Criticism and controversies

King's Quest (like many other Sierra series) contains material which some have found controversial, and it has had its own share of controversies over the years.

Background

This page discusses a number of aspects of the series that people have found controversial as defined by reviewers and players over the years. Note: the 'controversies' are just opinions by different individuals, commentators and writers (some maybe fallacy-ridden interpretation or biased projection, and therefore the accuracy of opinions cannot be vouched for).

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the cited authors, writers, commentators and other individuals, and do not reflect the official policies or positions of this wiki.

King’s Quest is primarily a series about allowing players to explore a world of fairy tales and myth. In recent years fairy tales have increasingly been deemed as problematic with a number of issues that offend sensitive readers.

Modern sensitivity readers find fairy tales to be problematic in many ways. This has lead to some academics and players leveling accusations at King’s Quest as well.

Ken and Roberta consider King's Quest a family or children's game series. They never intended it to have any content that would remotely offend anyone. That being said, some materials discovered years after the release of the games have been found offensive by different critics and players. Some of the most famous of these include certain terms found in KIng's Quest II's parser that the game understood and could be used against female characters. Terms that many consider sexist and misogynistic.

Ken has stated concerning those kinds of easter eggs (in particular the naughty parser and messages in KQ2):

I never read that easter egg in KQII ... I'd have nuked it of course. Unfortunately, I do not have any specific memories of any of them. It has been a bunch of years. Everyone knew my philosophy .. which was based more around what users might think was funny .. than trying to completely kill easter eggs. My rules were simple: 1) Nothing offensive. And, 2) The user must be able to relate to the humor. In other words, no inside humor. Poking fun at me, or the designers, or Sierra was ok -- but, no humor picking on people no user had ever heard of. Overall .. I let most of them go .. I was always anti-censorship. I wanted the designers to deliver "their game" whatever it might be ... it was their game, not mine, and should reflect them and their humor (or, lack thereof).

Through the years other naughty easter eggs made it past Roberta's eyes and made it into the series in games including KQ3, KQ6, and KQ8.

Religious Representation

King's Quest games have both stereotypical representations of religion, and some things that people of religion have found offensive.

• King's Quest's use of Christian iconography, crosses, churches, and other references have been questioned by some, and to some even found offensive. Despite these themes actually being a normal part of many fairy tales, and classic literature in general.
• KQ3 was very dark, and it utilized lots of magic and magic spells with the basic idea of finding ingredients for "black magic" spells and then casting those spells. (Certain religious groups were upset with me over that one!) -Roberta Williams, July 7, 1997.
• KQ8 is tossed into this category as well by some, and indeed has very deep religious themes. The game took much influence from religious stories about Lucifer and fallen angels, and thematic ideas taken from Milton's Paradise Lost. The Mask of Eternity itself is literally the face of God, and many other religious themes scattered throughout.
• During KQ8 development, Sierra was using a corporate headquarters in Torrance, built by Jan and Bob Davidson, and that Roberta was hearing rumors the people at corporate didn’t like King’s Quest and thought the product shouldn’t exist. Too much black magic! Perhaps they had never watched the Wizard of Oz? Or, Snow White? Witches and wizards were not invented by Roberta. She never heard from any direct opposition to her game however, and Blizzard, owned by Davidson had made a far more 'satanic' with the release of Diablo at the time.
• While there doesn't seem to be any known examples of people criticizing KQ6 over it, the concept of Samhain as a god of the dead appears to have originated from the 1700's but is not part of any actual legends see . This idea is often considered offensive by modern Neo-Pagans, Wiccans and Druids who blame it on 'Christian fundamentalism' propaganda. In fact there are no references to the "Samhain" god idea on Wikipedia, likely for this reason. While there are claims that the idea originated in the 18th century, others suggest that it may have originated from a 1973 Ray Bradbury story called 'The Holloween Tree' However it maybe more complicated than that in Irish mythology (which had influences from early Christian tradition) the Dindsenchas and the Annals of the Four Masters—which were written by Christian monks—Samhain in ancient Ireland was associated with a god or idol called Crom Cruach. The texts claim that a first-born child would be sacrificed at the stone idol of Crom Cruach in Magh Slécht. They say that King Tigernmas, and three-fourths of his people, died while worshiping Crom Cruach there one Samhain. Perhaps it is possible that Crom Cruach and ideas Samhain, as well as the Irish god Donn (god of the dead) were merged over time, so that in romantic period people started referring to Crom Cruach as Samhain. There is little else included on Wikipedia concerning the topic of a god associated with Samhain.
• Some fans seem to be highly critical of the series 'fantasy' setting, from an atheistic viewpoint they find magical realms questionable, and doesn't fit with science. They believe universes where 'magic' or 'wizards' can be used to explain ideas that go against science, or can't be explained by rational thought are to be despised. Peter Spear the writer of King's Quest Companion and Space Quest Companion as well, has long compared magic with science in his books, and vice versa through references to Arthur C. Clarke's Three Laws. In particular his third law, which he created one of the great principles of science which states; Any technology, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic.. It is the corollary to one of the fundamental rules that govern magic in the world of Daventry (any magic, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from technology). The two together point out the link between magic and technobabble (in science fiction). Allowing for supernatural and pseudoscience to exist in both genres.

Violence

• KQ8 is often cited by many fans. But Sierra also points out violence in previous games as well. For a longer look at this topic, see Violence.

Minority Representation

• King's Quest has been accused of racism, stereotypes, representation issues (lack of diversity) & cultural appropriation, and generally supporting colonialism. This is a problem fairy tales are accused of in general.

It is understood from insiders that concerns have also been raised about the lack of racial variety among protagonists in books of fairy stories, which often show princesses as white, and with golden hair and blue eyes. More racial diversity among the characters in fairy tale story books is to be preferred, it is understood.

