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{{Short description|Collection of novels based on video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox book
{{Infobox book
| name = The Myst Reader
| name = The Myst Reader
| title_orig =
| title_orig =
| translator =
| translator =
| image = [[Image:Myst reader.png|200px]]
| image = Myst reader.png
| caption =
| caption =
| author = [[Rand Miller]]<br>[[Robyn Miller]]<br>[[David Wingrove]]
| author = [[Rand Miller]]<br/>[[Robyn Miller]]<br/>[[David Wingrove]]
| illustrator =
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
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| genre =
| genre =
| publisher = Hyperion
| publisher = Hyperion
| pub_date = September 1, 2004<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Myst-Reader-Books-1-3-Three/dp/1401307817|title=The Myst Reader, Books 1-3: Three Books in One Volume|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref>
| pub_date = September 1, 2004<ref>{{cite book|title=The Myst Reader, Books 1-3: Three Books in One Volume|isbn=1401307817|last1=Miller|first1=Rand|date=September 2004|publisher=Hyperion Books }}</ref>
| english_pub_date =
| english_pub_date =
| media_type =
| media_type =
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| followed_by =
| followed_by =
}}
}}
⚫
'''''The Myst Reader''''' is a bound collection of three books in the [[Myst (series)|''Myst'' franchise]], and was published on September&nbsp;1, 2004. The collection combines three works previously published as separate novels: '''''The Book of Atrus''''' (1995), '''''The Book of Ti{{'}}ana''''' (1996), and '''''The Book of D{{'}}ni''''' (1997).<ref name="apple-preview2">{{cite web|author=Cook, Brad|date=2001-04-01|url=http://www.apple.com/games/articles/2001/04/myst3/index2.html|title=The Lost Ages: Myst 3 Revealed (page 2)|publisher=[[Apple, Inc]]|accessdate=2008-06-03}}</ref> The novels were each written by British science-fiction writer [[David Wingrove]] with assistance from ''Myst''{{'}}s creators, [[Rand Miller|Rand]] and [[Robyn Miller]].


⚫
'''''The Myst Reader''''' is a collection of three [[novel]]s based on the [[Myst (series)|''Myst'' series]] of [[adventure game]]s. The collection was published in September 2004 and combines three works previously published separately: '''''The Book of Atrus''''' (1995), '''''The Book of Ti{{'}}ana''''' (1996), and '''''The Book of D{{'}}ni''''' (1997).<ref name="apple-preview2">{{cite web|author=Cook, Brad|date=April 1, 2001|url=https://www.apple.com/games/articles/2001/04/myst3/index2.html|title=The Lost Ages: Myst 3 Revealed (page 2)|publisher=[[Apple, Inc]]|access-date=June 3, 2008}}</ref> The novels were each written by British science-fiction writer [[David Wingrove]] with assistance from ''Myst''{{'}}s creators, [[Rand Miller|Rand]] and [[Robyn Miller]].
⚫
Each novel centers around the family of [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]], a scientist and explorer who has the ability to write special books which serve as links to other worlds, known as Ages. This ability, known as the Art, was practiced extensively by an ancient civilization known as the D'ni, who were only mentioned briefly in the original ''Myst'' game. The plot of each book reveals more of the ''Myst'' back-story and the workings of the D'ni.


⚫
Each novel centers on the family of [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]], a scientist and explorer who has the ability to write special books which serve as links to other worlds, known as Ages. This ability, known as the Art, was practiced extensively by an ancient civilization known as the D'ni, who were only mentioned briefly in the original ''Myst'' game. The plot of each book reveals more of the ''Myst'' back-story and the workings of the D'ni.
⚫
Upon release, reception of the novels have been mixed. Many reviewers expressed surprise that a novel based on a videogame worked; others found the prose dull and uninteresting, or that the book could not stand on its own without the game. The individual books sold well, with ''The Book of Atrus'' making [[USA Today]]'s Best-Selling Books list.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> Two more novels are planned; a sample of the first, ''The Book of Marrim'', was packaged with an edition of ''[[Myst V: End of Ages]]''. The plots to the novels have also been adapted by fans into a planned film based on ''The Book of Ti{{'}}ana'', with the blessing of [[Cyan Worlds]].<ref name="myst opportunity"/>

⚫
Upon release, reception of the novels have been mixed. Many reviewers expressed surprise that a novel based on a videogame worked; others found the prose dull and uninteresting, or that the book could not stand on its own without the game. The individual books sold well, with ''The Book of Atrus'' making [[USA Today]]'s Best-Selling Books list.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> At least two more novels were planned; a sample of the first, ''The Book of Marrim'', was packaged with an edition of ''[[Myst V: End of Ages]]''.


