A Trip Down Memory Card Lane Ep.189 – Who Am I: How an Acclaimed Author Turned Amnesia into Art
In 1986, Electronic Arts released Amnesia, a text adventure that blurred the line between literature and gaming. Written by acclaimed sci-fi author Thomas M. Disch and developed by Cognetics Corporation, the game dropped players into a meticulously modeled Manhattan with no memory and a murder accusation hanging over their heads. In this episode, we explore Disch’s literary career, his unlikely partnership with Electronic Arts, and how Amnesia became one of the most ambitious examples of interactive fiction. Our discussion covers the game's technical achievements, including its simulation of 4,000 real New York City locations, and Disch’s prescient ideas about the future of networked storytelling. Join us as we wander the streets of 1980s Manhattan and rediscover a forgotten experiment in storytelling on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.