The Zork books were a series of four books, written by S. Eric Meretzky, which took place in the fictional universe of Zork. The books were published by Tor Books. Like the Zork video games, the books were a form of interactive fiction which offered the reader a choice of actions symbolized by pages to turn to, as in the contemporary book series Choose Your Own Adventure, or the later Give Yourself Goosebumps series. The protagonists of each book were a boy and girl, called Bill and June on Earth, and re-dubbed Bivotar and Juranda in Zork. The settings and plots were reminiscent of locations and events from the Zork universe.
At each ending the player received a score from zero to ten based on how far they had made it through the book and if the ending was a failure, a chance to try again at the choice where they decided incorrectly. The books also usually contained a "cheater trap", reached by opting to use an item which does not exist (at least not in the current book). The story abruptly ends; the reader is chastised and not given a chance to try again in the endings resulting from these.
The books were written in English and translated into Spanish. All four books were published as "What-Do-I-Do-Now Books". Copies did contain publication errors—page numbers that the reader was directed to turn to or turn back to were at times incorrect. The first three books were published as a trilogy in August and September 1983—each has the titles of the other two listed opposite the cover page. The fourth book in the series was published in October 1984.
Read more about Zork Books: The Forces of Krill, The Malifestro Quest, The Cavern of Doom, Conquest At Quendor, Other Books Based On Zork
Famous quotes containing the word books:
“If writers were too wise, perhaps no books would get written at all. It might be better to ask yourself “Why?” afterwards than before. Anyway, the force from somewhere in Space which commands you to write in the first place, gives you no choice. You take up the pen when you are told, and write what is commanded. There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.”
—Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960)