A Different Kind of Game: The Phenomena of Milliways Bar

JIVEMagazine.com - A Different Kind of Game: The Phenomena of Milliways Bar

This is a really interesting article about a role playing game hosted on Live Journal called "Milliways Bar." For those of you who don't know (and you should be ashamed of yourselves), Milliways is the Restaurant at the End of the Universe from Douglas Adams' book by the same name, the second in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.

The idea is simple. Any character from any established work of fiction, be it a book, a television show, a movie, or even a song, can show up at Milliways Bar and interact with any other character. I don't personally participate in Milliways, but over 950 other people do. On a daily basis.

It's a kind of massive attempt at fanfic collaboration. The plots are intense, the story lines complicated, and the back stories as rich as a dark chocolate truffle.

In any case, the article gives a good overview not only of Milliways, but also of Live Journal and fanfiction as a whole. It's worth a read. Check it out! =)