As a teen, Myst was my first rabid geek fandom. I spent hours, days, weeks, playing and replaying Myst, and its sequel Riven which is like Lord of the Rings to

As a teen, Myst was my first rabid geek fandom. I spent hours, days, weeks, playing and replaying Myst, and its sequel Riven which is like Lord of the Rings to Myst's Hobbit. I was accepted into the early beta test program for URU, the MMORPG spinoff of the Myst franchise. It consumed the better part of a year…I helped run fan forums and organize in-game events. I made friends. For a time, it was an incredible community. A visual art reference and "making of" book about Myst and Riven became my bible as I pursued 3D graphics art and almost went to art school to become a game designer. I ended up dropping that idea and went into web/software space instead. (good career move!) All that to say, Myst is to me what, say, Star Wars is to many others. Its impact was gargantuan in my life and it shaped the person I am today. I will always be grateful to Cyan for that.