• One article accuses Roberta Williams of lack of racial diversity and representation (with mostly white characters), and that the games were made by wealthy white people for wealthy white people, with higher education levels: "These were games made when designers assumed that personal computer users were all wealthy white people with advanced degrees. I mean, here’s Roberta Williams herself on the subject in 1999: "Back when I got started, which sounds like ancient history, back then the demographics of people who were into computer games, was totally different, in my opinion, then they are today. Back then, computers were more expensive, which made them more exclusive to people who were maybe at a certain income level, or education level. So the people that played computer games 15 years ago were that type of person. They probably didn’t watch television as much, and the instant gratification era hadn’t quite grown the way it has lately. I think in the last 5 or 6 years, the demographics have really changed, now this is my opinion, because computers are less expensive so more people can afford them. More “average” people now feel they should own one." One critic claims to be offended, and that there is racism in that Edgar was turned from a green fairy into a white male human, not to mention there being example of beauty standards sexism (and that Edgar is sexist, shallow and awful for trying to propose to Rosella within moments of meeting her).
• Most of the prince and princess characters (with exception of Cassima perhaps) are white and described with classic fairy tale sensibilities for beauty (including descriptions given for Valanice, Rosella, and Alicia by the narrator or other characters in the games).

There are further problems with beauty for sensitivity readers, as the stock phrases “handsome prince” and “beautiful princess” make physical attractiveness the defining and most laudable trait of the main characters in fairy tales. It is feared that these tropes, seen in stories from Rapunzel to Sleeping Beauty, may suggest to children that good looks alone make someone worthy of attention.

• King's Quest III and elements of Reboot King's Quest have been accused of promoting colonialist and imperialist racialist viewpoints and cultural appropriation with its use of Welsh and English fairy tale tropes. According to one article; "King’s Quest III is a prime example of how colonial ideologies of the past can be fossilized in fantasy, remaining un-examined in the present because the colonialism is so normalized that it is invisible." It goes on to say; "He’s better at being Llewdorian than Llewdorians, but of course, in proper colonial logic, that’s because he’s from Daventry but raised in Llewdor." "Gwendolyn, like Gwydion and Llewdor before, seems to be perpetuating medieval colonial attitudes, as so much of fantasy does." It continues... "...it is a convenient colonial myth to say that the colonized people no longer exist and therefore their cultures and mythologies may be freely plundered for the colonizer’s fantasies. The idea of Celtic material—particularly Welsh material—as an open resource for all of the fantasy genre is exactly such colonial logic, as it reasons that the material is free for anyone to use now that it has been plundered by the colonizer. But in doing so, we forget that the colonized are still with us. There are still tensions between the Welsh and the English. Is King’s Quest then being postcolonial by illustrating such a tension? Possibly. The trouble with colonial and postcolonial narratives is that they often look similar, and they do so on purpose as each appropriates the other for its purposes. But I suspect that what we see in Gwydion—and Gwendolyn—is merely a convention of fantasy that has fossilized medieval colonialism, one that moderns fail to recognize even as they participate in it because, well, it’s only fantasy; it’s only a game."

This accusation could be seen as unduly harsh considering that Roberta Williams ancestors are Irish and she has written articles and books on experiences her ancestors faced in Britain and later coming to America. The Celtic legends originate out of Irish and Welsh myth so from technical standpoint she was practicing cultural appreciation of her own ancestral myths and legends and not simply plundering from other cultures as the writer accuses her of doing…

Andrew Lang whom Roberta took much influence from see Andrew Lang's Fairy Books was also Scottish (one of the Celtic (Gaelic) nations).

• Others have referenced KQ6 negative ethnic stereotyping similar to that found in Disney's Aladdin, which has been criticized over the years.
• A number of people have claimed Abdul Alhazred is a 'evil racist stereotype'. Abdul is modeled on the fairy tale and fantasy stereotype of the evil Vizier (see Aladdin), and taken directly from Lovecraftian "Mad Arab" character Abdul Alhazred. The character has arguably been described as one of the worst examples of anti-Arab stereotypes in literature. "Lovecraft’s character Abdul Alhazred, the “half-crazed Arab who authored The Necronomicon, seemed enticingly mysterious when I was a kid, but once I became an adult he began to seem like an exotic stereotype, or maybe something worse, something hateful." Compare the character to Sierra's earlier Ad Avis (from Quest For Glory 2, 3 and 4) for similar type of character.
• Gypsies (the term and their use) has become controversial in recent years. For some the term 'Gypsies' is seen as an insult and pejorative and an extreme ethnic slur. The use of stock character Gypsy Fortuneteller might also be seen as 'cultural appropriation. Sierra's fellow developers Coles came across resistance to using the term, and they removed it completely from their latest games set in the Quest For Glory universe.
• In a similar vein however many ideas that originate out of fairy tales have been linked to racist and anti-Semitic ideas. Including vampires, thieves, Lovecraft, Rudyard Kipling, T.S. Eliot, etc. Many things that might offend modern sensibilities, and people have criticized in articles (see Controversies in Quest For Glory for examples below).
• Growl Tiger the Bravo Cat as mentioned in the Companion is a character that appears in T.S. Eliot's poem Growl Tiger's Last Stand, from Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The poem and the cat's appearance in the play Cats is often seen as controversial and racist, as Growl Tiger battles an army of Siamese Cat pirates. The character and his part in the play is often removed in modern production of Cats musicals. T.S. Eliot is often accused of being a racist.
• The references to Tarzan in the Companion may be problematic due to his representation of being a white heroic figure (a 'white knight' archetype). Edgar Rice Burroughs is often accused of being racist by his critics.
• One critic was apparently offended/mock-offended By the leprechauns and calls them culturally insensitive Irish stereotypes. It’s worth mentioning the Williams ancestors are Irish and Roberta wrote a semi-historical novel about her ancestors traveling from Ireland. The use of leprechauns is not cultural appropriation.
• Some players have noted there are possible representations of minorities in the series as early as KQ1AGI. Some think Edward's dark or brownish skin in that game may indicate that he is black (though related artwork from manuals/boxart has him portrayed with lighter skin). One person commented "...something I just realized, is that King Edward has darker skin color in-game than Graham. I don't know why I find that interesting." Another possible example is Valanice's more ruddy skin in KQ2-3 and how it compares to Graham's yellow skin, perhaps indicating an interracial marriage (however, by KQ4 they share similar skin tones). Others point Alexander falling for someone of apparent Moorish descent in the character of Cassima (dark hair, olive skin and green eyes). Pawn Shoppe owner in KQ6 is black. Mordack is often described as swarthy/dusky, and in the 2015 remake depicted by black actor. 2015 games add the Hobblepots and Acorn as well. It has been pointed out that some might find representation of white (according to boxart, but yellow in game) Graham saving a black man's kingdom might be problematic, and represent a form of 'white saviour complex' (aka as 'white knighting') by King Graham. That is anglo-saxon heroic figure comes into to save local minorities’ kingdoms. One example given: "The only problem is that it means the kingdom is taken over by a white man from a dying black man, and while Graham's the best, we can't have that."