==Background==
==Background==
''Myst'' co-creators and brothers [[Rand Miller|Rand]] and [[Robyn Miller]] often created fictional worlds and stories as young children.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst">{{cite news| author=Gardner, Fran|date=1995-11-07| title=Book by Myst Brothers Unveils Atrus' world before the game|work=[[The Oregonian]]|page=E1}}</ref> Their vision was refined by the works of fantasy and science fiction writers such as [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Robert A. Heinlein]], and [[Isaac Asimov]]; ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'' offered them a glimpse at an exciting, fully realized fictional world.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/> Younger brother Robyn began working on a children's novel called ''Dunnyhut''; though he never completed the work, elements from the story influenced aspects of ''Myst''{{'}}s story.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/>
''Myst'' co-creators and brothers [[Rand Miller|Rand]] and [[Robyn Miller]] often created fictional worlds and stories as young children.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst">{{cite news| author=Gardner, Fran|date=November 7, 1995| title=Book by Myst Brothers Unveils Atrus' world before the game|work=[[The Oregonian]]|page=E1}}</ref> Their vision was refined by the works of fantasy and science fiction writers such as [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], [[Robert A. Heinlein]], and [[Isaac Asimov]]; ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' offered them a glimpse at an exciting, fully realized fictional world.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/> Younger brother Robyn began working on a children's novel called ''Dunnyhut''; though he never completed the work, elements from the story influenced aspects of ''Myst''{{'}}s story.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/>


The video game ''Myst'' tells the story of a special book which serves as a link to a world known as Myst. Myst is the home of an explorer named [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]], who lives on the island with his wife Catherine and two sons, [[Characters of Myst#Sirrus and Achenar|Sirrus and Achenar]]. An [[Stranger (Myst)|unnamed protagonist]] drops into Myst and finds the island strangely deserted.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> As the player explores Myst, they discover Sirrus and Achenar trapped inside two books. Both swear that their parents are dead due to the machinations of the other brother, and instruct the player to repair their books so they can be freed. In truth, Atrus and Catherine are merely imprisoned, and both Sirrus and Achenar are guilty of growing power-hungry and destroying Atrus' books. The player frees Atrus, leading to the events of the sequel ''[[Riven]]''.
The video game ''Myst'' tells the story of a special book which serves as a link to a world known as Myst. Myst is the home of an explorer named [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]], who lives on the island with his wife Catherine and two sons, [[Characters of Myst#Sirrus and Achenar|Sirrus and Achenar]]. An unnamed protagonist drops into Myst and finds the island strangely deserted.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> As the player explores Myst, they discover Sirrus and Achenar trapped inside two books. Both swear that their parents are dead due to the machinations of the other brother, and instruct the player to repair their books so they can be freed. In truth, Atrus and Catherine are merely imprisoned, and both Sirrus and Achenar are guilty of growing power-hungry and destroying Atrus' books. The player frees Atrus, leading to the events of the sequel ''[[Riven]]''.


The Millers began the game's development by sketching out puzzles and each individual world the player would explore in the game. As the brothers were conceptualizing the various worlds, they also wrote down pieces of the story.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me">{{cite news|author=Lovece, Frank|date=1995-11-26|title=Read 'Myst'y for Me|work=[[Newsday]]|page=28}}</ref> At some point in the development of these bits of story, Robyn explained in an interview, "We started realizing this story is actually something we thought the public would enjoy, so we started pressing to make [the novel] happen."<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/> Buoyed by strong sales of the video game, publisher [[Hyperion (publisher)|Hyperion]] signed a three-novel, US$1&nbsp;million deal with the brothers.<ref name="usa-creative brothers">{{cite news|author=Snider, Mike|date=1995-11-14|title=Creative Miller brothers pursue 'Myst' opportunities|work=[[USA Today]]|page=D10}}</ref>
The Millers began the game's development by sketching out puzzles and each individual world the player would explore in the game. As the brothers were conceptualizing the various worlds, they also wrote down pieces of the story.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me">{{cite news|author=Lovece, Frank|date=November 26, 1995|title=Read 'Myst'y for Me|work=[[Newsday]]|page=28}}</ref> At some point in the development of these bits of story, Robyn explained in an interview, "We started realizing this story is actually something we thought the public would enjoy, so we started pressing to make [the novel] happen."<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/> Buoyed by strong sales of the video game, publisher [[Hyperion (publisher)|Hyperion]] signed a three-novel, US$1&nbsp;million deal with the brothers.<ref name="usa-creative brothers">{{cite news|author=Snider, Mike|date=November 14, 1995|title=Creative Miller brothers pursue 'Myst' opportunities|work=[[USA Today]]|page=D10}}</ref>


