git @ Cat's Eye Technologies The-Dossier / 41111b3
Move some recollected games to C64. Sort Esolang Reading List. Chris Pressey 7 years ago
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article/An Esolang Reading List.md less more
00 An Esolang Reading List
11 =======================
2
3 This list has been hanging about in one form or another, on my website
4 and on the esolangs.org wiki, for a while now.
5
6 Reading it will make you an esolang expert, obviously, but *only* if
7 you read *every* book on it, obviously.
28
39 ### Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools (1st Ed.)
410
2430
2531 Also, there are cute pictures of ghosts inside.
2632
33 ### Computation: Finite and Infinite Machines
34
35 * authors: Marvin Minsky
36 * genre: Mathematics
37 * release-date: 1967
38 * ISBN: 0-1316556-3-9
39
40 There are lots of books on computability, but this is one of the earlier
41 ones (1967!) and one of the few that treat "Turing tarpits" with any
42 seriousness.
43
44 ### The Cognitive Connection: Thought and Language in Man and Machine
45
46 * authors: Howard Levine, Howard Rheingold
47 * genre: Philosophy
48 * release-date: Jan 1987
49 * ISBN: 0-1313961-9-6
50
51 Begins with a disclaimer that it contains at least one error — which turns
52 out to be a giant understatement. The book is *riddled* with errors, but
53 has a great attitude. Touches on many of the weirder beliefs people have
54 held about logic and language through history (for example, the "logic
55 machines" of [Ramon Llull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Llull).)
56
2757 ### Counterexamples in Topology
2858
2959 * authors: Lynn Arthur Steen, J. Arthur Seebach Jr.
3464 Don't worry if you don't know topology — it's not the topology that makes
3565 this a worthwhile read, it's the counterexamples.
3666
37 ### Microprocessor Programming for Computer Hobbyists
67 ### Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide
3868
39 * authors: Neill Graham
69 * authors: Commodore Business Machines
4070 * genre: Programming
41 * release-date: 1978
42 * ISBN: 0-8306695-2-3
43 * publisher: TAB
71 * release-date: Dec 1982
72 * ISBN: 0-672-22056-3
73 * publisher: Howard W. Sams & Co.
4474
45 Older computer science book, addressing machine-level programming with
46 a sort-of high level language called PL/M, which resembles PL/I. Really
47 not bad.
75 Classic. I urge you to read the "crunching" guide on pages 24-27, how the
76 screen editor works on pages 94-97, the vaguely condescending
77 paragraph at the top of page 153, and the comment on program line 20
78 on page 148, and tell me that the Commodore 64 isn't an esoteric architecture.
4879
4980 ### 1001 Things to Do With your Commodore 64
5081
6091 program fragments for every microcomputer on the market at the time, and
6192 this just happened to the be Commodore 64 one.
6293
63 ### Computation: Finite and Infinite Machines
94 ### Microprocessor Programming for Computer Hobbyists
6495
65 * authors: Marvin Minsky
66 * genre: Mathematics
67 * release-date: 1967
68 * ISBN: 0-1316556-3-9
96 * authors: Neill Graham
97 * genre: Programming
98 * release-date: 1978
99 * ISBN: 0-8306695-2-3
100 * publisher: TAB
69101
70 There are lots of books on computability, but this is one of the earlier
71 ones (1967!) and one of the few that treat tarpits with any seriousness.
72
73 ### Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide
74
75 * authors: Commodore Business Machines
76 * genre: Programming
77 * release-date: Dec 1982
78 * ISBN: 0-672-22056-3
79 * publisher: Howard W. Sams & Co.
80
81 Classic. I urge you to read the "crunching" guide on pages 24-27, how the
82 screen editor works on pages 94-97, the vaguely condescending
83 paragraph at the top of page 153, and the comment on program line 20
84 on page 148, and tell me that the Commodore 64 isn't an esoteric architecture.
85
86 ### The Real Frank Zappa Book
87
88 * authors: Frank Zappa, Peter Occhiogrosso
89 * genre: Philosophy
90 * release-date: May 1990
91 * ISBN: 0-6717057-2-5
92
93 Mainly for Zappa's theory of art ("entertainment objects") which describes
94 quite nicely how I think of esolangs. The rest of the book is
95 pretty interesting too, though.
102 Older computer science book, addressing machine-level programming with
103 a sort-of high level language called PL/M, which resembles PL/I. Really
104 not bad.
96105
97106 ### Patterns of Software: Tales from the Software Community
98107
116125
117126 An edited compilation of Martin Gardner's columns on recreational mathematics.
118127
119 ### The Cognitive Connection: Thought and Language in Man and Machine
120
121 * authors: Howard Levine, Howard Rheingold
122 * genre: Philosophy
123 * release-date: Jan 1987
124 * ISBN: 0-1313961-9-6
125
126 Begins with a disclaimer that it contains at least one error — which turns
127 out to be a giant understatement. The book is *riddled* with errors, but
128 has a great attitude. Touches on many of the weirder beliefs people have
129 held about logic and language through history (for example, the "logic
130 machines" of [Ramon Llull](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Llull).)
131
132128 ### Theory of Computation
133129
134130 * authors: Walter Brainerd, Lawrence Landweber
141137 language "PL" and, more interestingly, PL's primitive recursive subset
142138 PL-{GOTO}, for which Cat's Eye Technologies has implemented a compiler
143139 to ilasm.
140
141 ### The Real Frank Zappa Book
142
143 * authors: Frank Zappa, Peter Occhiogrosso
144 * genre: Philosophy
145 * release-date: May 1990
146 * ISBN: 0-6717057-2-5
147
148 Mainly for Zappa's theory of art ("entertainment objects") which describes
149 quite nicely how I think of esolangs. The rest of the book is
150 pretty interesting too, though.
