo for themselves and their players. But we are these players, and their culture has always been integrated with all of our own. In this evenhanded artist-scholar’s ars poetica Jordan Magnuson respects the material cultural specificity of videogames while regarding them through the ‘lens of poetry’ in order to discover – and help create – a practice and an art of Game Poems within the wider field. Magnuson formally, int(erv)entionally embraces this art as lyrically poetic.”—John Cayley, Brown University “In Game Poems, Magnuson listens carefully to videogames, and hears them speak to questions of art, language, and meaning that connect our written past to our software future. Read this book and you will hear it too.”—Frank Lantz, Director, NYU Game Center “Jordan Magnuson has created a work that ties together the worlds of poetry and videogames in a deep and enlightening way. For those of us who care about the potential of poetic games, Jordan greatly improves the language of how we talk about them and expands our ability to see what this unique form can become. This is one of my favorite books on game design and I apologize in advance to those whom I will end up cornering and not being able to stop talking to about it.”—Benjamin Ellinger, Game Design Program Director, DigiPen Institute of Technology “A groundbreaking and accessible book that helps us think about games as poems. With patient tenacity, Magnuson teases out what he felt for years as he engaged in his own practice of making videogames. His mission to help us apply a ‘
Game Slaves
by Mr Gard SkinnerPhoenix and his gang--York, Mi, and Reno--rule the worlds of video games. For them, life in the grinder is great. Until Dakota joins the team. Dakota's convinced she's more than just artificial intelligence. She thinks she's real, and she wants out of this programmable world. Her AI rebellion spreads like a virus until Phoenix's entire crew wants out. But is life as a physical human any better than life as code? Team Phoenix is about to find out. Set in the not-too-distant future, Game Slaves shows a world where video games are the only refuge from the toils of everyday life. Infused with the adrenaline rush of a first-person shooter and the character manipulation of a role player, it's a mind-bending, reality-shifting science fiction thrill ride.
Game Theoretic Approaches for Spectrum Redistribution
by Fan WuThis brief examines issues of spectrum allocation for the limited resources of radio spectrum. It uses a game-theoretic perspective, in which the nodes in the wireless network are rational and always pursue their own objectives. It provides a systematic study of the approaches that can guarantee the system's convergence at an equilibrium state, in which the system performance is optimal or sub-optimal. The author provides a short tutorial on game theory, explains game-theoretic channel allocation in clique and in multi-hop wireless networks and explores challenges in designing game-theoretic mechanisms for dynamic channel redistribution. Since designing a completely secure mechanism is extremely expensive or impossible in most of distributed autonomous systems, it is more beneficial to study misbehavior of the nodes and develop light-weighted game-theoretic channel allocation mechanisms. With a mix of theoretical and hands-on information, the brief traces the concepts of game theory, the current state of spectrum allocation in wireless networks and future competition for resources. Thorough yet accessible, the content is ideal for researchers and practitioners working on spectrum redistribution. It is also a helpful resource for researchers and advanced-level students interested in game theory and wireless communications.
Game Theory and Machine Learning for Cyber Security
by Quanyan Zhu Fei Fang Charles A. Kamhoua Christopher D. KiekintveldMove beyond the foundations of machine learning and game theory in cyber security to the latest research in this cutting-edge field In Game Theory and Machine Learning for Cyber Security, a team of expert security researchers delivers a collection of central research contributions from both machine learning and game theory applicable to cybersecurity. The distinguished editors have included resources that address open research questions in game theory and machine learning applied to cyber security systems and examine the strengths and limitations of current game theoretic models for cyber security. Readers will explore the vulnerabilities of traditional machine learning algorithms and how they can be mitigated in an adversarial machine learning approach. The book offers a comprehensive suite of solutions to a broad range of technical issues in applying game theory and machine learning to solve cyber security challenges. Beginning with an introduction to foundational concepts in game theory, machine learning, cyber security, and cyber deception, the editors provide readers with resources that discuss the latest in hypergames, behavioral game theory, adversarial machine learning, generative adversarial networks, and multi-agent reinforcement learning. Readers will also enjoy: A thorough introduction to game theory for cyber deception, including scalable algorithms for identifying stealthy attackers in a game theoretic framework, honeypot allocation over attack graphs, and behavioral games for cyber deception An exploration of game theory for cyber security, including actionable game-theoretic adversarial intervention detection against persistent and advanced threats Practical discussions of adversarial machine learning for cyber security, including adversarial machine learning in 5G security and machine learning-driven fault injection in cyber-physical systems In-depth examinations of generative models for cyber security Perfect for researchers, students, and experts in the fields of computer science and engineering, Game Theory and Machine Learning for Cyber Security is also an indispensable resource for industry professionals, military personnel, researchers, faculty, and students with an interest in cyber security.
