Adam Cadre is an American writer active in a number of forms—novels, screenplays, webcomics, essays—but best known for his work ininteractive fiction.
Biography
Cadre's 1998 piece Photopia pioneered a new direction in interactive fiction, removing the puzzle and resource-management elements that had previously been dominant; it has been cited as "hugely influential to IF development" and "important to video games as a whole, to the advancement of our understanding of the interactive medium." His next IF work, 1999's Varicella, won several XYZZY Awards and became the subject of academic study. His game is commonly seen as a solid entry point for people wanting to engage with interactive fiction. Chief among his non-interactive work is a novel, Ready, Okay!.
Lyttle Lytton Contest
The Lyttle Lytton Contest, run by Adam Cadre, is a diminutive derivative of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, and was first awarded in the year 2001. Both are tongue-in-cheek contests that take place annually and in which entrants are invited "to compose the opening sentence to the worst of all possible novels." The Lyttle Lytton Contest varies from the Bulwer-Lytton in favoring shorter first sentences, initially limited to 25 words or fewer. For the 2008 competition, the maximum combined word count of an entrant's submission was increased to 30 words, and an individual entry could consist of multiple sentences. For 2011, the limit was raised to 33 words, and for 2012, a limit of 200 characters was established instead. ;Top winners
2019 – "“Are you okay?” asks my sister Tlaloc. “You’re as green as the parrots that inhabit this part of the continent.”"
2018 – "As I felt the vampire sexily drinking the blood from my neck, the warmth between my legs grew both in wetness and in fear for my life."
2017 – "1. YOU, the Anagramancer, stare down the invading MANTICORE: Will you ROMANCE IT, give it CREMATION, or summon EROTIC MAN ?"
2016 – "It all started when my topaz eyes looked up into his soft emerald ones."
2015 – "I drew my customized Kimber 1911.45, with the Pachmayr grips and skeletonized trigger, and leveled it coolly at the African-Americans."
2014 – "Together, we will beat them all,' she whispered, caressing the circlet-girt fontanelles of her #royalbaby."
2013 – "The men greeted each other, wearing various smiles on their faces."
2012 – "Agent Jeffrey's trained eyes rolled carefully around the room, taking in the sights and sounds."
2010 – ""I shouldn't be saying this, but I think I'll love you always, baby, always," Adam cried into the email. "
2009 – "The mighty frigate Indestructible rounded the Horn of Africa and lurched east'ard."
2008 – "Because they had not repented, the angel stabbed the unrepentant couple thirteen times, with its sword."
2007 – "It clawed its way out of Katie, bit through the cord and started clearing."
2006 – "This is the cipher key for all that follows: |||||| ||' |!"
2005 – "John, surfing, said to his mother, surfing beside him, 'How do you like surfing?' "
2004 – "This is the story of your mom's life."
2003 – "For centuries, man had watched the clouds; now, they were watching him."
2002 – "The pain wouldn't stop, and Vern still had three cats left."
2001 – "Turning, I mentally digested all of what you, the reader, are about to find out heartbreakingly."
;Other winners In addition to the main contest, others are offered from year to year. The winners of those are:
Freeform contest, 2007 – "Scaling Everest was, by far, the most amazing and transformative experience of my life. Unfortunately, this is a thesis on context-free grammars."
Screenplay contest, 2007 -
Paragraph contest, 2006 – "The evil Intergalactic Emperor surveyed the destruction he wrought. 'Booyah!' he cried with glee. 'I'm in ur base! I'm killing all ur mans!' "
Political speech contest, 2004 – "While my opponents fellate the Satan of special interests, I go down on Reform's compassionate angel."
Paul Clifford contest, 2003 – "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents – except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets, rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness. Steeling himself for battle, Fyandor, the oldest and bravest of the lamps, proclaimed, 'Nay, foul wind, this will not be the night of our extinguishment!' "
Last line contest, 2002 – " 'Lawd a'mighty,' howled Caleb, to the consternation of those few who still remained in the helpless, drifting lifeboat, 'some of y'all are lookin' mighty tasty!' "
