Lance Micklus

Biography

Lance Micklus developed a strong interest in technology and electronics early in life. By the mid-1970s, he was working as a studio engineer for Vermont’s public television station. Because the station was affiliated with the University of Vermont, he gained access to their mainframe systems. It was on those university computers that Micklus discovered the pioneering mainframe text game Colossal Cave Adventure. This initial encounter sparked his fascination with how words could build virtual, interactive worlds.

When the TRS-80 Microcomputer was launched by Radio Shack in 1977, Micklus bought one and immediately began programming in BASIC. Sensing a booming consumer demand for home software...