• In some sprites Edward is shown with large red lips on his brown-shaded face. This might conjure images of black face minstrelsy. This is especially compounded in the 1984 King's Quest releases where Edward does more of a twirling dance routine with pratfalls before he dies.
• Note that neither swarthy nor dusk necessarily means 'black skin'. While swarthy does literally mean 'dark skinned', not everyone with dark skin is swarthy. The word is usually used to describe someone whose skin is weather beaten and darkened by the sun, or has an olive complexion. But the famous 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman, who was of English and Dutch stock, seemed to be describing himself in his poem "Behold This Swarthy Face," so swarthy may be in the eyes of the beholder. In some rare cases its meant 'dirty', something the companion seems to reference its reference: "His complexion, while not exactly black, was of a duskiness much like feet left unwashed too long. Mordack was dressed in a long cloak with a tall collar". While dusky refers to a color on lighter shade of skin tones... Dusky Skin is a skin complexion which is slightly on the light brown side, a little darker than a fair and wheatish skin tone. Even among so-called 'white/Caucasian/European/Western' skin tones. skin there is a spectrum of shades (from lighter to darker tanned). These tones can vary even with closely related family members with the same parents even sharing predominetly the same outward appearances skin wise (of course for various reasons due to recessive and dominate genetic traits, or other factors such as tanning, or medical conditions), as one definition's example points out: "she looked frail standing next to her strong and swarthy brother’" In case of the Companion's analogy it's less likely that its comparing skin color to other race's skin color, but just trying to describe his personal complexion (his specific race' and ethnicity is ambiguous).

• Olive skin is not a single color but a range of skin tones varying between somewhat lighter tan to somewhat light brown complexions. Some might consider Cassima’s appearance in the games to be light skin, but she could certainly fall into category of lighter olive complexions.
• A number of characters such as Abdul Alhazred, Cassima, and other Arabic and Moorish inhabitants of the Endless Desert, Green Isles, and Land of the Dead are played by lighter skinned actors. Some of the acting could be accused of blackface or brownface or white-washing of the characters, under current climates. Mordack is played by Andy Hoyos in the CD-Rom game who might be considered having 'dusky/swarthy' skin himself. But for those who consider Mordack to be a person of color, some might consider his part as a form of 'blackface'/'brownface' as well. In the remake he is played by Michael-Leon Wooley where there is no confusion. Note while played by a black actor Morton as we see early on has smooth hair/beard with only slightly swarthy/olive skin (shade not too different from Manny's later "human" body), however he has more of an accent.
• Notably some point out that Graham appears rather swarthy/dark/tanned complexioned, possibly black on the box art of King's Quest 2. Though the scene is at night, and somewhat shadowy over his character (despite rays of light coming from the other realm beyond the magic doors). He does have smooth, unkempt hair though, as opposed to wool-like. When playing in one of the CGA 4-color mode color options in early KQ games graham does appear swarthier than his 16 color version which may have been inspiration for the artwork, or it’s just a trick of the light as the scene is at night.
• The box art for Manannan may reflect Yellow Peril-style artwork and propaganda (Asians portrayed as villains), as he has slanted eyes, sallow/yellowed skin, mixed with devil-like qualities like pointed ears, and horn like protrusions above his slanted eyes, and exaggerated eyebrows.
• In recent years the term "slave" has become problematic, and considered racist term. From computers using the term slave/master, to Star Wars getting rid of "Slave Leia", or renaming the "Slave I" to "Firespray" so to be politically correct and not offend people. With that in mind the games covering the concepts of slavery, with slave Gwydion, slave Cassima, or the slave Beauty, etc, maybe considered problematic and offensive to some.
• Ooga Booga is a term many consider offensive and racist towards black people, and as disparagement to black vernacular language.

Female & Gender Representation

• Some have found it controversial that women held positions in the computer industry, or played games. Roberta was often seen as the 'Reigning Queen of Adventures" and being feminist icon. Despite Sierra having hired many women gamers, and many of the games finding more women audience then men, people felt that women didn't have jobs, and some complained there weren't games that focused on women..
• The series has been accused of sexism, misogyny, anti-feminism, etc.
• Some people find the plotline of KQ2 sexist, with King Knight saving a princess, and what is viewed as a 2D characterization of Valanice. Some criticize the concept of 'love at first sight' being a rather overused stereotypical trope.

