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Item - The Forgotten Planet

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Series: Choose Your Own Adventure (1979-1998) — no. 133
Translated Into: El planeta olvidado (Spanish)
Author: Wilhelm, Doug
Illustrators: Mattingly, David B. (cover)
Wing, Ron (interior)
Date: 1993
ISBN: 0553293036 / 9780553293036
Length: 113 pages
Number of Endings: 11
drereichdude's Thoughts:

This book is one that I have owned for a while, but never really read until now. I know that I bought it because of the futuristic, science fiction-like theme, and even though I usually prefer CYOA books by Edward Packard (like The Perfect Planet), this particular book by Doug Wilhelm was actually pretty good, and the illustrations by Ron Wing were very well-done.

Like I said, this book takes place in the future (2145) and your home planet, Casgar, is a member of the Galaxy Union. You're a summer intern for Interweb, "the galaxywide communications network." You are shocked to discover evidence of what may be a government conspiracy to cover up a space probe's discovery of intelligent life on the planet Minos. Now, the data you recover denies that the probe ever existed.

You later learn that energy transmissions from Minos, also called "seizures," have been disabling key Interweb systems, such as those for spacecraft guidance, and there have many accidents. If a seizure was powerful enough, Interweb could collapse, and the entire Galaxy Union would be totally vulnerable to attack!

The book progresses as you and your uncle Jardon, a historian, and Murphy, an agent with Galaxy Union Intelligence, work on a plan to use Quantum energy particles to create a hologram of yourself that you will transport to Minos. Then you can find out who is behind the deadly transmissions, and stop them.

Incidentally, the name "Minos" has been used for two different episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The first Minos is from an episode where the native population has been totally wiped out by their own advanced weapons technology. The second is Minos Korva, and is near the border of the Cardassian Union, home to the Cardassians, a race native to the Alpha Quadrant, which shares territory with the United Federation Of Planets.

Anyway, I liked this book, now that I have finally actually read it. If you like Sci-Fi CYOA titles, you will probably like this book, too!

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Jordashebasics's Thoughts:

The Forgotten Planet is really pretty good. The story is established well, your motivation is clear, the mystery is clear, and your objectives are clear. You get a teleportation device (which is never called one) which allows for some fun, as well as allows the story to jump locations without needing an explanation.

The biggest weakness the book has is that it isn't longer. For a satisfying story, it needed more fleshing out. We never get a clear sense of why the villain wants to defeat the rest of the galaxy.

Still, a hidden gem in the run.

More reviews by Jordashebasics

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