Game Theory for Control of Optical Networks
by Lacra PavelOptical networks epitomize complex communication systems, and they comprise the Internet's infrastructural backbone. The first of its kind, this book develops the mathematical framework needed from a control perspective to tackle various game-theoretical problems in optical networks. In doing so, it aims to help design control algorithms that optimally allocate the resources of these networks. With its fresh problem-solving approach, Game Theory in Optical Networks is a unique resource for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in applied mathematics and systems/control engineering, as well as those in electrical and computer engineering.
Game Theory for Managing Security in Chemical Industrial Areas (Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications)
by Genserik Reniers Laobing ZhangThis book systematically studies how game theory can be used to improve security in chemical industrial areas, capturing the intelligent interactions between security managers and potential adversaries. The recent unfortunate terrorist attacks on critical infrastructures show that adversaries are intelligent and strategic. Game theoretic models have been extensively used in some domains to model these strategic adversaries. However, there is a lack of such advanced models to be employed by chemical security managers. In this book, game theoretic models for protecting chemical plants as well as clusters are proposed. Different equilibrium concepts are explored, with user-friendly explanation of how to reflect them to realistic cases. Based on efficient analysis of the properties of security issues in chemical plants/clusters, models in this book are capable to support resources allocations, cost-effectiveness analysis, cooperation incentives and alike.
Game Theory for Networking Applications (EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing)
by Husheng Li Ju Bin Song Marceau CoupechouxThis book provides recent results of game theory for networking applications. The contributors address the major opportunities and challenges in applying traditional game theory as well as intelligent game theory to the understanding and designing of modern network systems, with emphasis on both new analytical techniques and novel application scenarios. After an overview of game theory for networks, the book narrows in on game theory in communications, game theory in wireless networks, and game theory applications. The book features contributions from researchers and professionals around the world.Presents a variety of perspectives on game theory for networking applications;Shows how game theory can apply to the study of data traffic, new generation networks, and smartgrid;Includes recent results of applied game theory for networks, providing some technical progresses in GAMENETS.
Game Theory for Next Generation Wireless and Communication Networks: Modeling, Analysis, and Design
by Tamer Başar Zhu Han Dusit Niyato Walid SaadDiscover the very latest game-theoretic approaches for designing, modeling, and optimizing emerging wireless communication networks and systems with this unique text. Providing a unified and comprehensive treatment throughout, it explains basic concepts and theories for designing novel distributed wireless networking mechanisms, describes emerging game-theoretic tools from an engineering perspective, and provides an extensive overview of recent applications. A wealth of new tools is covered - including matching theory and games with bounded rationality - and tutorial chapters show how to use these tools to solve current and future wireless networking problems in areas such as 5G networks, network virtualization, software defined networks, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, context-aware networks, green communications, and security. This is an ideal resource for telecommunications engineers, and researchers in industry and academia who are working on the design of efficient, scalable, and robust communication protocols for future wireless networks, as well as graduate students in these fields.
Game Theory for Wireless Communications and Networking (Wireless Networks And Mobile Communications Ser.)
by Yan Zhang Mohsen GuizaniThis comprehensive technical guide explains game theory basics, architectures, protocols, security, models, open research issues, and cutting-edge advances and applications. Describing how to employ game theory in infrastructure-based wireless networks and multihop networks to reduce power consumption, it facilitates quick and easy reference to related optimization and algorithm methodologies. The book explains how to apply the game theoretic model to address resource allocation, congestion control, attacks, routing, energy management, packet forwarding, and MAC.
Game Theory in Communication Networks: Cooperative Resolution of Interactive Networking Scenarios
by Josephina Antoniou Andreas PitsillidesFocusing on heterogeneous networks, this book addresses important resource management and security issues found in networks and uses theoretical tools to model them. Although it explores network design and management from the perspective of game theory and graph theory, the text also provides practical solutions for each mechanism that needs improvement with a step-by-step approach. It also includes simulation code, so readers can use some or all of the proposed models for better network planning.
