Introduction
Chapter I Towards Postmodern Playful Narrative
1.1 The Evolution of Theories of Play
1.2 Robert Coover as a Postmodernist Game-Master
Chapter II History Revisited:The Public Burning
2.1 Unrelenting Parody on History:The Rosenberg Case Reevaluated
2.2 Roaring Carnival Laughter in the Times Square
Chapter III Playing at Religion:The Origin of the Brunists
3.1 Justin Miller as a Self-Conscious "Homo Luden"
3.2 Robert Coover as a Game-Maker
3.3 Robert Coover's Metafictional Impulse
Chapter IV The Games Within the Text:The Universal Baseball
Association,Inc.,J.Henry Waugh,Prop
4.1 Analogy Between Henry's Play-World and Fiction-Making
4.2 Henry's Game:"Agon" and "Alea",Mimicry and Ilinx Blended
4.3 Henry's Game-World Constructed
4.4 Play Corrupted:Henry's Integration with the UBA
4.5 An Open-Ended Game
Chapter V Playing at Fictional Codes:Gerald's Party
5.1 Textual Games Within Anti-Detective Story
5.2 A Game of Caillois's Vertigo
Conclusion
References
Acknowledgements