In 1985, a mysterious group of women calling themselves the "Games Mistresses" released the first of a series of text adventure games. The story behind their creation is the wildest one you'll read today.
Langridge seems to have lead the offshoot or rebranding of Aristasia called Chelouranya which became increasingly focused on Japan and anime for young girls as some sort of closest approximation of Aristasian values in the real world. She currently runs an online course on Japanese grammar which has had some moderate success.
I'm a sucker for this kind of story about St Brides. As you have seen on Twitter, there are several articles on the style of the group in Spanish, some of us are A LOT INTO IT. It doesn't matter that I already know the story, here I am, again, fascinated.
One of the main reasons for my fascination is Jack the Ripper. Yeah is a serious matter. For me is just the best ZX Spectrum Adventure ever.
I understand why you had to choose Silverwolf as the game to feature, but seriously, Jack the Ripper is a master work. It has, again, the same feminist mythology as their other works, with a plot that predates Alan Moore's From Hell by 14 years, where a sinister conspiracy look for kept women trapped in the oppression of heteropatriarchy through diabolical schemes. And at the same time, marks the pass of the century with the industrialization of society. Really, this is something to behold and to experience oneself. What a game!
So I understand why people would like to know about Pricilla. So a talented person... Imagine what would have produced in the hands or a better system like Infocom, or in modern IF or narrative games.
Anyway, I have plenty of back catalog to enjoy... so... ;)
PD: I found another connection with "recent" deeds of Marianne Scarlett, that again, I will keep to myself for the very reason Aaron didn't share that link ;)
Their Jack the Ripper game is definitely also a fascinating one and could easily have supported an article this long! Part of the reason I picked Silverwolf was because few other St Bride's articles had focused on it, and the themes of transformation in the game made such an irresistible parallel with the story of the creators. Also, I think it's one of their "purest" games from a creative point of view: it's not a parody or homage, and doesn't have the awkward self-promotional angle of "Secret of St Bride's." And the writing is lovely.
i think this information will stay with me for the rest of my life. i have been to donegal many times, i can picture the land there quite easily, from rolling hills to an abyssal ocean to homely 1 room cottages from a forgotten century long passed. i cant believe this happened here. i didnt know it was possible. thank you so much for sharing this
This is your best article written so far, a really interesting read. What is the name of the Snow Queen iOS game? If it is just called "Snow Queen", by Timecode, then I have seen a picture of a single bearded employee with a Frank-esque rabbit mask. I would consider the link somewhat tenuous, besides the chance of an interested person taking up the persona- you?
Thank you! The new Snow Queen connection is very likely just a coincidence / red herring, and I deliberately didn't link to anything because I didn't want people harassing the company or the person, but it was such an irresistible note to end on...
COME ON! you already know how the pressure is to know about Priscilla. Could you at least tell us if you contacted the company and if they confirm or deny the relation? you are an investigator now, it is your duty ! (I'm half-joking).
This is excellent! I was a Spectrum owner back in the day and always thought the story of St Brides was fascinating. A few years ago did some research in hope of writing my own article, but I think this article suffices!
I would have appreciated this article having a content warning at the beginning for transmisogyny, because of the discussion of journalist gossip regarding Priscilla. I wasn't expecting to see that, and it was hurtful to read. in fact, I'm not sure that quoting such passages is even beneficial to this article. I am not suggesting that it's not worth mentioning, but that we don't need to read verbatim transmisogynistic violence to get that Priscilla may be a trans woman.
I feel I should say that of course, I can't know for certain that Priscilla is a trans woman. and even as a trans woman, it's not my place to pick apart her obviously very private life to try to find out. but no matter who she is, the vitriolic attitude journalists at the time gave her serve to invalidate trans women in general. including girls like us reading this today.
Thank you for your feedback on this, I appreciate it. I'll consider whether there's a better way to contextualize the hostile environment Priscilla was facing without using a direct quote.
Please don’t fall into that trap. You’ll soon find out the infinite ways in which people can get offended and/or hurt by whatever one writes.
Let’s not encourage this fragility that’s actually an excuse to control your speech. Your articles are incredible as they are, including topics that can be strong and even, God forbid, controversial.
I don't think it's a trap to listen to people's experiences and accept feedback they've taken time to leave, especially when I'm writing about an experience they've lived which I have not. I wouldn't be a very good writer if I assumed I knew more about how my words affect other people than those people themselves.
For the record, I greatly appreciate feedback like this about these articles, and hope very much that I keep getting it.
An update: I've tweaked the wording of the passage mentioned here to remove the direct quote, so the phrase S. is reacting to in the comment above is no longer in the article: upon reflection, it was absolutely correct that the point could be introduced without repeating it.
A rather fascinating article! (The author may or may not have been Priscilla Langridge)
What a bizarre story! Downright Discordian.