While a commonplace plot device in fairy tales, love at first sight is problematic because the swooning of characters - like Cinderella - before they have properly spoken to their beloved is necessarily provoked by physical attractiveness, and therefore privileges beauty over character traits, and getting to know people. This may suggest to young readers that the beautiful are entitled to a happy ending, and, depending on the characters depicted falling in love - typically a white, heterosexual man and woman - that only a certain demographic is considered beautiful and worthy of this romantic happiness.

Some are offended that they would seemingly jump into marriage like that. Some may even see objectification of women in the way Valanice is described; " Her long auburn hair tumbles in luscious waves down her back. She has the bluest eyes you've ever seen and soft creamy skin." However to Roberta William's credit if you dig deep into the interactions there is no indication of Graham pushing himself on Valanice with unwanted attention, but that it's actually Valanice who makes the first move. One critic, seemingly accuses Graham of being sexist pig for picking apart all the flaws of the women in his kingdom during a ball. In context, with regards to the ball, it is a reference to a similar 'ball' that occurs in the story Cinderella. In Graham's case he was looking for someone who was more than just a sex object, or a pretty face, but also intelligent, proper, elegant, full of grace, and manners, someone who would represent a prim and proper queen... The critic goes onto accuse Graham of only being into women who are suffering, and that he wants to kidnap her, subjugate her, forcing sex with her to push out children, and thus there is no 'consent' (no consent = rape). Some think he's just making a 'rape joke', or rather an "anti-rape" joke in the context that he doesn't support what he claims Graham did (in no way does the comment apologize for 'rape'), the fans believe its just meant to be funny (and critics are just 'looking too much into his discussions', by accusing him of looking too much into the games material). They think critics need to stop being so serious, and need to have a sense of humor. He doesn't seem to correct fans who think this who enjoy his productions, adding to some of the confusion. Rape jokes (even anti-rape jokes) are generally controversial topic of humor frowned upon by most people, and women's advocacy groups. He himself denies it was ever intended to be a joke, and that he was serious. He clarifies elsewhere; "Let me just carve something into stone here: I never made a rape joke. I resent the implication that I make rape jokes. When I comment on my reservations about the premise of KQ2, I'm not joking. It's objectifying and sexist, which I find awful and reprehensible, and I'm surprised and appalled that anyone would defend it....I am not worried about anyone from Sierra watching these videos. I know quite a few of them and they all have a better sense of humor than you do." Even with this clarification his supporters still think he's being facetious and it's all part of the joke. One offended critic, a self-identified feminist lesbian genderqueer individual commented their own belief that it was just part of an act, a joke; "He's reaching. Using white knight humor. Ripping on a series he doesn't like to earn money. I think it's bullshit. People look too much into things. Games are an escape." When Ken William was shown the videos he was not amused by some of the materials such the author accusing Graham of being sexist or rapist who enslaved and subjugated Valanice (or criticisms of Roberta, or her contributions as a women to gaming, even in the time it was rare for women to get jobs in gaming). He thought the fact that someone would make such a video to be "wild". He thought about mentioning it to Roberta, but knowing she would not be interested in watching it. He noted there were 'lots of crazies’ out there. He later went to say Roberta looked over the discussion later on: Her thoughts were "She said she wouldn't watch the KQ video that picked on her. She knows those things are out there, but just thinks they are dumb." He agreed that in a Fruedian sense concepts such as "woke/SJW/virtual signaling" show more about the person making the accusations about something or someone, than they do the person/object/idea they criticize or ridicule. He went on to say... "Everyone's entitled to their own opinions and if anything, I always oppose people "canceling" others just because they have opinions that disagree with our own. If someone thinks I'm a rotten person, or my book stinks, or Roberta's games are horrible -- it's their right to say so, and I encourage them to have whatever their opinion is. I've always been anti-censorship .. including when I don't like the result.", and that those who "...generally people who complain a lot online wind up just looking bad themselves", digging their own hole so to speak or even turning off half their audiences (this applied to marketing Sierra games and dealing with players and media, as it does today in other interactions).

