The Badlands of Hark
Author: R. L. Stine
Illustrators: Pound (cover), Robert Roper (interior)
First Published: 1985
ISBN: 0-590-33772-6
Length: 250 sections
Number of Endings: 79
Plot Summary: You are on a search for treasure on the incredibly
dangerous planet of Hark.
Translation: Spanish
My Thoughts: This is a very, very difficult book to finish
successfully. This doesn't mean it's an intellectual challenge, just that
it has so many arbitrary deaths and dead ends that it takes forever to find
the right way through. Still, if you have patience (and make a map), it is
possible to get through successfully. The book has a few continuity problems
(like the ability to get infinitely many points if you "cheat" and
follow certain plot threads through again and again) and the writing is
uneven, but I can't help liking it; it's quite different from most gamebooks,
even if all the differences aren't favorable.
My High Score: 1625 (no points counted more than once)
The Invaders of Hark
Author: R. L. Stine
Illustrators: Pound (cover), Neil Trescott (interior)
First Published: 1985
ISBN: 0-590-33776-9
Length: 250 sections
Number of Endings: 59
Plot Summary: You must rescue the princess of Hark from one of
two invading alien armies.
Translation: Spanish
My Thoughts: I got through this book somewhat faster than the first
one. This was probably due to luck, but a familiarity with the backwards
logic of the series does help here; as in the previous book, victory requires
some seemingly bad moves. Overall I found this book more satisfying than
the previous one; the events don't seem quite so random and the continuity
is better.
My High Score: 1050 (no points counted more than once)