The Lurking Horror

Ever since you arrived at G.U.E. Tech, you've heard stories about the creepy old campus basements and storage rooms, some so ancient that they contain only rotting piles of unidentifiable junk. Until now, you've never ventured lower than the ground floors of the monolithic classroom and dorm buildings, avoiding the warren of tunnels that connect them.

But tonight, something draws you down into the mysterious depths of the institute. Perhaps it's the blizzard raging outside, making the outdoors as threatening as anything you could imagine within. Perhaps it's the nightmare you had, hinting at horrific mysteries below and leaving you with a strange object that seems to lead you inexorably downward. Or perhaps it's just another way for you to avoid writing that twenty page term paper you have due tomorrow.

In any event, you soon find yourself wandering away from your computer and into the dark nether regions of G.U.E. Tech. Suddenly, you're in a world that rivals your hideous visions, a realm of horror lurking beneath the calm corridors and study halls.

Shapes emerge from dark corners. Eerie sounds draw closer. Slimy passageways lead to sights so horrifying that they will feed your nightmares for weeks.

THE LURKING HORROR recalls the ghastly visions of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, as author Dave Lebling turns an everyday world into a frightening web of uncertainty. The numerous puzzles will challenge both first-time and experienced players, and Lebling's chilling descriptions will leave you with images you'll never forget.

Source:

Back of box cover

The Lurking Horror

Do panic! A demon on the loose at GUE Tech

It's a dark and stormy night. The wind howls around the monolithic buildings of G.U.E. Tech, sending the heavy snow into blinding swirls. In the Computer Center, you huddle over your terminal, struggling to complete an assignment.

Suddenly, strange images appear on the screen, hinting at a ghastly fate close at hand. Darkness overcomes you as you're drawn into a fiendish world full of unimaginable horrors. When you struggle awake (for surely it must be a dream), you find yourself clutching an object last seen in your nightmare...

Thus begins The Lurking Horror, Infocom's first interactive horror story.

G.U.E. Tech

In The Lurking Horror, you're a student at George Underwood Edwards Institute of Technology. Although you're dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, once you "awake" from your nightmare, you've got more on your mind than your term paper. As though pulled by a powerful force within the object you've so mysteriously acquired, you leave your computer and venture into the dark nether regions of the Institute.

Now you're treading on dangerous ground indeed. For beneath the Institute lies a warren of dimly-lit corridors and storage rooms, some so ancient that they contain only rotting piles of unidentifiable junk. There are miles of decrepit tunnels, crumbling into hazardous piles of timber and brick. But negotiating the terrain is the least of your problems.

Shapes emerge from dark corners. Eerie sounds draw closer. Slimy passageways lead to sights so horrifying that they will feed your nightmares for weeks. A ghastly presence is at work here, committing unspeakably loathsome acts. Can you stop it...before it stops you?

H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King

The Lurking Horror follows in the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, as author Dave Lebling turns an everyday world into a frightening web of uncertainty. The numerous puzzles will challenge both first-time and experienced players, and Lebling's chilling descriptions will leave you with images you'll never forget.

As with all Infocom games, the package includes items to introduce you to your role as the main character in the story. There's a copy of "G.U.E. at a Glance," chock-full of photos, tips, and inside info on George Underwood Edwards Institute of Technology. And to make sure you can get your delicious dining hall lunch, there's also a genuine G.U.E. Tech student I.D. card.

The Lurking Horror is Dave Lebling's eighth work of interactive fiction. His previous works have won high acclaim and numerous awards. In addition to authoring Spellbreaker, Suspect, and Starcross, he co-wrote Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, and Enchanter.

To introduce you to another popular work by Dave Lebling, each Lurking Horror package contains a coupon which you can mail in to get Suspect for only $14.95. This is a special price only available through this offer. (In Suspect, Lebling places you in a different sort of fiendish situation. You're a newspaper reporter who attends a high-society Halloween masquerade ball and ends up being accused of murder.)

Scheduled for release in late June, The Lurking Horror will be available for a wide variety of personal computers, including Apple II series and Macintosh, Atari XL/XE and ST series, Commodore 64/128 and Amiga, and IBM PC series and MS-DOS compatibles. The suggested retail price is $34.95 for Atari XL/XE and Commodore 64/128 and $39.95 for all other systems.

Source:

From The Status Line, Vol.VI No.2 Summer 1987

THE LURKING HORROR recalls the ghastly visions of H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, as author Dave Lebling turns an everyday world into a frightening web of uncertainty.

Ever since you arrived at G.U.E. Tech, you've heard stories about the creepy old campus basements and storage rooms, some so ancient that they contain only rotting piles of unidentifiable junk. And you've vowed never to set foot in any of them. But tonight, with a blizzard howling around the monolithic buildings, something draws you inexorably downward.

Suddenly, you're in a world that rivals your most hideous visions. Shapes emerge from dark corners. Eerie sounds draw closer. Slimy passageways lead to sights so horrifying that they will feed your nightmares for weeks.

You'll face ingenious puzzles, unique characters, and chilling twists of plot as you explore the ghastly nether regions of the institute and confront the horror lurking below.

Source:

From The Master Storytellers Infocom catalog, 1987