def of cyoa

5.1 A Definition of CYOA
I would like to define Choose your own adventure (CYOA) by contrasting it with interactive fiction (IF) due to some cross over between them. CYOAs are said to have origins in non-linear narratives, such as James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) and Jorge Luis Borges' The Garden of Forking Paths (1941) (McMillan, G. 2013 p.1). More recent examples from the 80s and 90s were non-linear adventure stories with multiple paths, plot lines and endings. At the end of each section you were presented with choices and accompanying page numbers. IF on the other hand, is a computer based story that requires the reader to input text into a parser to proceed through a text-based environment, similar to 3D computer games. One early example of IF is ZORK(1977–1979). Both CYOA and IF are traditionally written in second person and present tense with the reader playing the main character. They often mirror fairy-tales, with heroes, quests, confrontations and the goal of survival or salvation (Murray, J. 1998, pp.130-131). The main difference between these genres is that CYOA is more story than game while IF is more game than story.