The Miller brothers wrote the entire first novel, but were unsatisfied with the result; the Millers pointed out that writing a character for a novel is much harder than writing the characters of a game.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/> Hyperion recruited author [[David Wingrove]] to assist with the project; the Millers ended up giving Wingrove a detailed draft, and the author rewrote the entire book.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/> The book's design was made to fit the themes of the game; the novels are made to look like journals found in ''Myst'', with embossed covers and pages darkened as though with time and use.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/>
The Miller brothers wrote the entire first novel, but were unsatisfied with the result; the Millers pointed out that writing a character for a novel is much harder than writing the characters of a game.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/> Hyperion recruited author [[David Wingrove]] to assist with the project; the Millers ended up giving Wingrove a detailed draft, and the author rewrote the entire book.<ref name="newsday-mysty for me"/> The book's design was made to fit the themes of the game; the novels are made to look like journals found in ''Myst'', with embossed covers and pages darkened as though with time and use.<ref name="oregonian-book by myst"/>


To promote the release of ''The Book of Atrus'', the Millers embarked on an eleven-city book tour.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> The publicity stemming from the book and game surprised the Millers, who remained unaccustomed to their new-found fame. "The excitement is in talking to people who've walked through our world," Rand Miller said in an interview. "But we're not used to signing books - we're a bit out of our element."<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=1995-10-23|title=Sneak Peek at the Week: Focus on Books|work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]]|page=D1}}</ref>
To promote the release of ''The Book of Atrus'', the Millers embarked on an eleven-city book tour.<ref name="sae-usa today sells"/> The publicity stemming from the book and game surprised the Millers, who remained unaccustomed to their new-found fame. "The excitement is in talking to people who've walked through our world," Rand Miller said in an interview. "But we're not used to signing books - we're a bit out of our element."<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=October 23, 1995|title=Sneak Peek at the Week: Focus on Books|work=[[The Atlanta Constitution]]|page=D1}}</ref>


==Plot==
==Plot==


===Book of Atrus===
===Book of Atrus===
''The Book of Atrus'' serves as a [[prequel]] to the events of the eponymous first game in the ''Myst'' series, and introduces both new characters and old characters seen in the games. The book's protagonist is [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]]. He is raised by his grandmother Anna after his mother dies and his father abandons him. Eventually, Atrus' father [[Characters of Myst#Gehn|Gehn]] returns from his explorations of the ruins of the D'ni empire and enlists Atrus to come follow him back to the fallen city. Gehn teaches Atrus the Art, a skill the D'ni used to create special books which allow transport between worlds known as Ages. Atrus is awed by the Art at first, but he is horrified when he witnesses Gehn's manipulation and dismissive attitude to the inhabitants of the Ages. He also comes to understand Gehn's selfish, cold cruelty and his own power-hungry nature; Gehn believes that he creates the Ages he writes, instead of creating links to preexisting universes. Gehn destroys Atrus' first Age, Inception, because it does not follow Gehn's style of writing. After attempting to escape his father, Gehn traps Atrus in a locked chamber in D'ni, with the only escape Gehn's own Age of Riven. On Riven Atrus falls in love with a villager named [[Characters of Myst#Catherine|Catherine]].
''The Book of Atrus'' serves as a [[prequel]] to the events of the eponymous first game in the ''Myst'' series, and introduces both new characters and old characters seen in the games. The book's protagonist is [[Characters of Myst#Atrus|Atrus]]. He is raised by his grandmother Anna after his mother dies and his father abandons him. Eventually, Atrus' father [[Characters of Myst#Gehn|Gehn]] returns from his explorations of the ruins of the D'ni empire and enlists Atrus to come follow him back to the fallen city. Gehn teaches Atrus the Art, a skill the D'ni used to create special books which allow transport between worlds known as Ages. Atrus is awed by the Art at first, but he is horrified when he witnesses Gehn's manipulation and dismissive attitude to the inhabitants of the Ages. He also comes to understand Gehn's selfish, cold cruelty and his own power-hungry nature; Gehn believes that he creates the Ages he writes, instead of creating links to preexisting universes. Gehn destroys Atrus' first Age, Inception, because it does not follow Gehn's style of writing. After attempting to escape his father, Gehn traps Atrus in a locked chamber in D'ni, with the only escape to Gehn's own Age of Riven. On Riven Atrus falls in love with a villager named [[Characters of Myst#Catherine|Catherine]].


