

R.A. Montgomery, co-author and publisher of the long-running children's book series "Choose Your Own Adventure," which allowed generations of kids to choose from dozens of possible story endings, recently died at his home in Vermont.

He was 78, and the cause of death was not disclosed.

"Choose Your Own Adventure" books were an important cultural predecessor to online games and internet narratives that allowed users to play a role in determining the outcome of their own experience.

As the computer age unfolded, Montgomery's interests expanded to new technology, according to an obituary published on the "Choose Your Own Adventure" website.

He was an early owner of an Apple II. He helped to adapt two "Choose Your Own Adventure" books as games for the Atari console in 1984. He was then "evangelized" by Apple Computer in 1990 to develop software for CD-Rom on the Macintosh. His most notable project from this era was a creativity tool for kids entitled Comic Creator that he designed and produced with his wife, Shannon Gilligan.

More at PBS NewsHour and cyoa.com.