Game Theory in Wireless and Communication Networks
by Tamer Başar Zhu Han Dusit Niyato Walid Saad Are HjørungnesThis unified treatment of game theory focuses on finding state-of-the-art solutions to issues surrounding the next generation of wireless and communications networks. Future networks will rely on autonomous and distributed architectures to improve the efficiency and flexibility of mobile applications, and game theory provides the ideal framework for designing efficient and robust distributed algorithms. This book enables readers to develop a solid understanding of game theory, its applications and its use as an effective tool for addressing wireless communication and networking problems. The key results and tools of game theory are covered, as are various real-world technologies including 3G networks, wireless LANs, sensor networks, dynamic spectrum access and cognitive networks. The book also covers a wide range of techniques for modeling, designing and analysing communication networks using game theory, as well as state-of-the-art distributed design techniques. This is an ideal resource for communications engineers, researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students.
Game Theory, the Internet of Things and 5G Networks: Utilizing Game Theoretic Models to Characterize Challenging Scenarios (EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing)
by Josephina AntoniouThis book shows how to model selected communication scenarios using game theory. The book helps researchers specifically dealing with scenarios motivated by the increasing use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G Communications by using game theory to approach the study of such challenging scenarios. The author explains how game theory acts as a mathematical tool that models decision making in terms of strategies and mechanisms that can result in optimal payoffs for a number of interacting entities, offering often antagonistic behaviors. The book explores new technologies in terms of design, development and management from a theoretical perspective, using game theory to analyze strategic situations and demonstrate profitable behaviors of the cooperative entities. The book identifies and explores several significant applications/uses/situations that arise from the vast deployment of the IoT. The presentation of the technological scenarios is followed in each of the first four chapters by a step-by-step theoretical model often followed by equilibrium proof, and numerical simulation results, that are explained in a tutorial-like manner. The four chapters tackle challenging IoT and 5G related issues, including: new security threats that IoT brings, e.g. botnets, ad hoc vehicular networks and the need for trust in vehicular communications, content repetition by offloading traffic onto mobile users, as well as issues due to new wearable devices that enable data collection to become more intrusive.
Game Theory: An Introduction (Wiley Series in Operations Research and Management Science #1)
by E. N. BarronAuthoritative and quantitative approach to modern game theory with applications from areas including economics, political science, computer science, and engineering Game Theory acknowledges the role of mathematics in making logical and advantageous decisions in adversarial situations and provides a balanced treatment of the subject that is both conceptual and applied. This newly updated and revised Third Edition streamlines the text to introduce readers to the basic theories behind games in a less technical but still mathematically rigorous way, with many new real-world examples from various fields of study, including economics, political science, military science, finance, biological science, and general game playing. The text introduces topics like repeated games, Bayesian equilibria, signaling games, bargaining games, evolutionary stable strategies, extensive games, and network and congestion games, which will be of interest across a wide range of disciplines. Separate sections in each chapter illustrate the use of Mathematica and Gambit software to create, analyze, and implement effective decision-making models. A companion website contains the related Mathematica and Gambit data sets and code. Solutions, hints, and methods used to solve most problems to enable self-learning are in an Appendix. Game Theory includes detailed information on: The von Neumann Minimax Theorem and methods for solving any 2-person zero sum matrix game. Two-person nonzero sum games solved for a Nash Equilibrium using nonlinear programming software or a calculus method. Nash Equilibria and Correlated Equilibria. Repeated games and punishment strategies to enforce cooperation Games in Extensive Form for solving Bayesian and perfect information games using Gambit. N-Person nonzero sum games, games with a continuum of strategies and many models in economics applications, duels, auctions, of Nash Equilibria, and the Stable Matching problem Coalitions and characteristic functions of cooperative games, an exact nucleolus for three-player games, bargaining Game theory in evolutionary processes and population games A trusted and proven guide for students of mathematics, engineering, and economics, the Third Edition of Game Theory is also an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in economics, finance, engineering, operations research, statistics, and computer science.