Catherine and Atrus hatch a plan to trap Gehn on Riven. Gehn is stranded when Atrus and Catherine destroy all linking books on Riven, escaping by using a book Ti'ana wrote for them, leading to the Age of Myst. Atrus drops the Myst linking book into a massive disturbance on Riven known as the Star Fissure; the book falls through the fissure to be picked up by the [[Stranger (Myst)|Stranger]] in ''[[Myst]]''. The closing words of the book are the opening narrative from the video game.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=1995-12-03|title=Books in Brief|work=[[The Roanoke Times|Roanoke Times & World News]]|page=F4}}</ref>
Catherine and Atrus hatch a plan to trap Gehn on Riven. Gehn is stranded when Atrus and Catherine destroy all linking books on Riven, escaping by using a book Ti'ana wrote for them, leading to the Age of Myst. Atrus drops the Myst linking book into a massive disturbance on Riven known as the Star Fissure; the book falls through the fissure to be picked up by the [[Stranger (Myst)|Stranger]] in ''[[Myst]]''. The closing words of the book are the opening narrative from the video game.<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=December 3, 1995|title=Books in Brief|work=[[The Roanoke Times|Roanoke Times & World News]]|page=F4}}</ref>


===Book of Ti'ana===
===Book of Ti'ana===
Line 56: Line 59:


==Reception==
==Reception==
Reception to the ''Myst'' novels has been mixed. Sybil Steinberg of ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' reviewed ''The Book of Atrus'' and stated that Wingrove's achievement of a "rollicking adventure tale" was improbable, given that previous game-to-book attempts had failed horribly.<ref name="pw-book of atrus">{{cite journal|date=1995-10-16|title=Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus by Rand Miller and Robyn Miller with David Wingrove|journal=[[Publishers Weekly]]|author=Steinberg, Sybil|volume=242|issue=42|pages=46}}</ref> [[Booklist]] also gave the book a positive review, stating that the plot was predictable but the book served its purpose "to either introduce readers to the game, or supply players with back stories".<ref>
Reception to the ''Myst'' novels has been mixed. Sybil Steinberg of ''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' reviewed ''The Book of Atrus'' and stated that Wingrove's achievement of a "rollicking adventure tale" was improbable, given that previous game-to-book attempts had failed horribly.<ref name="pw-book of atrus">{{cite journal|date=October 16, 1995|title=Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus by Rand Miller and Robyn Miller with David Wingrove|journal=[[Publishers Weekly]]|author=Steinberg, Sybil|volume=242|issue=42|pages=46}}</ref> [[Booklist]] also gave the book a positive review, stating that the plot was predictable but the book served its purpose "to either introduce readers to the game, or supply players with back stories".<ref>
{{cite journal|author=Duncan, Melanie|year=1995|month=November|title=Science fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus| journal=[[Booklist]]|volume=92 |issue=5| pages=458}}</ref> A reviewer for ''[[New Scientist]]'' called the story "a good, light read for the holiday season."<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=1995-12-23|title=Beyond the fanzine|work=[[New Scientist]]|page=67}}</ref>
{{cite journal|author=Duncan, Melanie|date=November 1995|title=Science fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus| journal=[[Booklist]]|volume=92 |issue=5| pages=458}}</ref> A reviewer for ''[[New Scientist]]'' called the story "a good, light read for the holiday season."<ref>{{cite news|author=Staff|date=December 23, 1995|title=Beyond the fanzine|work=[[New Scientist]]|page=67}}</ref>