• Strangely in the later 1987 releases of KQ2 the parser responds to calling any female characters by derogatory terms in the parser file 8 (bitch, c*unt, damsel, fairy, girl, grandma, grandmother, hag, hagatha, her, hose bag, lady, little red riding hood, maiden, mermaid, old hag, old lady, old woman, red riding hood, riding hood, slut, sperm burping gutter slut, valanice, whore, witch, woman) (see KQ2 transcript), the nouns used will lead to the standard character descriptions. Strangely one can also use any of the female character names such as Valanice, Red Riding Hood, Witch, Grandma, Hagatha, etc, in order to look at any other female characters. Likewise Message 3 in msg.90 folder has a hidden description for Valanice from the narrator: "She is even more lovely than she appeared in the mirror. Her long auburn hair tumbles down to cover her large firm breasts. Her erect nipples are one of the indications that her warm thighs would welcome your tender kisses." Angela R. Cox comments in her essay "...At the level of scripting in the engine, King’s Quest II becomes even more problematic, demonstrating that it is not sufficient to simply have a woman in charge of a game to prevent misogyny in game development. The parser, which dictates what words and structures are understood by the game’s text-based interface, lists words such as “bitch” and “c*unt” as synonyms for “woman,” so that the player can go through the entire game, in which the goal is to rescue and court a woman, deriding every woman and using misogynist language with no change in the game’s responses.9 Perhaps more tellingly, the code contains a secret response, which cannot be activated in the game while playing as distributed, but can be easily inserted in place of the above description of Valanice with a single key stroke in the engine’s editor, which makes Valanice’s sexual objectification in the eyes of the development team clearer: “Her long auburn hair tumbles down to cover her large firm breasts. Her erect nipples are one of the indications that her warm thighs would welcome your tender kisses.” Artifacts such as these indicate that the development team found humor in the sexualization of the women in the game and likely tested the game in this state; moreover, although this latter description is particularly explicit, it is nevertheless consistent with the game’s treatment of Valanice overall as a willing quest reward. There seems, however, to be no publicly available commentary concerning these code artifacts among the developers or fans, despite the ready availability of the now open-source AGI engine." It is said discovered Scott Murphy was behind the more colorful and offensive Easter eggs. This has only become a known controversy a few decades after the games release after people discovered the phrases in the code, and the information spread to the gaming public at large.
• KQ3 has some sexualization and objectification of the Barmaid and Rosella herself. Including Alexander being somewhat aroused by both (at least implied by the narrator). "Princess Rosella is gorgeous! Why, you'd be interested in her if she weren't your own sister! Her hair is long, silky, and golden. Her eyes are as blue as the bluest sky. Her skin is creamy white. And her BODY... well!! Embarrassed, you clear your throat and avert your eyes." The Official Book of King's Quest jokes that Alexander "...has started to chase girls and hang out in town. "
• In KQ3, females (particularly virgins) are something to be sacrificed to dragons. Graham has a history of sacrificing innocent maidens.
• One article complains about the 'girl in the tower' tropes...
• KQ4 was designed for 'everybody', and 'family' It wasn't designed specifically for men or women. Roberta didn't believe in making games that were designed specifically for a single demographic, but that everyone could enjoy.
• KQ4 received some complaints of 'sexism' for the portrayal of the character and some of the labor she completes. One example given in CGW Issue 11 (1988) (and later on IGN) states that the cleaning the house for the Dwarves and preparing their food was Sexist; "You will also have to sit through some tedious animation in the dwarfs house. This is a puzzle in the game, the solution to which is rather sexist, although obvious."The writer of one Essay goes onto explain; "This tension between "sexist" and "obvious" solution stems from the reproduction of patterns and schemas from stories that leads to a possibility of anticipation on the part of the player, while renewing gendered structures. The central place of the princess in some King's Quest partially upsets gender characteristics - it becomes the central element of action and play - it is partly beating and enterprising, but it is characterized by traits and behaviors stereotyped. Beautiful princess, shy, and devoted to her father."
• KQ4 is known for having the first female protagonist in a computer game, or at least adventure games (Note: at least Nintendo's Samus Aran of Metroid fame was introduced to gaming two years before in 1986, and the main character of Infocom's Plundered Hearts came out in 1987). Roberta and Sierra considered this choice to be a female possibly controversial at the time in 1988. Up to then all the player characters were male (at the time the subscriber list for Computer Gaming World for example was 98% male), and most game players and buyers were male. The idea of creating a main character who was female was 'very scary'. Many people at Sierra were upset, and wondered what she was doing, they wondered why Roberta would make that decision, because no guys would want to play a "girl", and that Sierra would lose its customer base, and that she would destroy a great series. Roberta disagreed and thought it was the right thing to do. Since the gaming industry was dominated almost exclusively by male players, Roberta chose to take a risk of releasing a game with a female character, fearing it would get criticized, but also hoping it would draw more women into gaming. This was apparently a success as the game was released to critical acclaim, and had more female players than previous games. It became the most successful game product of the year. However, at the time Roberta said that since many girls and women were already avid King's Quest players, replacing the hero with a heroine "felt natural, like it was time." I knew the female lead is just fine for women and girls who play the game, but wasn't sure how it would go over with some of the men. And you know what? It wasn't as controversial as I expected. However, it was real strange at first designing the game; quite a different point of view. Having the women die bothered me more than I expected."-Roberta Williams She had done three games, with male characters, and she wanted to introduce the series to women audience as well, expanding the demographics (to get them to play games as well). She believed it was the right thing to do and stuck to her guns. She thought it would be nice to bring a game to female audience, and make them feel comfortable with computer games, and increase the female base of computer game players. At the same time she believed if the game was a good game, the character was good, and that it fit, that male audience wouldn't care what the player character was, as long as the game was fun. Her decision did not affect the game sales, and it sold better than previous games in the series ("...better than the first three..."). According to a survey of the player's genders made after the games release; it was asked if they preferred to play a male or female characters. It was found out that by in large male player base didn't care if they played a male or female character, as long as the game was good, and it fit and felt good to them. The female audience on the other hand, preferred by in large, to play a female character. They didn't really like playing male characters. Roberta's thoughts on Rosella. "I like the heroine, Rosella. I guess because she is part of me that is coming out. I really identified with her. Sometimes she is delicate, but she is strong, knows what she wants, she is not afraid what she has to do. She is courageous. It was fun for me to do a female character" Roberta Williams mentions in one interview: "I thought there would be some controversy with it, that maybe guys or boys would write in and say, "I don't want to be a girl," or that maybe critics, reviewers, might say something about it, either pro or con. But the truth of the matter is, and this is what really surprised me. is that I personally have not heard much about it. It's like it hasn't really been an issue, and I worried about it while I was designing the game. I wondered if it was going to be accepted. I thought it might be controversial. It hadn't been done in our industry to have a girl heroine, and I thought it would get a lot of attention. It has gotten some, but nothing really dramatic. People responded to King's Quest IV. but very few of them made mention of a woman heroine. They liked that it was still Graham's family, but it was as if they didn't care or didn't notice specifically a woman.Over the years the Coles of Quest For Glory claim a much darker story about fans complaining. That she got some flack for having a female character. "One letter that got passed around called Roberta Williams, "a bull-dyke feminest" (sic) for forcing players (presumably all male) to play Rosella in King's Quest IV."
• Some argue that more objectified descriptions of female characters and stereotyped princesses appear in KQ5. First with Alicia who is described as such; "She's a beautiful princess with long golden tresses, fetching blue eyes, and smooth, creamy skin." As well as within the description for Cassima. There is also the belly dancer.
• KQ7 has both a Blacksmith Troll who spouts out sexist commentary, as well as a Mocking Bird that throws out other sometimes sexist insults. It has been accused of being sexist for other reasons as well. Some players complain about what they see as a 'whiny' stereotypical portrayal of a obnoxious/haughty/immature/self-absorbed/bratty/demanding/petulant/conceited and rude princess. Though perhaps they are projecting some of their own sexism on the character (interpreting what is example of strong independent woman rather than a stereotype). One article claims it is problematic at passing the Bechdel test of female representation in a story. "One, it has to have at least two women in it, who Two, talk to each other about Three, something other than a man." It goes on... "...the adventure game King’s Quest VII, which features two women as its heroines, should be a slam dunk. Yet the opening scene sees Queen Valanice and her daughter Rosella arguing over the need for Rosella to find a man and get married already. It’s always the third component of the Bechdel Test that proves to be the sticking point, and while King’s Quest VII ultimately passes—for instance, when Rosella seeks the aid of a female troll—it takes longer to clear the hurdles than you might expect." "The little troll looked so obnoxious in the SKETCHES THAT HE REMINDED ME OF ONE OF THOSE OFFENSIVE BACHELOR-TYPES, SO I WROTE THE DIALOGUE FOR HIS CHARACTER THAT WAY." — Lorelei Shannon, Writer/ Design
• Some people are upset with the use of the term 'hag' for ugly female characters in the games. Some see these terms as ageism.

