Overview

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Interactive fiction is a computer-based form of literature in which the reader plays the part of an important character, deciding, within limits, what action that character will take. By typing ordinary English sentences at the keyboard, the reader or, frequently, a group of readers, decide where the main characters will go, what objects they will pick up and use, how they will solve problems, and how they will interact with other characters. Many students find interactive fiction, also known as IF or adventure gaming, an enjoyable way to gain experience with all of the major elements of literature (though point of view takes an unusual twist or two), and teachers who are comfortable with it soon find that it grows well in the one-computer classroom.

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