Other reviewers felt that the novel could not stand on its own, and relied on the games to maintain relevancy.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Burgess, Edwin|year=1995|month=October|title=Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus|journal=Edwin B. Library Journal|volume=120|issue=16|page=120}}</ref> Albert Kim of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' also gave the novel a mediocre score, saying the main issue that doomed ''The Book of Atrus'' was that it removed the mystery from ''Myst''. "Much of the game's charm is derived from its eeriness, a haunting aura that is lost in the text," Kim wrote.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kim, Albert|date=1995-10-20|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299203,00.html|title=Book Review: Game Over|work=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|accessdate=2008-06-12|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5uPgX6mFN|archivedate=2010-11-21}}</ref> ''[[Fantasy and Science Fiction]]'' stated that the prose was not up to the task of bringing the characters to life.<ref>{{cite journal|author=West, Michelle|title=Guilty pleasures -- Myst: The Book of Atrus|journal=[[Fantasy & Science Fiction]]|month=July|year=1996|volume=91|issue=1|pages=43–48}}</ref> Steinberg later stated that with the books "bereft of the game's dazzling graphics and its hypnotic interactive dimension", the second and third novels plodded along with boring prose.<ref name="pw-book of dni">{{cite journal|author= Steinberg, Sybil|date=1997-10-27|title=Myst: The Book of D'ni|journal=[[Publishers Weekly]]|volume=244|issue=44 |pages=56–58}}</ref>
Other reviewers felt that the novel could not stand on its own, and relied on the games to maintain relevancy.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Burgess, Edwin|date=October 1995|title=Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus|journal=Edwin B. Library Journal|volume=120|issue=16|page=120}}</ref> Albert Kim of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' also gave the novel a mediocre score, saying the main issue that doomed ''The Book of Atrus'' was that it removed the mystery from ''Myst''. "Much of the game's charm is derived from its eeriness, a haunting aura that is lost in the text," Kim wrote.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Kim, Albert|date=October 20, 1995|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299203,00.html|title=Book Review: Game Over|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=June 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607190105/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299203,00.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Fantasy and Science Fiction]]'' stated that the prose was not up to the task of bringing the characters to life.<ref>{{cite journal|author=West, Michelle|title=Guilty pleasures -- Myst: The Book of Atrus|journal=[[Fantasy & Science Fiction]]|date=July 1996|volume=91|issue=1|pages=43–48}}</ref> Steinberg later stated that with the books "bereft of the game's dazzling graphics and its hypnotic interactive dimension", the second and third novels plodded along with boring prose.<ref name="pw-book of dni">{{cite journal|author= Steinberg, Sybil|date=October 27, 1997|title=Myst: The Book of D'ni|journal=[[Publishers Weekly]]|volume=244|issue=44 |pages=56–58}}</ref>