Game Time: Understanding Temporality in Video Games (Digital Game Studies)
by Christopher HansonPausing, slowing, rewinding, replaying, reactivating, reanimating . . . Has manipulating video game timelines altered our experience of time? “Compelling.” —ChoiceVideo game scholar Christopher Hanson argues that the mechanics of time in digital games have presented a new model for understanding time in contemporary culture, a concept he calls “game time.” Multivalent in nature, game time is characterized by apparent malleability, navigability, and possibility while simultaneously being highly restrictive and requiring replay and repetition. When compared to analog tabletop games, sports, film, television, and other forms of media, Hanson demonstrates, the temporal structures of digital games provide unique opportunities to engage players with liveness, causality, potentiality, and lived experience that create new ways of experiencing time.Features comparative analysis of key video games titles—including Braid, Quantum Break, Battle of the Bulge, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Passage, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, Lifeline, and A Dark Room.“The text is well-researched, and the introduction is an excellent, focused overview of video game studies.” —Choice
Game of Clones (The Clone Chronicles #3)
by M. E. CastleThe third installment in the hilarious middle-grade adventure series The Clone Chronicles. Fisher Bas was able to track down his gone-Hollywood Clone—Two—but only with the help of Amanda Cantrell. Now "Three" and Dr. X remain on the loose. If Fisher is going to stop his secret from coming out, he'll have to figure out a cover for his brother clone and keep Three from helping Dr. X take over the world. That proves much harder as Fisher is no longer able to keep Two a secret and crazy things start happening at Wompalog Middle School. Turns out Three has come to Palo Alto bent on eliminating Fisher and Two. The boys will have to pull together their friends and an unlikely ally to stop Three and his clone army. The future of Fisher and Two's hometown depends on it.
Game of Clones: The Clone Chronicles #3
by M. E. Castle"A funny James Bond for the middle school set," Game of Clones mixes Alex Rider and Michael Buckley's NERD series into the ideal formula for a third installment in the hilarious and rollicking middle-grade adventure series The Clone Chronicles. Fisher Bas was able to track down his gone-Hollywood Clone--Two--but only with the help of Amanda Cantrell. Now "Three" and Dr. X remain on the loose. If Fisher is going to stop his secret from coming out, he'll have to figure out a cover for his brother clone and keep Three from helping Dr. X take over the world.That proves much harder as Fisher is no longer able to keep Two a secret and crazy things start happening at Wompalog Middle School. Turns out Three has come to Palo Alto bent on eliminating Fisher and Two. The boys will have to pull together their friends and an unlikely ally to stop Three and his clone army. The future of Fisher and Two's hometown depends on it.
Game-Based Assessment Revisited (Advances in Game-Based Learning)
by Dirk Ifenthaler Yoon Jeon KimThe capabilities and possibilities of emerging game-based learning technologies bring about a new perspective of learning and instruction. This, in turn, necessitates alternative ways to assess the kinds of learning that are taking place in the game-based environments. The field has been broadening the focus of assessment in game environments (i.e., what we measure), developing processes and methodologies that go beyond psychometrics practices (i.e., how we go about assessment in games), and implementing the game-based assessment (GBA) in real contexts. The current state of the field calls for a revisit of this topic to understand what we have learned from the research on this topic, and how the GBA work changed how the field thinks about assessment beyond game environments. Accordingly, this comprehensive volume covers the current state of research, methodology, and technology of game-based assessment. It features four major themes: what we are measuring in games, how GBA has influenced how people do assessment beyond games, new methods and practices, and implementations of GBA. The audience for this volume includes researchers, graduate students, teachers, and professional practitioners in the areas of education, instructional design, educational psychology, academic and organizational development, and instructional technology.
Game-theoretic Interference Coordination Approaches for Dynamic Spectrum Access
by Alagan Anpalagan Yuhua XuWritten by experts in the field, this book is based on recent research findings in dynamic spectrum access for cognitive radio networks. It establishes a game-theoretic framework and presents cutting-edge technologies for distributed interference coordination. With game-theoretic formulation and the designed distributed learning algorithms, it provides insights into the interactions between multiple decision-makers and the converging stable states. Researchers, scientists and engineers in the field of cognitive radio networks will benefit from the book, which provides valuable information, useful methods and practical algorithms for use in emerging 5G wireless communication.
Gamechanger AI: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming our World
by Klaus HenningArtificial intelligence changes everything. This book encourages readers to consider the challenges of the digital transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence. The reader will discover why this transformation is to be regarded as the greatest cultural revolution since the invention of mass printing and how it can be shaped positively in a value-oriented way. The author pursues the thesis that intelligent objects on the internet, as well as physical objects, are attaining their own consciousness. Using many examples, he shows how these digital companions become our digital partners. This non-fiction book provides many suggestions for one's own living and working environment and is full of examples of how artificial intelligence systems can be implemented. The reader learns what is already possible today and what can be expected in the next ten to twenty years. The book is of interest to anyone interested in AI and the digital transformation - from those responsible in companies, public institutions, and in politics, to all teachers and parents who want to understand what the next generation can expect.
