From Myst to Riven: The Creations and Inspirations by Richard Kadrey

by Richard Kadrey

When Myst--the bestselling CD-ROM game of all time--was released, it was a labor of love between two brothers and a small staff. The team used relatively simple tools and pure imagination to craft a game that was like no other and that appealed to millions of people worldwide. When the Miller brothers and their growing company, Cyan, began work on the sequel, Riven, they knew that topping themselves would be no easy task. Not just for Myst junkies, From Myst to Riven is a wonderful journey through the minds and imaginations of everyone who created this more-than-worthy sequel. Told alongside dozens of beautiful full-page photos, development sketches, maps, and diagrams, the book describes the ground-breaking process that was the creation of the most highly anticipated computer game of all time. Throughout each chapter, you can follow the entire development process, from the first seeds of a concept to fully rendered realization. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories, profiles of the creators, and insight into their inspirations to keep Myst junkies sated, but the true gold of this volume is the artwork.

More than simple backgrounds for gameplay, the design and look of the original Myst was beautiful, haunting, and original. Riven far exceeds the standards set by the original, delivering even more breathtaking imagery and landscapes, combining the weird and fantastic with the familiarity of nature.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Game Design, Video Games, Reference, Gaming, Games

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

Richard Kadrey is a writer and freelance musician living in Pittsburgh, best known for his Sandman Slim novels. His work has been nominated for the Locus and BSFA awards. Kadrey's newest books are The Secrets of Insects, released in August 2023; The Dead Take the A Train (with Cassandra Khaw), released in September 2023; The Pale House Devil, released in September 2023.

Reviews

[Ben Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very in-depth and insightful book about the making of Riven. Lots of behind the scenes information, images, anecdotes and development philosophies, and all thoughtfully collected in a reverent, easy to read package. It does contain some solutions to things that should be learned from playing the game itself, so if you haven’t completed the game and are averse to having solutions given to you, finish the game first. But otherwise, this is the sort of book that I would happily buy for many of my favourite titles. Wonderful stuff.

[Austin Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this in anticipation of Cyan's forthcoming new game, 'Obduction'.

An extended 'Making of' piece with lavish illustrations. Richard Kadrey was a great choice, he writes with the enthusiasm of liner copy from a vinyl record sleeve. It doesn't feel hyperbolic because Riven was a watershed moment. Everything in that game - puzzles, environment, art - served narrative and world-building.

This is perhaps my second-favorite book about the rise of 'CD-ROM' scale games, after a Dorling Kindersley book whose name escapes me.

[Coco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Since several Myst sequels have come out by now, this book is rather dated. But Myst and Riven set the bar for a lot of games at the time, so it's almost like video game history. I love the story and culture of the D'ni plus I'm a graphic design buff--this book is perfect for me. Very interesting! (July 2009)

[Dwayne Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

A clumsy puff-piece on the making of Riven, with a bit of a prologue on Cyan, the Millers, and Myst. Kadrey doesn't dig deep - he only skims the surface of bare fact. It's worth looking at for the art and summary of the development process, but read Jon Carroll's two pieces for WIRED magazine (Guerrillas in the Myst and (D)Riven) for a more meaningful look at the human factor behind Myst and Riven. It's unfortunate that a quarter-century later we still have so little true critique or analysis of evangelicalism's greatest contributions to video games.

[Lewis Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully presented book that basically gives any Myst fan a gorgeous coffee table piece to paw through. While the actual writing is a little dry, it does give you a fascinating insight into the world of early 3D game development that surprisingly hasn’t changed much in the years since. Plus you get lovely high resolution imagery from the games. A must-own for Myst fans.

[madly · Rating 5 out of 5]

such an amazing art & behind the scenes book!!! a vast attention to detail & explanations of the entire creative process that will be compelling to all fans of the myst games!!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this book is, of course, gorgeous. The text mostly covers the tech involved in rendering Riven, which it was released in conjunction with, with some sidelights on Myst and other aspects of the Riven creative process.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding book! Much better than the games"

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lavishly illustrated volume showing graphic techniques and preliminary art used in the making of the Myst and Riven games. This book, more than the games, inspired me to learn 3d graphics.

[Valarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful documentary of the development of Riven, mostly, with a few comments on Myst. Mostly I loved the gorgeous, full-page screenshots and the concept sketches throughout.

[Earl Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the game, this is great eye candy that goes with it..