Despite the mixed reviews, the ''Myst'' novels sold well. ''The Book of Atrus'' reached a top spot of 176 on [[USA Today]]'s Best-Selling Books list.<ref name="sae-usa today sells">{{cite news|author=USA Today|date=1995-11-19|title=Inventors of 'Myst' reflect on multimedia megahit|work=San Antonio Express-News}}</ref> More than 450,000 copies of ''Book of Atrus'' and ''Book of Ti'ana'' have been sold. A fourth and fifth ''Myst'' novel were planned. The first, entitled ''Myst: The Book of Marrim'', was announced in 2004; a preview of the novel was packaged in the ''[[Myst V: End of Ages]]'' special edition.<ref>{{cite news|author=Chan, Chris|date=2005-11-10|title=Challenging puzzles and mysteries|work=New Straits Times|page=18}}</ref> A group of independent filmmakers adapted ''The Book of Ti{{'}}ana'' into a screenplay, with the blessing of the Millers.<ref name="myst opportunity">{{cite web|author=Crigger, Laura|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3167885|title=Myst Opportunity |publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=2008-05-29}}</ref>
Despite the mixed reviews, the ''Myst'' novels sold well. ''The Book of Atrus'' reached a top spot of 176 on [[USA Today]]'s Best-Selling Books list.<ref name="sae-usa today sells">{{cite news|author=USA Today|date=November 19, 1995|title=Inventors of 'Myst' reflect on multimedia megahit|work=San Antonio Express-News}}</ref> More than 450,000 copies of ''Book of Atrus'' and ''Book of Ti'ana'' have been sold. A fourth and fifth ''Myst'' novel were planned. The first, entitled ''Myst: The Book of Marrim'', was announced in 2004; a preview of the novel was packaged in the ''[[Myst V: End of Ages]]'' special edition.<ref>{{cite news|author=Chan, Chris|date=November 10, 2005|title=Challenging puzzles and mysteries|work=New Straits Times|page=18}}</ref> A group of independent filmmakers adapted ''The Book of Ti{{'}}ana'' into a screenplay, with the blessing of the Millers.<ref name="myst opportunity">{{cite web|author=Crigger, Laura|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3167885|title=Myst Opportunity |publisher=[[1UP.com]]|access-date=May 29, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927174406/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3167885|archive-date=September 27, 2012}}</ref> The project later stalled.<ref>{{cite web|author=Shaw-Williams, H|date=October 7, 2014|url=http://screenrant.com/myst-computer-game-tv-series/|title='Myst' TV Series Being Developed by Legendary|work=[[Screen Rant]]|publisher=Valnet, Inc.|access-date=March 29, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150114051128/http://screenrant.com/myst-computer-game-tv-series/|archive-date=January 14, 2015}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}


{{Myst franchise}}
{{Myst franchise}}


{{good article}}
{{Good article}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Myst Reader, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myst Reader, The}}
[[Category:2004 novels]]
[[Category:2004 American novels]]
[[Category:American anthologies]]
[[Category:American anthologies]]
[[Category:Myst (series)]]
[[Category:Myst (series)]]
[[Category:Novels based on video games]]
[[Category:Novels based on video games]]
[[Category:Works based on Ubisoft video games]]

Latest revision as of 18:07, 29 September 2024

The Myst Reader
AuthorRand Miller
Robyn Miller
David Wingrove
PublisherHyperion
Publication date
September 1, 2004[1]
ISBN1-4013-0781-7

The Myst Reader is a collection of three novels based on the Myst series of adventure games. The collection was published in September 2004 and combines three works previously published separately: The Book of Atrus (1995), The Book of Ti'ana (1996), and The Book of D'ni (1997).[2] The novels were each written by British science-fiction writer David Wingrove with assistance from Myst's creators, Rand and Robyn Miller.

Each novel centers on the family of Atrus, a scientist and explorer who has the ability to write special books which serve as links to other worlds, known as Ages. This ability, known as the Art, was practiced extensively by an ancient civilization known as the D'ni, who were only mentioned briefly in the original Myst game. The plot of each book reveals more of the Myst back-story and the workings of the D'ni.

Upon release, reception of the novels have been mixed. Many reviewers expressed surprise that a novel based on a videogame worked; others found the prose dull and uninteresting, or that the book could not stand on its own without the game. The individual books sold well, with The Book of Atrus making USA Today's Best-Selling Books list.[3] At least two more novels were planned; a sample of the first, The Book of Marrim, was packaged with an edition of Myst V: End of Ages.

Background

[edit]

Myst co-creators and brothers Rand and Robyn Miller often created fictional worlds and stories as young children.[4] Their vision was refined by the works of fantasy and science fiction writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Robert A. Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov; Star Wars offered them a glimpse at an exciting, fully realized fictional world.[4] Younger brother Robyn began working on a children's novel called Dunnyhut; though he never completed the work, elements from the story influenced aspects of Myst's story.[5]

The video game Myst tells the story of a special book which serves as a link to a world known as Myst. Myst is the home of an explorer named Atrus, who lives on the island with his wife Catherine and two sons, Sirrus and Achenar. An unnamed protagonist drops into Myst and finds the island strangely deserted.[3] As the player explores Myst, they discover Sirrus and Achenar trapped inside two books. Both swear that their parents are dead due to the machinations of the other brother, and instruct the player to repair their books so they can be freed. In truth, Atrus and Catherine are merely imprisoned, and both Sirrus and Achenar are guilty of growing power-hungry and destroying Atrus' books. The player frees Atrus, leading to the events of the sequel Riven.