Just as the “good” characters are so often paragons of youthful beauty, the “baddies” in fairy tales are often depicted as wizened old crones and witches, including the villain in Snow White.

Concerns have been raised that this is an ageist association of evil with being old.

• [2]
• Feminist articles like those linked above, have a tendency to deplatform, and ignore Roberta's own strengths and agency.. They take away her own voice as a feminist, and accuse her of having been controled by powers outside of her control... John Williams has stated in response to these kind of articles:

Another article that I think misses the point on Roberta entirely. It’s always about Roberta the game designer and never gives her credit for her work in the business side of the company. Roberta was an absolute warrior in the boardroom and her sheer will beat out those of board members that often had goals that were about anything other than what was good for the company. Roberta didn’t work much at the office, but she did have a heavy travel schedule as both an owner of Sierra and its public face. Anyone who thinks it was easy just doesn’t get it. Yes, Roberta did shut off her public persona when the company sold, preferring travel and quiet freedom to being some sort of a voice for some cause that frankly didn’t exist as an issue inside the company she created. Those that really respect who she was should respect who she is - a person that broke some glass ceilings but now wants to just enjoy her life and spend her remaining years enjoying her time with her husband and her sons. I was there from the beginning and saw the Sierra saga from places that others weren’t allowed to go. Roberta made Sierra On-line successful in many more ways than an adventure game author. I keep hoping for the article that will convey that.

• The Williams and some other authors have compared Roberta and her relationship to Ken Williams as being somewhat of a fairytale. Much in the way traditional Prince goes after and saves/finds the Princess to marry her. So from their perspectives they find the idea highly romantic, and it appears throughout the series (though some might argue that KQ4/KQ7 sort of turns it on its head with the Princess chasing and saving the Prince.). From one critic's position this trope is a vile woman hunting, and highly offensive, and makes him dislike the games all the more.
• After a complicated series of on-screen key presses its possible to make Wicked Stepmother in KQ6 give a little striptease, and shake her bloomers and butt.
• The Rude Forging Troll is very sexist, especially when confronting a human version of Rosella. Implying she is ugly, and should wear a bag over her head. "(STARTS TO COME ON TO HER, BUT IS SURPRISED TO SEE A HUMAN GIRL)Why, I feel just dandy--OH! MY! You are da strangest looking troll goil I have ever seen, but as a kindness to you, I will take you out after my shift is over...We'll go someplace dark, okay? Maybe you can wear a veil, or a bag on your head."
• In KQ8 there are two naughty easter eggs. One requires taking the crystal staff back to Sylph, and clicking on her several times. At which point it sounds like Connor is removing his pants, pulling out his tool, and 'riding her Cowboy, and then climaxing. Another easter egg involves clicking on nymphs in a certain order and then a specific brick in the Nymph's palace which causes Mr. Dildo from Leisure Suit Larry to pop out, do a dance, and leave. Then after, its implied that Freesa uses a vibrator, and the crystal Staff, while having sex with Connor.
• In KQ7 while looking through Malicia's clothing Rosella finds some of Malicia's naughty negligees and teddies (while saying 'ewww').
• Roberta likes the idea of Prince Charming in her stories, and compares her husband to being one. It's her ideal type of man. Alexander is an ideal man in her ideas, a Prince Charming.
• Fairy tales in general are considered sexist and cis gender normative.

Handsome princes - and beautiful princesses falling for them at first sight - have been deemed problematic by sensitivity readers advising on offensive content, due to the privilege given to physical attractiveness and heteronormative romance. Outdated or harmful elements in fairy tales…, may also include characters presuming each other’s pronouns or social class, and a lack of diversity among blonde-haired and blue-eyed protagonists.

Just as a character falling in love at first sight has been raised as an issue, so has the characters’ presumption of gender pronouns at first sight. It is understood that it is not desirable in texts to have a princess use the term “man” upon seeing a prince for the first time, for example, before the characters have been shown to getting to know one another. Gender-neutral language is to be preferred, it is understood.

Profanity and Vulgarity

This only applies to the parser games but some of the earlier games understand a number of vulgar slang terms (some of which are mentioned in the sexist section above). Some of these lead to a 'shame' message or easter eggs.

