Re:Lists and Lists: Basics of Lisp through interactive fiction
by kqr on Monday August 11, 2025 @07:42AM
(#44863116)
I think Aaron Reed's 50 Years of Text Adventures is an even better intro. Starts earlier, ends later, covers each era in greater depth, and comes in a more manageable format: tables, transcripts, and quality prose rather than cut tracks of talking heads.
(Don't get me wrong: Get Lamp is good. 50 Years is even better.)
Re:Lists and Lists: Basics of Lisp through interactive fiction
by noufalibrahim on Monday August 11, 2025 @09:04AM
(#44863645)
Thank you. Added to my list.
Re:Lists and Lists: Basics of Lisp through interactive fiction
by prathyvsh on Wednesday August 13, 2025 @07:31AM
(#44887166)
Yeah, found all of this as a part of spelunking through the Inform adjacent space for this thread: https://x.com/prathyvsh/status/1953471554504863962
Re:Lists and Lists: Basics of Lisp through interactive fiction
by textfiles on Tuesday August 19, 2025 @12:02AM
(#44948146)
Nelson refused to be interviewed and by refused, I mean, even refused to tell me no - I had to have intermediaries tell me.
Re:Lists and Lists: Basics of Lisp through interactive fiction
by noufalibrahim on Wednesday August 20, 2025 @06:24AM
(#44960564)
I remember you telling me that. Was quite hurt frankly since he is one of of my programming heroes.
For "newer" folk, who are interested, you should try to get your hands on a copy of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Lamp and watch it. It covers the history of the games and everything else. Everyone relevant is interviewed with the notable exception of Graham Nelson (author of the Inform language). The tag line sums it up pretty well - "before the first person shooter, there was the second person thinker."
Plotkin himself is a bit of a heavyweight in the IF world. I'm not surprised that this was by him.
I tinkered with the language and environment a little. Inform 7, with it's natural language style of writing, is a fascinating environment.