@Jacel
I remember liking it at the time, but I've always been really bad at thinking critically of something while I'm reading it, and often afterward, too. :-/
I know I liked the general /structure/ of the riddles and puzzle hunt thing, but thinking aout it now the amount of references are rediculous in terms of trying to push a singular 80s-geek-kid experience. I maybe liked it only because I knew a lot of them, but...I also had a hugely sheltered childhood and wouldn't have back /then/.
@Jacel Yeah the "hyper-competitive in-group" was the part I didn't pick up at first, maybe because I thought I was "in". But if it's competitive (and yeah, the book was /entirely/ about who knows the most ephemeral details), I'd never win that. That's not why I enjoy that media. :-)
