<!--
	Title: (Panak strikes!) The Lurking Horror
	Author: Steve Panak
	Source: Analog Computing, #58
	Date: October 1987
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

**<span class="larger">The Lurking Horror</span><br>
by Dave Lebling<br>
INFOCOM<br>
125 Cambridge Park Drive<br>
Cambridge, MA 02140<br>
48K Disk $34.95<**

In the years since they began the interactive fiction biz, Infocom has
introduced works in such diverse genres as adventure, mystery, science
fiction, fantasy and comedy. But somehow, one of the most popular of all
types of fiction got left out: the kind of story that you dare not read
with the lights turned low, the stories populated with creatures and
incidents of unspeakable terror. Well, much to our nightmarish
dismay, they have rectified that oversight.

**The Lurking Horror** is one of the latest releases from Infocom, and the first to
boldly barge into the world dominated by the dread poetic ravings of Edgar Allen
Poe and the shudder-inducing tales of Stephen King. And, while its sales might
not surpass those of either of these authors' works, it is destined to become
yet another jewel in the Infocom crown. As the main character, if you're not careful,
it could prove to be the nail in your coffin.

A procrastinating student at good old George Underwood Edwards Institute of
Technology (GUE Tech), you find yourself battling with a terminal, trying to
pound out that twenty-page term paper that's suddenly due tomorrow. It would
not have been quite so bad if the cursed computer hadn't corrupted all your
files, filling them with unintelligible and disconcerting gobbledy-gook,
hinting at spooks and spirits and horrors beyond belief.

And that was *before* you fell asleep (passed out?) and had that dream...
about the pit and finding the stone, and the hoards of people chanting and
crushing in on you, and then there's the horrible creature that shocked you back
into consciousness. Of course, can you really call it a dream, since, when you
awoke, the small stone was still in your hand? The strangely inscribed (clawed?)
rock is the least of your troubles, though, as you muster up your courage and begin
to explore the vast network of old, underground tunnels connecting the various
buildings of GUE. You see, they've been closed for a reason. Rumor has it, a
not-so-pleasant reason.

So, as the wind blows up a winter blizzard, sealing you into the university's science
complex, you find yourself drawn to the old tunnels, confronting supernatural
beings of all descriptions. Just don't forget to carry your common sense with
you -- as well as that fire axe in the hallway.

The puzzles in this game are logical and well designed (I hoped I'd find a reason
to use the forklift), the prose horrific and seasoned with dashes of patented Infocom
humor. For instance, I've been waiting for the kind of response I got when
I used one of my favorite commands, "kill man with axe," on the maintenance man.
The outcome: *The fire axe chops into his chest, where it sticks. Ed Ames would be
proud. He looks down at the axe with a certain perplexity, then pulls it free, the
wound making a sickening sucking sound.*

While this is a peculiar response, it's nowhere near as surprising as the feel of
his icy hands as they strangle you to death. Fortunately, there's always a rebirth,
thanks to the save and restore commands. The standard Infocom program is
superb and features a large vocabulary, as well as allowing abbreviations of the most
often used commands, such as *X* for examine and *I* for inventory.

In addition to assaulting a new genre, in a major shift in strategy, Infocom has
also adopted a new packaging design. Continuing the evolution of their always-creative
containers (remember the original Starcross plastic spacecraft?), they
have refined their book-shaped box, eliminating the page-filled cover and substituting
a removable inner box, which slides in opposite the spine. This narrow
box contains a technical manual (that tells how to run the program, and is supplemented
with a machine-specific reference card), a student I.D., and a creepy creature.
Also included is a freshman guide to the University, chock-full of background
and hints. As always, you'll have to pay attention to all these details to get through
the chilling, thrilling adventure.

**The Lurking Horror** is a fine addition to your Infocom library, and a must for
horror fans. While it probably won't scare you out of a night's sleep, its entertaining
prose and challenging puzzles *will* provide you with many sleepless hours. With
**The Lurking Horror**, the masters at Infocom have laid waste to yet another genre.
