There
were actually books based on Zork. Real, published physical books. Zork, as you may know, was one of the
earliest computer game franchises from the early 80s, which also, if I may say
so, garnered a place in the hearts of
those who played the series of games. Around that time the choose-your-own
adventure book format came to prominence and the Zork books to which The Forces of Krill belongs is the lovechild
of both cultural trends.
In it, sister and brother are transported to the world of the Great Underground Empire. The
Empire has already fallen and the warlock Krill, of Enchanter fame, is about to take the remnants under his sway.
Only the siblings can avert this by bringing the sword of Zork and the three
palantirs to their uncle, who has the power to wield them against the forces of
Krill.
As it
goes it is a fun read. Some of the more famous landmarks from the first game
are to be found here: the white house, the troll room and maze, FCD #3, the coal
mine. A nice aspect of them is that the solutions, though they follow closely
those of the game, differ enough to make them all new.
Regarding its canonnicity, I cannot decide on the
matter. The events here don't really click in with the content of the games; on the
other hand, it is written by Meretzky, one of the authors of Zork I, himself.
Some previously unexplored areas are revealed and some perennial mysteries cleared such as the owner of the white house.
However I still prefer the open-ended enigmas of the original games. Having it
all revealed actually diminishes the enjoyment for me. I'd rather just take the
plot here as an alternate-story.
The book is intended for children and can be enjoyed by itself without having played the game, but gives enough hints
and references to make the reader want to rediscover the old gaming classics.
It is also some sort of collector's item.
The Forces of
Krill can be bought dirt-cheap online and the series is continued by at least 3
more books.
