Encyclopedia Frobozzica

Cover of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica included with Return to Zork.

The Encyclopedia Frobozzica is a fictitious encyclopedia in the Zork universe featured in computer games by Infocom in Sorcerer, Zork Zero and Return to Zork. There are multiple versions of the encyclopedia on the Internet. The name is a portmanteau word formed by combining Encyclopædia Britannica and Frobozz, a name that was used widely in the Zork games.

The Encyclopedia was published by Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Company, verified by Frobozz Magic Accuracy and Verification Company, illustrated by Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Illustration Company, and researched by Frobozz Magic Encyclopedia Research Company.

Partial versions of the encyclopedia are included with some of the Zork games, in digital and/or hard-copy form. The game Zork Zero included the encyclopedia as an object in the game, which the player could consult by typing:

Consult encyclopedia about ...

The references within the encyclopedia were necessary to solve some of the game's puzzles.

Its entries were at times reminiscent of other fictional encyclopedias such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the Encyclopedia Galactica.

The Return to Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica

The version of the Encyclopedia Frobozzica included with Return to Zork was written by Nino Ruffini and is considered by some as not being credible nor canon. Some of the passages are not written in the voice of a researcher in Quendor (e.g. "Incidentally, Barbel of Gurth's Double Fanucci handicap is 42."). Others are not true (e.g. the passage stating that the Wizard of Frobozz was killed is not true, as was proved in Sorcerer). There are also spelling errors (e. g. in the description of the Urzbig spell (turn a dangerous object into a harmless one), the word "harmless" is misspelled.

See also

• Fictional guidebook

External links

• Encyclopedia Frobozzica - sourceforge.net.
• Encyclopedia Frobozzica - PDF Edition
• Encyclopedia Frobozzica - Extended version

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