Matt Chat 46: Choose Your Own Adventure with R.A. Montgomery

In this episode, I interview R.A. Montgomery, author and publisher of the famous "Choose Your Own Adventure" series of books. Boasting a readership of over 350 million readers and among the best-known book series for young readers, Montgomery's fantastic game books is still great fun for adults as well as children. In this interview, I ask R.A. about the thinking behind the series as well as his own life adventures.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• choose your own adventure
• children's literature
• books
• games
• education
• r.a. montgomery
• gamebooks
• interactive
• novels

[nicholsml]

Hey Matt, out of curiosity, where would a person be able to find the books you've published and what are the titles. Are they titled "Dungeons and Desktops" and "Vintage Games"? I read A LOT and would be interested as I'm sure a few of your other regulars would be also.

P.S.- I read what you do for a living and apologize for my grammar, lol.

[blacklily8]

Those are the right titles! Enjoy.

[cybersalad]

I loved these books back when they came out! Before there was the GameBoy there was Choose Your Own Adventure! There were a lot of rip-offs too...anyone remember the Zork books? Or the Dungeons and Dragons books? As I recall, those weren't as good.

They also made an official Choose Your Own Adventure game for 8-bit computers but it seemed kind of missing the point.

[blacklily8]

I have a regular novel based on Enchanter, but no Zork CYOA. I seem to recall them, but my brain is fuzzy. Hm. Might have to look them up. ;)

[dwcai81]

Very well done Matt. There was a book where getting the "good" ending was impossible. I know cause I cheated ;) forgot the name of it though

[blacklily8]

Really? Love to know which one that was.

[majinpowers]

@hargcore I totally agree, Matt your channel is on its own level nothing really on You tube comes close.

[hargcore]

Great interview! I remember hiring these books out of the school library - The content on your channel is some of the best around Matt.

[sonedts]

Yea, Fighting Fantasy and the 4 Sorcery books filled the gap between these books and d&d.

[redshift912]

i didnt know those were all written by one guy..pretty cool

[Winkuru]

Never read his books but i loved Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series when i was a kid.

[ItIsTheInvisibleMan]

Man that really touched me about loesing his son, oh man. I can't even imagine...

[Jellicoid]

Absolutely enthalling, what an amazing guy.

[TheWolfgangGrimmer]

I've mostly played Lone Wolf, I must admit. I didn't really know about this guy.

[ymarky7]

@dwcai81

I think i read that one, was it named "Inside UFO 54-40"?

[Total90Football4]

I love his books. They're so entertaining to read!

[hulksjedi]

Thank you for this Matt. If it weren't for that guy, I will be stealing cars. He changed my life.

[ShadowlostArts]

Great idea in using games in the class room, I wish more teachers thought outside the box .