144151
145152 ### Laws of Form
146153
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9292 Notable for gameplay mechanic: the player controls one character directly
9393 with a joystick, but also a second character indirectly, by influencing
9494 where they go, by whistling for them.
95
96 However, despite this interesting mechanic, I must admit I never really
97 got into this game. Something about it failed to appeal to me — perhaps
98 it was that the graphics felt kind of uninspired.
99
100 ### Zeppelin
101
102 ![screenshot](http://www.lemon64.com/games/screenshots/full/z/zeppelin_02.gif)
103
104 * wikipedia: N/A
105 * entry @ [lemon64](http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2940)
106 * entry @ [c64-wiki](https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Zeppelin)
107
108 Notable because you can shoot out bits of wall, or rather, bits of force field
109 and Futuristic Domed City, and in this way it feels a bit like an airborne
110 version of [Cloak & Dagger][]. Also notable because it involves flying a
111 dirigible in a cave.
112
113 Also notable for being a multi-directional scroller, but one in which you have
114 only limited influence over which direction it scrolls in. Once you maneouver
115 to a particular point in the cave, the direction will change apropos to that
116 point. You don't seem to be able to get into a dead-end this way, which is
117 probably good (much less frustrating than games in which you can,) but you
118 do seem to be able to go in circles quite easily.
119
120 [Cloak & Dagger]: Recollected%20Games.html#Cloak_&_Dagger
121
122 ### Slinky
123
124 ![screenshot](http://www.lemon64.com/games/screenshots/full/s/slinky_02.gif)
125
126 * available for: Commodore 64
127 * entry @ [lemon64](http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2470)
128
129 This one's pretty memorably weird, and deserves comment.
130
131 Once upon a time there was a game called Q*Bert which was quite famous and inspired a number of clones,
132 and each of these clones tended to have their own idiosyncratic mechanics. And Slinky is one such clone.
133
134 The 2013-06-14 comment by zaphod77 on the Lemon64 entry linked to above explains those mechanics far
135 better than I could. It does not, however, help them seem less arbitrary. I don't think anything
136 could do that.
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6565
6666 Not to be confused with a different game called Zig Zag, also for the C64.
6767
68 ### Zeppelin
69
70 ![screenshot](http://www.lemon64.com/games/screenshots/full/z/zeppelin_02.gif)
71
72 * wikipedia: N/A
73 * entry @ [lemon64](http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2940)
74 * entry @ [c64-wiki](https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Zeppelin)
75
76 Notable because you can shoot out bits of wall, or rather, bits of Futuristic
77 Domed City. A multi-directional scroller, but one in which you have only
78 limited influence over which direction it scrolls in. In some ways it feels
79 like an airborne version of Cloak and Dagger, and perhaps it was.
80
8168 ### Night Flight, an I.F.R. Simulator
8269
8370 * written by: Tim Gerchmez
10188 * available for: Commodore 64
10289 * entry @ [lemon64](http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2470)
10390
104 ### Slinky
105
106 ![screenshot](http://www.lemon64.com/games/screenshots/full/s/slinky_02.gif)
107
108 * available for: Commodore 64
109 * entry @ [lemon64](http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D2470)
110
111 This one's pretty memorably weird, and deserves comment.
112
113 Once upon a time there was a game called Q*Bert which was quite famous and inspired a number of clones,
114 and each of these clones tended to have their own idiosyncratic mechanics. And Slinky is one such clone.
115
116 The 2013-06-14 comment by zaphod77 on the Lemon64 entry linked to above explains those mechanics far
117 better than I could. It does not, however, help them seem less arbitrary. I don't think anything
118 could do that.
11991
12092 ### Everyone's a Wally
12193
406378 Asterix and the Magic Carpet -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix_and_the_Magic_Carpet_(Coktel_Vision_video_game)
407379
408380 Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_and_the_Mines_of_Terror
409
410 Games I'd Like to Play
411 ----------------------
412
413 ...but which I probably never will, because time.
414
415 Some of these are because they come highly recommended, and some
416 of them are just because I read a review in a magazine and they
417 sound intguining.
418
419 ### Macbeth
420
421 * available for: Commodore 64
422 * genre: Text Adventure
423
424 The review made it sound intruiging.
425
426 ### Oo-Topos
427
428 * genre: Text Adventure
429
430 The review made it sound intruiging.
431
432 ### Amnesia
433
434 * genre: Text Adventure
435
436 There was a review, but I'm not sure how intruiged I am.
437
438 ### Tass Times in Tone Town
439
440 * genre: Text Adventure
441
442 The review made it sound intruiging.
443
444 ### Mask of the Sun
445
446 * genre: Text Adventure
447
448 The review made it sound intruiging.
449
450 ### A Mind Forever Voyaging
451
452 * genre: Text Adventure
453 * published by: Infocom
454
455 Comes highly recommended.
456
457 ### The Lurking Horror
458
459 * genre: Text Adventure
460 * published by: Infocom
461
462 Assorted hearsay has made it sound intruiging.
463
464 ### Moonmist
465
466 * genre: Text Adventure
467 * published by: Infocom
468
469 Assorted hearsay has made it sound intruiging.
470
471 ### Anchorhead
472
473 * genre: Text Adventure
474 * wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorhead
475 * online @ [pr-if.org](http://pr-if.org/play/anchorhead/)
476
477 Comes highly recommended.
478
479 ### Galactic Gladiators
480
481 * available for: Apple II, IBM PC
482 * genre: Tactical Simulation
483
484 The review made it sound intruiging.
485
486 Written in BASIC, I believe. And I believe the manual detailed
487 all of the calculations, so you could, if you wanted to, play it
488 with pen and paper. (Not certain about that though.)