On "Choose Your Own Adventure" by Matt Ferner (1868 words) ***

Here's a tale based on the familiar kids' series of books (although I guess there have been a few adult versions, though they never much caught on). In a way, the series itself seems somewhat antiquated now, since the idea for such a thing has been replaced by hypertext and that in turn by realistic video games that let you "live" the action rather than read it and decide from a limited set of possibilities. Still, what makes Ferner's piece unique is that this is CYOA written by a "literary" writer, meaning that the endings are generally nihilistic, epiphanic, or utterly inconsequential, mostly the latter. In other words, the story ends, but like most literary fiction, the ending is kind of open and suggestive--and in a way, not completely satisfying. Make your own choices here at Failbetter.