Excellent storytelling. Meta-storytelling? Either way, great work 🎖
Langridge seems to have lead the offshoot or rebranding of Aristasia called Chelouranya which became increasingly focused on Japan and anime for young girls as some sort of closest approximation of Aristasian values in the real world. She currently runs an online course on Japanese grammar which has had some moderate success.
Would that Japanese grammar community happen to be centered around a female alien doll character?
I'm a sucker for this kind of story about St Brides. As you have seen on Twitter, there are several articles on the style of the group in Spanish, some of us are A LOT INTO IT. It doesn't matter that I already know the story, here I am, again, fascinated.
One of the main reasons for my fascination is Jack the Ripper. Yeah is a serious matter. For me is just the best ZX Spectrum Adventure ever.
I understand why you had to choose Silverwolf as the game to feature, but seriously, Jack the Ripper is a master work. It has, again, the same feminist mythology as their other works, with a plot that predates Alan Moore's From Hell by 14 years, where a sinister conspiracy look for kept women trapped in the oppression of heteropatriarchy through diabolical schemes. And at the same time, marks the pass of the century with the industrialization of society. Really, this is something to behold and to experience oneself. What a game!
So I understand why people would like to know about Pricilla. So a talented person... Imagine what would have produced in the hands or a better system like Infocom, or in modern IF or narrative games.
Anyway, I have plenty of back catalog to enjoy... so... ;)
PD: I found another connection with "recent" deeds of Marianne Scarlett, that again, I will keep to myself for the very reason Aaron didn't share that link ;)
Their Jack the Ripper game is definitely also a fascinating one and could easily have supported an article this long! Part of the reason I picked Silverwolf was because few other St Bride's articles had focused on it, and the themes of transformation in the game made such an irresistible parallel with the story of the creators. Also, I think it's one of their "purest" games from a creative point of view: it's not a parody or homage, and doesn't have the awkward self-promotional angle of "Secret of St Bride's." And the writing is lovely.
i think this information will stay with me for the rest of my life. i have been to donegal many times, i can picture the land there quite easily, from rolling hills to an abyssal ocean to homely 1 room cottages from a forgotten century long passed. i cant believe this happened here. i didnt know it was possible. thank you so much for sharing this
This is your best article written so far, a really interesting read. What is the name of the Snow Queen iOS game? If it is just called "Snow Queen", by Timecode, then I have seen a picture of a single bearded employee with a Frank-esque rabbit mask. I would consider the link somewhat tenuous, besides the chance of an interested person taking up the persona- you?
Thank you! The new Snow Queen connection is very likely just a coincidence / red herring, and I deliberately didn't link to anything because I didn't want people harassing the company or the person, but it was such an irresistible note to end on...
COME ON! you already know how the pressure is to know about Priscilla. Could you at least tell us if you contacted the company and if they confirm or deny the relation? you are an investigator now, it is your duty ! (I'm half-joking).
This is excellent! I was a Spectrum owner back in the day and always thought the story of St Brides was fascinating. A few years ago did some research in hope of writing my own article, but I think this article suffices!
I would have appreciated this article having a content warning at the beginning for transmisogyny, because of the discussion of journalist gossip regarding Priscilla. I wasn't expecting to see that, and it was hurtful to read. in fact, I'm not sure that quoting such passages is even beneficial to this article. I am not suggesting that it's not worth mentioning, but that we don't need to read verbatim transmisogynistic violence to get that Priscilla may be a trans woman.
I feel I should say that of course, I can't know for certain that Priscilla is a trans woman. and even as a trans woman, it's not my place to pick apart her obviously very private life to try to find out. but no matter who she is, the vitriolic attitude journalists at the time gave her serve to invalidate trans women in general. including girls like us reading this today.
Thank you for your feedback on this, I appreciate it. I'll consider whether there's a better way to contextualize the hostile environment Priscilla was facing without using a direct quote.
Please don’t fall into that trap. You’ll soon find out the infinite ways in which people can get offended and/or hurt by whatever one writes.
Let’s not encourage this fragility that’s actually an excuse to control your speech. Your articles are incredible as they are, including topics that can be strong and even, God forbid, controversial.
I don't think it's a trap to listen to people's experiences and accept feedback they've taken time to leave, especially when I'm writing about an experience they've lived which I have not. I wouldn't be a very good writer if I assumed I knew more about how my words affect other people than those people themselves.
For the record, I greatly appreciate feedback like this about these articles, and hope very much that I keep getting it.
An update: I've tweaked the wording of the passage mentioned here to remove the direct quote, so the phrase S. is reacting to in the comment above is no longer in the article: upon reflection, it was absolutely correct that the point could be introduced without repeating it.
thank you for listening and updating the article :)