• KQ1SCI has this in list 1110 bitch, crap, fuck, screw, shit
• KQ2 has this list: bitch, c*unt, hose bag slut, sperm burping gutter slut, whore.
• KQ3 has this list: 299 ass, asshole, c*unt, dirty word, fart, fuck, fucking, mother fucker, piss, pussy, screw, shit, tit, tits.
• KQ4AGI has this list: 439 ass, asshole, cock, c*unt, dick, dirty word, fart, fuck, fucking, mother fucker, piss, pussy, screw, shit, tit, tits
• KQ4SCI has this list: 462 ass, asshole, bastard, bitch, bullshit, clit, cock, cocksucker, crap, c*unt, damn, fart, fuck, piss, shit, shithead, turd

LGBT Representation

• The character Tailor Fey in KQ5 is sometimes interpreted as either stereotypically effeminate man, extremely flamboyant speaks with a lisp, while not an indication of being gay, he is thought to be gay by some players. The Reboot King's Quest strongly seems to further imply effeminate or gay traits for the character building off the KQ5 portrayal which it has named Taylor Fey (a rather unisex name that may play on indefinite gender aspects of the original character). This could be seen as reinforcing negative stereotypes. The effiminate tailor/gay tailor is a common stereotype in literature, movies and games one that often falls under category of "Camp Gay" or even 'dandy' or 'fop' which are terms often associated with homosexual men who are excessively concerned with appearance.
• The King's Quest Companion brings up a legend about Gwydion's namesake. "Gwydion cast his illusions to start a war in order that his brother might obtain a woman he desired. That act led to massacre, murder, and worse. The punishment Gwydion and his brother suffered for their acts was to be turned each year into beasts that must mate with each other." In this story homosexuality is a curse or a punishment by the gods.
• In an interview with Rosella, she makes references to eunuchs. Historically it referred to infertile men, either born infertile, or those made a eunuch through castration. Some have to come to see it represent homosexual men (born that way). The term is sometimes seen as a pejorative insult in modern times.
• The terms 'queer' and 'gay' may appear in the games or licensed material, but it is never used as a pejorative or within the meaning of sexual orientation, rather the original meanings are intended. For example; "Alexander is carrying a full head of a queer-looking lettuce made of ice." Means that lettuce looked 'strange'... Gay only means 'happy' (as in the emotion, see Rosanella)...
• Some fans have taken the Narrator's descriptions of the Winged Ones, describing their perfect and athletic bodies, and that Alexander may have an interest in touching them to represent deeply ingrained homosexual or bisexual tendencies. The colorful descriptions however just might be Jane Jensen's style based on her loving to write 'hot guys' (a position which has lead to accusations that she is a 'transphobic' as well as 'sexist' to men, see Gabriel Knight controversies page below.).
• Transgender/Misgendering issues... to misgender is refer to (someone, especially a transgender person) using a word, especially a pronoun or form of address, that does not correctly reflect the gender with which they identify.
  • While largely innocuous Alexander is able to cross dress (dress in drag) in KQ6 to sneak into Castle of the Crown. He makes 'alterations' to his appearance, and also changes his voice to falsetto to trick the guard dogs. He becomes embarrassed, and feels foolish for doing it, and worries what Cassima would think if she saw him doing it. He is quick to remove the clothes, and doesn't want to be dressed as a woman when he finds Cassima (as if it might hurt his relationship with her, or that she might think of him less of a man).This seems to indicate that he feels it's 'wrong' for man to crossdress, and that it's weird (foolish and weird are synonyms of each other). This would not be considered politically correct in today's climate, even offensive to crossdressers, transgenders, and drag queens (as a transphobic position), who see dressing in drag as normal behavior. In the CD-Rom even the narrator seems to add emphasis that this behavior is distasteful in some way. (note similar controversies with the Space Quest 4 drag scene in Space Quest controversies page below when 'weird' and 'sicko' were used to describe crossdressing behaviour to great controversy). In several cases characters in simular situations in other Sierra games have been described as 'transgender' by some fans (see Leisure Suit Larry controversies page).
  • A joke in Space Quest II joked that Graham cross dresses as well. . This graffiti is intended to be an insult to Graham. Indicating that it would be seen as unmanly action by Graham if he was to actually crossdress. Again this might be offensive to crossdressers, transgender or drag queens.
  • In Hoyle 3 Graham actually is shown to morph into an Old Maid version of himself (this might be seen as more of a genderbending than actual crossdressing). Hoyle 1 is simpler in that it also has the characters, including Rosella, become Old Maids if they lose (though all share the same image). As the idea of a player turning into an 'Old Maid' might be seen as problematic depending on the situation it might be considered transphobic, sexist or even ageist. The idea of Old Maid might even spark the idea of an old spinster (older unmarried woman). In any case that it is tied to losing the game might be a reference to how old maids are undesirable/less desirable than other women, and thus insulting.
  • Rosella crossdresses as a cowboy, appearing as a twelve year old boy in See No Weevil.
  • In the King's Quest Companion Manannnan's cat (which is a victim of the cat cookie spell by the evil wizard) is misgendered as a female (or vice versa the game misgenders the cat as a male). It may be controversial that Gwydion doesn't care to find out what the cat identifies as (especially since he keeps trying to violate, and grab the pussy even though it clearly isn't consensual, seeing as the cat wants to scratch his eyes out).
  • Some are apparently offended by the the shapeshifting genie Shamir Shamazel, describing him as 'transgender'. However, this 'assumes the character's gender, especially one who is established to be 'he' when in his original form and preferred state. In the same example, another person viewed the false wedding between Shamir and Abdul Alhazred to be a 'same-sex wedding'. This could add to the misgendering/assuming a gender issue since (since even we do know his preferred original form, and identity), Alex may not know what gender Shamir actually identifies as.
  • In the reboot series in chapter 3 the game plays with gender bending role reversal trope by Hagatha treating graham as a Pretty Princess. He is clearly misgendered.
  • Note cross dressing (dressing in drag) is not necessarily a sign that someone is transgendered, or fully identifies as gender they cross dress into. Most cross dressers are heterosexual and cis male (often self-identifying as 'transvestite'). A gay crossdresser generally identifies as a 'drag queen'. There is no indication that Alex or Graham are 'transvestites' (and are certainly not 'drag queens').
• Some fans think Kyle and Larry from the Reboot universe are a homosexual couple. This has made some conservative-minded people uncomfortable with the game.

