When Does "Playworld" (2025) Take Place?
"Playworld" is a historical fiction novel written by Adam Ross that released January 7th, 2025. So when is "Playworld" set?
It takes place in the years:
We know this because Griffin Hurt describes attending a party at the Barr home and with his brother Oren Hurt and they "watched some of ABC's Wide World of Sports in the guest room". "ABC's Wide World of Sports" was a regular television show that aired from April 29th, 1961 AD to 1997 AD so it must be between early 1961 AD and 1997 AD.
1980 AD - 1981 AD
We know this because Griffin Hurt describes attending a party at the Barr home and with his brother Oren Hurt and they "watched some of ABC's Wide World of Sports in the guest room". "ABC's Wide World of Sports" was a regular television show that aired from April 29th, 1961 AD to 1997 AD so it must be between early 1961 AD and 1997 AD.
More specifically, Griffin tells the reader, ..."rolls of quarters stacked like Lincoln Logs, reserved for the basement laundry machines but that we skimmed to play Missile Command at Stanley's Stationary Store". The video game "Missile Command" (1980) debuted in its arcade form for North America in July 1980 AD. it became available as a home console game designed for the Atari 2600, which would no longer require quarters, in April 1981 AD and the Hurt family with its wealthy acting father and son easily could have afforded it. So it is most likely between mid 1980 AD and early 1981 AD.
Furthermore, Griffin’s opening sentence in the "PROLOGUE" reads, "In the fall of 1980, when I was fourteen, a friend of my parents named Naomi Shah fell in love with me." Certainly, "the fall of 1980" means sometime in September through November of 1980 AD. This is the traditional start of the academic year in North America.
Finally, long afterward Griffin takes final exams at his school. This is traditionally done at the completion of the academic year, in May or June of the next calendar year after the school year starts in autumn. So it must be at least May or June of 1981 AD at the end.
Additionally, among the narration that opens the book Griffin continues, "Two decades later, when I finally told my mother"... So this short scene during the prologue takes place around 2000 AD.
1980 + 20 years = 2000.
It has also been reported Ross based the story on his own adolescent experience.
