[Fantasysci5]

The thread, "Has playing adventures inspired you to events outside of gaming?" made me think of this.

After playing a game I fall in love with, I see if there's any "literature" out there. Sometimes, they have companion books with some adventure games. For example, "The Blackstone Chronicles" were based on a series of novels. I ahd already read them before playing the game, but if I hadn't, it would be a dream come true to go back and read with more detail about settings and characters I've already fallen in love with.

Another example are the 3 Myst books that go along with the games. For me, it cleared up a lot of points I was confused about in the games, and gave me a closer look into the history and world I had grown so attached to.

But it doesn't have to be professional published literature, either. I may be the only geek here, which is what I'm trying to find out, that writes and reads fan fiction. You know, a story a fan writes based on whatever, and in this case, adventure games. There's not too much out there, but I LOVE the "Myst" and The Longest Journey" fan fictions I find. There are some really talented fans out there with ideas.

So I was just wondering if any of you look up more stuff to do with a game you like. Like if one game takes place in a historical period that you learn to like, do you do some research on that period since the game got you interested? Like if you played a game about the Inquisition and didn't know much about it, and the game interested you so much, you started looking into that time period. Just wondering... I hope my rambling makes sense.

[ShadeJackrabbit]

The same thing happened to me with the Myst books. Otherwise, not really. But that's mainly because most games seem to take place in a setting I know enough about.

[Fantasysci5]

That's alright. I knew there wouldn't be that many.

I know what you mean, though, where you are already interested in a certain historical period, and then you see a game during that time period, and you want to play it. But yeah, the Myst books cleared up a lot of stuff that I was wondering about "Riven" and "Exile", and what happened to the great kingdom of D'ni. It was great to get more backstory.

[ShadeJackrabbit]

Actually, now that I think about it, I never read any Forgotten Realms books before playing Baldur's Gate, so I think it has happened to me. But also the other way happens, like when I am interested in occult stuff I will play games like the Chzo Mythos.

[Fantasysci5]

I know exactly what you mean. I had an interest in insane asylums and the way psychological problems were handled back then, so I picked up books and games like "Sanitarium" and "The Blackstone Chronicles".

[tsa]

I looked up Rennes-le-Chateau in Google Earth as well as Wikipedia to see what it looks like in real life and what is true about the story in GK III. And I went to Norrköping to find out where Carol Reed lives. I read the Myst books too, and I'm still thinking about buying the GK books.

[vivasawadee]

Ringworld - I didn't like the game that much but it got me started on the Larry Niven express.
Gateway : Read the book after playing the game.
Dune : Played the RTS and then read the books. Now its my favourite SF novel.
Leisuresuit Larry - Have read many books on the art of seduction and for all you guys, "The game" by Neil Strauss is hilarious and he is the what Larry could've become.

[Akril]

I've played a few adventure games based on book series that inspired me to see what the series were like on both occasions. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the books I read very much.

However, I like reading fan fiction based on my favorite game series (though I seldom find much), and I have written a bit as well.

[DustyShinigami]

I haven't really read any books based on my favourite games, or vice versa, but if they were available i'd definitely get 'em. The only 2 i have read were the Gabriel Knight books after i finished the games. Pity GK3 was never released as a novel.

[Fantasysci5]

Finally! Akril, I thought I was the only one out there who knew what fan fiction was on this site!! I, too, read and write fan fictions, and I totally agree, there's not that much to find.

I have found (for the games I like) a lot of "The Longest Journey" and "Myst" fan fictions. What have you found?

[Akril]

Aside from TLJ and Myst fanfic, I've found some stories based on Monkey Island (enough to have their own category on fanfiction.net) and the King's Quest and Space Quest series. The last two series are just about the only ones I've written stories about, and sadly, there aren't too many other stories based on those games to be found.

[Fantasysci5]

Thank God I am not the only gamer who knows of fanfiction.net!!!

I constantly check the Misc. games category, to see if someone made a fan fiction about one of the games I like that doesn't have a category.

It's sad how games leave so much open, where fans can speculate, and how lovable characters are, and yet no one writes fan fiction about them. I was dying to write a fan fiction based on "Dark Fall", only to find that there was absolutely nothing out there for it, so probably no readers. lol