Hackers, 1984

In 1984 Steven Levy published his novel, Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution.  Looking at three periods of history associated with the development and mainstreaming of both the personal computer and The Hacker Ethic this novel has become a modern non-fiction classic.  The third part, Game Hackers, focuses almost exclusively on the early days of Sierra On-Line between the late 70’s and 1984.  While many Sierra fans are very familiar with the post King’s Quest era this book brings to light both the good and the bad of the early, tumultuous days of Sierra with a young Ken Williams at the helm of a growing software empire amidst a developing personal computer industry.

Having been described on this website as “not 100% accurate, but not 100% inaccurate” it should be read with a grain of salt and an understanding that some aspects were enhanced for dramatic effect.  At the same time it is essential reading for Sierra fans who would like to understand what the beginnings of both Sierra and the video game industry were actually like.