The Millers began the game's development by sketching out puzzles and each individual world the player would explore in the game. As the brothers were conceptualizing the various worlds, they also wrote down pieces of the story.[5] At some point in the development of these bits of story, Robyn explained in an interview, "We started realizing this story is actually something we thought the public would enjoy, so we started pressing to make [the novel] happen."[5] Buoyed by strong sales of the video game, publisher Hyperion signed a three-novel, US$1 million deal with the brothers.[6]

The Miller brothers wrote the entire first novel, but were unsatisfied with the result; the Millers pointed out that writing a character for a novel is much harder than writing the characters of a game.[4] Hyperion recruited author David Wingrove to assist with the project; the Millers ended up giving Wingrove a detailed draft, and the author rewrote the entire book.[5] The book's design was made to fit the themes of the game; the novels are made to look like journals found in Myst, with embossed covers and pages darkened as though with time and use.[4]

To promote the release of The Book of Atrus, the Millers embarked on an eleven-city book tour.[3] The publicity stemming from the book and game surprised the Millers, who remained unaccustomed to their new-found fame. "The excitement is in talking to people who've walked through our world," Rand Miller said in an interview. "But we're not used to signing books - we're a bit out of our element."[7]

Plot

[edit]

Book of Atrus

[edit]

The Book of Atrus serves as a prequel to the events of the eponymous first game in the Myst series, and introduces both new characters and old characters seen in the games. The book's protagonist is Atrus. He is raised by his grandmother Anna after his mother dies and his father abandons him. Eventually, Atrus' father Gehn returns from his explorations of the ruins of the D'ni empire and enlists Atrus to come follow him back to the fallen city. Gehn teaches Atrus the Art, a skill the D'ni used to create special books which allow transport between worlds known as Ages. Atrus is awed by the Art at first, but he is horrified when he witnesses Gehn's manipulation and dismissive attitude to the inhabitants of the Ages. He also comes to understand Gehn's selfish, cold cruelty and his own power-hungry nature; Gehn believes that he creates the Ages he writes, instead of creating links to preexisting universes. Gehn destroys Atrus' first Age, Inception, because it does not follow Gehn's style of writing. After attempting to escape his father, Gehn traps Atrus in a locked chamber in D'ni, with the only escape to Gehn's own Age of Riven. On Riven Atrus falls in love with a villager named Catherine.

Catherine and Atrus hatch a plan to trap Gehn on Riven. Gehn is stranded when Atrus and Catherine destroy all linking books on Riven, escaping by using a book Ti'ana wrote for them, leading to the Age of Myst. Atrus drops the Myst linking book into a massive disturbance on Riven known as the Star Fissure; the book falls through the fissure to be picked up by the Stranger in Myst. The closing words of the book are the opening narrative from the video game.[8]

Book of Ti'ana

[edit]

The Book of Ti'ana takes place earlier than The Book of Atrus. The first part of the book focuses on life of Atrus' grandfather Aitrus with his parents Kahlis and Tasera, Aitrus' meeting with Ti'ana, and the birth of their son Gehn. The book also explains the destruction of the D'ni civilization. Two D'ni, Veovis and A'Gaeris, plot to destroy their civilization, which they believe has been corrupted. Veovis and A'Gaeris create a plague which wipes out many of the D'ni and follows them through the Ages. Veovis is murdered by A'Gaeris for refusing to write an Age where the two of them would have been worshipped as gods, and Aitrus sacrifices himself in order to lure A'Gaeris to an unstable Age, killing them both.

Book of D'ni

[edit]

In The Book of D'ni, Atrus opens the crumbled exit of the room in K'veer, where he had been imprisoned by Gehn, and gains access to the rest of D'ni. Atrus and his team set out to find linking books and search for D'ni survivors. Eventually, Atrus and the rest of the D'ni plan on rebuilding the civilization, but this plan is put to a halt when a book leading to a great lost Age called Terahnee is found. Terahnee is a sister Age to D'ni and is populated by descendants of the same ancestors as the D'ni.

At first sight, Terahnee seems like a Utopia. Everyone lives in sumptuous palaces, and nobody goes hungry; in reality, the society is run by slave labor. After writing new Ages, the Terahnee people capture the inhabitants to use as slaves, considering themselves gods over their Ages. The Terahnee people are taught not to 'see' the slaves; only the servants interact with the lower orders. The Terahnee are suddenly stricken by a plague the D'ni brought with them; Atrus and his companions help the Age's slaves recover and create a new society before returning to D'ni and sealing up the path to Terahnee.

