Interactive Fiction Experiences
Interactive Fiction Experiences are my latest obsession. As a kid, I was enthralled by Ian Jackson’s/Steve Livingstone’s Fighting Fantasy books and more recently, their app adaptations. I recall writing my own short one about zombies that fed not on flesh, but on energy, and could not be distinguished from normal human beings. Can’t pretend certain teachers didn’t provide ample inspiration.
When Charlie Brooker’s “Bandersnatch” episode of Black Mirror came along, I began thinking about the process again and saw an opportunity to engage a new audience with my stories, just in a different format.
I’ve been working from 4am every day on the Interactive Fiction adaptations for a week and there are now four in the pipeline:
A Smaller Hell
Tread carefully in the role of an abused employee caught up in the spectacular downfall of their perverted boss. One wrong step in the department store this Christmas could land you in the shoplifters’ padded room. Or worse, your boss’s office after hours.
Kodiak
A vulnerable woman wanders into a lonely, hungry bear’s territory. You must fight your savage instincts to save her life and your soul. As this mysterious and deadly spirit animal, your task is to decode your dreams and fulfil your true destiny.
Diary of a Caveman
There’s not much down for you as a hospice resident abandoned during a nuclear missile strike, but you’ll do anything to survive: take refuge in a fishing boat, an island cult, the mountains, abandoned petrol station, decontamination camps … “World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones.’ – Albert Einstein
Ludovico
You’re a psychiatrist at the end of his rope. A recent bombing campaign by the corrupt government killed your family and you see no other way to change things. The experiment is necessary. You don’t want this to happen to anyone else. Now that you have the man responsible for these war crimes in your makeshift warehouse lab, what will you do with him to convince him never to repeat these horrors? Will you inflict horror of your own and risk losing your soul or will you follow the moral and scientific laws to which you’ve adhered your whole life?
I really can’t wait to share them with you. I’ll be publishing the Interactive Fiction Experiences on the website and making them available for free to all members (just enter your email in the form and you’ll receive a password for access to all stories, poetry and games – I’ve had to do this so that I can still enter my work into competitions that stipulate online publishing as a reason for disqualification).
If you enjoy what you read/see/hear, it’s up to you whether you donate. That’s it.
A Smaller Hell
I should also mention that the novella of A Smaller Hell is Pay What You Like on Smashwords until Christmas, so download yours ASAP and get yourself in the festive spirit.
Here’s what some reviewers had to say:
“AJ Reid’s novel is a travelogue for all of us. It’s a reminder of what’s available above and below ground, should we have the misfortune to encounter it. The plot weaves its way around the rooms like the acrid smoke of an over active crack pipe. The resulting humour is never forced nor generic, but it evolves and catches you by surprise. Dramatic irony is alive and well and living in A Smaller Hell. “
“A highly enjoyable tale with a bit of everything; love, crime, black humour and magic. Engaging writing with strong characters, all set against the evocative background of a department store in the north west of england. AJ Reid is a superb storyteller and this book had me gripped right up to Christmas. Would certainly recommend in the festive season and all year round for that matter! “
“This book offers everything you might expect from an adult-rated novel, yet the author still manages to convincingly incorporate the most beautiful love story into the mix. This is sophisticated work.”
“A hot-and-cold tale of darkness, light and the tribulations faced by those willing to stand up to cruelty in the name of love, ‘A Smaller Hell’ will leave you feeling like you have been punched in the face with words. I highly recommend it. “
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/958121#
UPDATE: First two Interactive Fiction Experiences now LIVE. Check out Ludovico and Kodiak HERE.
