Richard Brightfield

The Choose Your Own Adventure series offered an option every few pages to choose how the story would continue. According to your preference, you would follow its instructions by turning to the appropriate page of the book as indicated by your choice. This was a popular and revolutionary idea when the series was first launched in the early 1980s, driving it to incredible sales levels for many years until it was overshadowed by variants on the idea that took the concept to more elaborate show more lengths (e.g. Fighting Fantasy) and especially by other interactive media.

The plot: the government recruits you and your ESP powers to help them track down the phantom submarine. The one you get to ride around in is pretty cool, too.

Observations: there's an unusual amount of backstory before the story actually gets going, with a couple of dead-end choices along the way in hopes you won't notice as much. Eventually you learn to start on page 16 each time you pick it up again unless you need the refresher. The choices often ask you what your ESP is telling you, so the book itself might be called an informal ESP test. If it gets you killed, just blame your ESP and try again!

Personal memories: big fan of this premise, easily my favourite of the series entries that are set underwater. It's another entry (like Underground Kingdom #18) that is reminiscent of Jules Verne. show less

The Choose Your Own Adventure series offered an option every few pages to choose how the story would continue. According to your preference, you would follow its instructions by turning to the appropriate page of the book as indicated by your choice. This was a popular and revolutionary idea when the series was first launched in the early 1980s, driving it to incredible sales levels for many years until it was overshadowed by variants on the idea that took the concept to more elaborate show more lengths (e.g. Fighting Fantasy) and especially by other interactive media.

The plot: Aliens come to Earth and they invade it. Should I have used a spoiler tag?

Observations: Someone in marketing back in 1987 was a fool. First, they thought they'd put a banner on the bottom corner of the cover that reads "More Challenging Choices!", which is an insult to the 69 books that came before this one. Secondly, they thought it was a brilliant idea to change the cover design. No, it isn't, stop it. I was looking for an excuse to draw the line somewhere, so this was where my collecting ended.

Personal memories: I remember reading this one a few times and scoffing over the supposedly more challenging choices. If you want to slip into the woods, turn to page 54; but if you decide to stay with the wagons, turn to page 67! I'm practically sweating, here. show less

The Choose Your Own Adventure series offered an option every few pages to choose how the story would continue. According to your preference, you would follow its instructions by turning to the appropriate page of the book as indicated by your choice. This was a popular and revolutionary idea when the series was first launched in the early 1980s, driving it to incredible sales levels for many years until it was overshadowed by variants on the idea that took the concept to more elaborate show more lengths (e.g. Fighting Fantasy) and especially by other interactive media.

The plot: prompted by a man who claims he's been there before, you're in search of the hidden valley of Siling-La in Tibet and its levitating monks.

Observations: somehow the book entirely avoids mentioning or describing Buddhism. An occasional Buddha statue is as close as it gets, which feels like a lost educational opportunity to expose young readers to a different culture beyond just its symbols. The valley's name is clearly a variant of Shangri-La, the valley featured in James Hilton's "Lost Horizon". A bit of acknowledgement might have been nice.

Personal memories: I clearly remember confirming for myself that I'd read every ending and every page, suggesting I went at it pretty thoroughly, and yet I remembered almost nothing else about it. Kind of strange. show less

Who doesn't enjoy a Choose Your Own Adventure? So many books put between one cover. I particularly enjoyed this one because it featured a character I am very familiar with: Indiana Jones. It is nice to know that he has been cheeky and charming since the beginning