Reception

[edit]

Reception to the Myst novels has been mixed. Sybil Steinberg of Publishers Weekly reviewed The Book of Atrus and stated that Wingrove's achievement of a "rollicking adventure tale" was improbable, given that previous game-to-book attempts had failed horribly.[9] Booklist also gave the book a positive review, stating that the plot was predictable but the book served its purpose "to either introduce readers to the game, or supply players with back stories".[10] A reviewer for New Scientist called the story "a good, light read for the holiday season."[11]

Other reviewers felt that the novel could not stand on its own, and relied on the games to maintain relevancy.[12] Albert Kim of Entertainment Weekly also gave the novel a mediocre score, saying the main issue that doomed The Book of Atrus was that it removed the mystery from Myst. "Much of the game's charm is derived from its eeriness, a haunting aura that is lost in the text," Kim wrote.[13] Fantasy and Science Fiction stated that the prose was not up to the task of bringing the characters to life.[14] Steinberg later stated that with the books "bereft of the game's dazzling graphics and its hypnotic interactive dimension", the second and third novels plodded along with boring prose.[15]

Despite the mixed reviews, the Myst novels sold well. The Book of Atrus reached a top spot of 176 on USA Today's Best-Selling Books list.[3] More than 450,000 copies of Book of Atrus and Book of Ti'ana have been sold. A fourth and fifth Myst novel were planned. The first, entitled Myst: The Book of Marrim, was announced in 2004; a preview of the novel was packaged in the Myst V: End of Ages special edition.[16] A group of independent filmmakers adapted The Book of Ti'ana into a screenplay, with the blessing of the Millers.[17] The project later stalled.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Miller, Rand (September 2004). The Myst Reader, Books 1-3: Three Books in One Volume. Hyperion Books. ISBN 1401307817.
  2. ^ Cook, Brad (April 1, 2001). "The Lost Ages: Myst 3 Revealed (page 2)". Apple, Inc. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d USA Today (November 19, 1995). "Inventors of 'Myst' reflect on multimedia megahit". San Antonio Express-News.
  4. ^ a b c d Gardner, Fran (November 7, 1995). "Book by Myst Brothers Unveils Atrus' world before the game". The Oregonian. p. E1.
  5. ^ a b c d Lovece, Frank (November 26, 1995). "Read 'Myst'y for Me". Newsday. p. 28.
  6. ^ Snider, Mike (November 14, 1995). "Creative Miller brothers pursue 'Myst' opportunities". USA Today. p. D10.
  7. ^ Staff (October 23, 1995). "Sneak Peek at the Week: Focus on Books". The Atlanta Constitution. p. D1.
  8. ^ Staff (December 3, 1995). "Books in Brief". Roanoke Times & World News. p. F4.
  9. ^ Steinberg, Sybil (October 16, 1995). "Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus by Rand Miller and Robyn Miller with David Wingrove". Publishers Weekly. 242 (42): 46.
  10. ^ Duncan, Melanie (November 1995). "Science fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus". Booklist. 92 (5): 458.
  11. ^ Staff (December 23, 1995). "Beyond the fanzine". New Scientist. p. 67.
  12. ^ Burgess, Edwin (October 1995). "Fiction -- Myst: The Book of Atrus". Edwin B. Library Journal. 120 (16): 120.
  13. ^ Kim, Albert (October 20, 1995). "Book Review: Game Over". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 12, 2008.
  14. ^ West, Michelle (July 1996). "Guilty pleasures -- Myst: The Book of Atrus". Fantasy & Science Fiction. 91 (1): 43–48.
  15. ^ Steinberg, Sybil (October 27, 1997). "Myst: The Book of D'ni". Publishers Weekly. 244 (44): 56–58.
  16. ^ Chan, Chris (November 10, 2005). "Challenging puzzles and mysteries". New Straits Times. p. 18.
  17. ^ Crigger, Laura. "Myst Opportunity". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
  18. ^ Shaw-Williams, H (October 7, 2014). "'Myst' TV Series Being Developed by Legendary". Screen Rant. Valnet, Inc. Archived from the original on January 14, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2018.

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