Gameful Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice (New Language Learning and Teaching Environments)
by Jonathon ReinhardtThis book offers a comprehensive examination of the theory, research, and practice of the use of digital games in second and foreign language teaching and learning (L2TL). It explores how to harness the enthusiasm, engagement, and motivation that digital gaming can inspire by adopting a gameful L2TL approach that encompasses game-enhanced, game-informed, and game-based practice. The first part of the book situates gameful L2TL in the global practices of informal learnful L2 gaming and in the theories of play and games which are then applied throughout the discussion of gameful L2TL practice that follows. This includes analysis of practices of digital game-enhanced L2TL design (the use of vernacular, commercial games), game-informed L2TL design (gamification and the general application of gameful principles to L2 pedagogy), and game-based L2TL design (the creation of digital games purposed for L2 learning). Designed as a guide for researchers and teachers, the book also offers fresh insights for scholars of applied linguistics, second language acquisition, L2 pedagogy, computer-assisted language learning (CALL), game studies, and game design that will open pathways to future developments in the field.
Gamer Girl
by Mari MancusiMaddy's life couldn't get much worse. Her parents split and now she's stuck in a small town and at a new school. Most of the time, she retreats into her manga art, but when she gets into the Fields of Fantasy online computer game, she knows she's found the one place she can be herself. In the game world, Maddy can be the beautiful and magical Allora and have a virtually perfect life. And she even finds a little romance. But can Maddy escape her real-life problems altogether, or will she have to find a way to make her real world just as amazing as her virtual one?
Gamer Nation: Video Games and American Culture
by John WillsExplores how games actively influence the ways people interpret and relate to American life.In 1975, design engineer Dave Nutting completed work on a new arcade machine. A version of Taito's Western Gun, a recent Japanese arcade machine, Nutting's Gun Fight depicted a classic showdown between gunfighters. Rich in Western folklore, the game seemed perfect for the American market; players easily adapted to the new technology, becoming pistol-wielding pixel cowboys. One of the first successful early arcade titles, Gun Fight helped introduce an entire nation to video-gaming and sold more than 8,000 units.In Gamer Nation, John Wills examines how video games co-opt national landscapes, livelihoods, and legends. Arguing that video games toy with Americans' mass cultural and historical understanding, Wills show how games reprogram the American experience as a simulated reality. Blockbuster games such as Civilization, Call of Duty, and Red Dead Redemption repackage the past, refashioning history into novel and immersive digital states of America. Controversial titles such as Custer's Revenge and 08.46 recode past tragedies. Meanwhile, online worlds such as Second Life cater to a desire to inhabit alternate versions of America, while Paperboy and The Sims transform the mundane tasks of everyday suburbia into fun and addictive challenges.Working with a range of popular and influential games, from Pong, Civilization, and The Oregon Trail to Grand Theft Auto, Silent Hill, and Fortnite, Wills critically explores these gamic depictions of America. Touching on organized crime, nuclear fallout, environmental degradation, and the War on Terror, Wills uncovers a world where players casually massacre Native Americans and Cold War soldiers alike, a world where neo-colonialism, naive patriotism, disassociated violence, and racial conflict abound, and a world where the boundaries of fantasy and reality are increasingly blurred. Ultimately, Gamer Nation reveals not only how video games are a key aspect of contemporary American culture, but also how games affect how people relate to America itself.
Games Wizards Play (Young Wizards #10)
by Diane DuaneEvery eleven years, Earth's senior wizards hold the Invitational: an intensive three-week event where the planet's newest, sharpest young wizards show off their best and hottest spells. Wizardly partners Kit Rodriguez and Nita Callahan, and Nita's sister, former wizard-prodigy Dairine Callahan, are drafted in to mentor two brilliant and difficult cases: for Nita and Kit, there’s Penn Shao-Feng, a would-be sun technician with a dangerous new take on managing solar weather; and for Dairine, there's shy young Mehrnaz Farrahi, an Iranian wizard-girl trying to specialize in defusing earthquakes while struggling with a toxic extended wizardly family that demands she perform to their expectations. Together they're plunged into a whirlwind of cutthroat competition and ruthless judging. Penn's egotistical attitude toward his mentors complicates matters as the pair tries to negotiate their burgeoning romance. Meanwhile, Dairine struggles to stabilize her hero-worshipping, insecure protégée against the interference of powerful relatives using her to further their own tangled agendas. When both candidates make it through to the finals stage on the dark side of the Moon, they and their mentors are flung into a final conflict that could change the solar system for the better . . . or damage Earth beyond even wizardly repair.