~2 minute readAnother Good Time with Infocom
Infocom can always be counted on for a good time, whether you're playing their games, chatting with their authors, or just attending one of their classy press previews at CES. Since we've managed to engage in all three endeavors within the past few weeks, we feel thrice blessed! Results of playing the latest Infocom releases can be found elsewhere in this issue. At CES we had the opportunity to talk briefly with Steve Meretzky and Dave Lebling about their new programs. Both are veteran Infocom authors: Steve's STATIONFALL is his sixth game, while Dave's THE LURKING HORROR is his eighth. And it seems there is something of a friendly rivalry between the two, which explains the unusual, simultaneous release of two Infocom titles. These two authors have a contest going (and probably a side bet as well) to see which of them can produce the better-selling program!
Meeting the Authors
STATIONFALL is the sequel to Steve Meretzky's first game, PLANETFALL, which was written four years ago. (Since then he has had two very notable successes with LEATHER GODDESSES OF PHOBOS and HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, which was co-authored by Douglas Adams.) We asked Steve why he waited so long to do a sequel since PLANETFALL was so popular. He gave us the expected bit about waiting until he had a really good idea to build the story around. And then he quipped, "and besides, that's how long Lucas waits between sequels." That was the Steve Meretzky we know and love, he of the irreverent sense of humor that can make an interviewer feel like the straight man in comedy act! Dave Lebling can be just as humorous as Steve Meretzky, but his humor is a bit more subtle. Dave is a senior author at Infocom, co-author of the original mainframe ZORK I, II, and III, as well as sole author of ENCHANTER, STARCROSS, SUSPECT, and SPELLBREAKER. In THE LURKING HORROR, he meant to create a modern horror story combining the "terrifying suggestions of horrible creatures" found in the work of H.P. Lovecraft with the "real world settings" typical of Stephen King's works. Like many people at Infocom, both Steve and Dave are graduates of MIT. In fact, the settings in THE LURKING HORROR are based on real MIT locations, and the story is full of references that will be familiar to others who know that institution, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Tool ("tool" is the MIT expression for a nerd) and the brass rats. We wish Steve and Dave all the best in their private contest -- may the best interactive fiction win!
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