Welcome back, true believers- wait, wrong fandom. Well, in any case, welcome back to our ongoing series called The Sims Glossary where we explore various lesser-known aspects of The Sims franchise and give you a little more background detail. Today we’re going to be digging a little deeper by taking a look at the reading list from The Sims manual!
For a little background, if you haven’t seen it already the original manual actually had a unique feature, The Sims official reading list. It features a whole host of obscure architectural, urban planning and other associated books which dig into the wider inspiration for the original Sims.
But aside from looking at it as a curiosity and an example of how the series has changed, I haven’t seen many dig into it further than that. Until now that is; so join me as we take a quick look at one curious but informative tome from the Sims days of yore!
Form, Space & Order
I’d never pretend to have read all (or indeed, before today’s subject, any) of the entries on the reading list. However, by pure chance I was able to get my hands on a copy of Architecture: Form, Space & Order by Francis D.K. Ching. This wide volume doesn’t sit comfortably in the hand, but it does have a bevy of great stuff to leaf your way through.
This informative, large-format book offers a guided tour of the philosophy and language behind architecture. From the basic functions of lines, planes and 3D space all the way to the interrelation of buildings on the space around them and how entrances are laid out to maintain continuity leading into the home.
Essentially, it tells you – with helpful drawings and illustrations – why and how buildings are, well, built the way they are. From where windows and doors go, to symmetry and hierarchy. At the very least, it’s worth a flip-through and a full sit-down read if you have the time.
Why read it?
Form, Space & Order is just a sample of what’s on this reading list, but already I feel I know a lot more about building design based on it. Whether you use it for interior planning of your Sims home and business, or use it for designing something like a map in Dungeons & Dragons, it’s well worth picking up.
The best part is that the density of illustrations and diagrams means that you won’t need to dissect a wall of text to get the point. And it practically functions as a step by step guide for making better (or at least architecturally sound) homes and buildings, something I’m sure wasn’t lost on the original development team at Maxis.
So, if you’re tired of feeling all your buildings look like McMansions or tract housing, see if you can find a copy of this online or at your local bookstore! And speaking of books…
A Quick Recommendation
The unfortunate truth about The Sims reading list is that most of these are very dense architectural tomes, and few are readily available. So, if you want a personal suggestion I’d highly recommend giving author Bill Bryson’s “At Home” a book; which aside from being very accessible in terms of text, is also readily available online.
By offering a brief and accessible history of domesticity from its very beginnings to the modern day, with plenty of humorous and informative asides, you’ll learn even more about what the ideal home looks and feels like. No more will you lay your Sims abode out on a boring grid, but you can instead marvel at how to a truly one-of-a-kind domicile.
