Outakes from Maze Chapter

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Mazes in Puzzlebooks

According to Kern, the oldest depiction of a maze, which is also a maze, dates back to 1200 B.C. The emergence of maze puzzle-books, however, is considerably more contemporary.

Giovanni Fontana has been given the status as the father of the multicursal maze, back at "the dawn of humanism, about 1420" (Kern 136). "Fontana describes three ancient labyrinth structures; he made his design like that of Daedalus" (138). The earliest of his inscriptions (p. 138) was found in Venice and dates back to 1420. (Kern 138). 600 years ago.

Puzzle-book mazes as we know them today... (Jeremy is going to chime in here, still)

Convergence at this time of several domains, all emphasizing branching narrative choices, narratively immersive environments, and interactivity: tabletop wargamming’s shift to Tolkienesque underground fantasy, interactive fiction, Choose Your Own Adventure gamebooks.

RPGs

Dungeons and Dragon as the prototypical second-person tabletop RPG game. (Will dig up some old DM manuals and D&D modules, to see what's in there about mazes.)

Game Books

While Choose Your Own Adventure books are not strictly mazes, the emulate the labyrinthine aspect of mazes, of facing crossroads with multiple paths. (Question: does any CYOA book actually have a maze in it? Maybe one of the Zork ones?)

A notable book that literalizes the maze-like aspect of CYOA books is the 1985 appropriately named Maze, by Christopher Manson (published by MacMillan in 1985) (online version)

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