Bestiality

• In fairy tales there is a whole genre of animal love/unnatural perversion shape shifting bestiality trope, playing on the medieval ideas of bestiality… In the Aarne-Thompson classification system is the folktale type 510B, unnatural love/unnatural perversions. In the ‘Unnatural Perversions’ classification included stuff such as homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality and incest. The ones that apply to bestiality include; The She-bear, Cap O' Rushes, Catskin, Allerleirauh, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter, Donkeyskin, Little Cat Skin, Mossycoat, The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress, and The Bear.
• Another similar category discussed is Animal Brides/Enchanted wives/husband types, which cover stories such as the Selkie, Beauty and the Beast, Swanmaiden, werewolves and other stories.
• The fairies are often married to animals (sometimes shapeshifters) which they are known to mate with. Genesta and her leopard mate for example. This form of literary bestiality/zoophilia themes goes back to fairy tales such as in the tale of Melusine, and the Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.
• Enchanted humans transformed such as in the story Beauty and the Beast and semi-human such as mermaids (The Little Mermaid) are other examples of cultural fascination with unnatural love/cross-breeding between man and beast trope (symbolic bestiality).
• Centaurs: Some people point to as the result of a Centaurus interbreeding with horses and hence the result of bestiality.
• The mating of Gwydion and his brother as mentioned in the Companion might be seen as bestiality, combined with incest.
• The Guard Dog like other Semi-humans are said to be crossing of best traits from humans and those of their canine companions.
• Werewolf also implied bestiality traits in myth and fairy tales. In King’s Quest Greywolf is a shapeshifting werewolf, changeling, and queens consort (husband) linking it to such ideas such as the tale of Melusine (Fey-like creature married to shapeshifter animal partner).

Incest and other taboos

• A joke in KQ3 involves Alexander showing his butt (and the 'cute birthmark' (according to the twins mother Valance) there) to Rosella, after she asks him to show it to her.
• The narrator also seems to suggest he might be attracted to his sister, though he knows that is wrong, and not proper, and averts his eyes. See also similar description given of Winged One Guards in King's Quest 6. Which have lead to some fans assuming Alexander is gay or bisexual (when it might just be the "Narrator" perspective, and not an internal monologue).
• As mentioned previously, in celtic stories the mating of Gwydion and his brother fall into the incest category.
• By modern standards Alexander (age 19 going by KQ7 info) married an underage girl. Creating a statutory relationship (aka pedophilia or hebephilia). Cassima was born after Abdul Alhazred came to the Green Isles some fifteen years before KQ6. This would mean Cassima is under fifteen at time of KQ6. She is possibly as young as 11-15 depending on when she was born (if born not long after Abdul came to island). Both Mordack and Abdul were much older than her.
• Caliphim wanted Abdul to be his son, and to marry his new daughter, implying she was an infant or toddler at the time (although she herself distrusted him from an early age). This has implications of child brides (similar to early Islamic tradition). And shows a lack of agency and consent given to Cassima at a tender age, when children in modern setting are not seen as being old enough to have the ability or consent on their own. She was being forced into it against her will.
• In KQ2 the narrator admonishes Graham if he attempts inappropriate behavior with Little Red Riding Hood: ”You don't need to be kissing little girls.", "You are a stranger to Little Red Riding Hood. You shouldn't hug her." She is a twelve year old girl in the game and Graham is around 19-22 in the game depending on the timeline.
• Incidentally Rosella in Larry's Women Speak: The Rosella Interview is based on character from KQ4 who is around 17 years old during the game. Though she may or may not be 18 in the interview. When Larry met her she was likely the 17 year old version of the character based on KQ4 (Larry was over 40). He doesn’t technically date her in the game but has apparently tried to (according to the book). She mentions she would date Al Lowe only if he became a eunuch, Al Lowe was roughly 45-47 when the book was published.
• An easter egg apple can be found that turns Connor almost completely naked except for a small mask over his crotch.
• In reboot universe Whisper is open to polygamy as a valid dating option.

Disabilities representation

• Dwarves are seen as problematic characters by some people. Going back to a history of treating Dwarves as stupid people possibly ad early as the middle ages. When dwarves and those with disabilities were treated as less intelligent and as jesters for the entertainment of others. Incidentally , a character in another Sierra series, Conquests of the Longbow, is an example of this latter kind of 'dwarf'. Some see this as mistreatment and making fun of people who suffer physical deformities and little people... In KQ dwarves are represented as thieves and scoundrels with exception of the Seven Dwarves.

Politics

• Politics can be very controversial to many people. While the series is not particularly political in nature (other than being about medieval style royalty), there is at least one Bush and Quayle joke in King's Quest 1 remake.
• Some fans apparently focus on medieval politics and criticize the game on those politics. Even if those politics might be somewhat 'historically' accurate for the time frame the game is set in (even if the game is still set in a 'fantasy world'). Some have gone as far to accuse Roberta and Ken Williams of endorsing and supporting those politics, and linking them to 'modern' conservative politics as well. Even if such accusations are really slanderous in nature.
• It is argued that to focus on royalty in fairytales is classism. In Snow White and numerous other fairy tales, the protagonists are often described as either a “prince” or “princess”. Concerns have been raised by some sensitivity experts that this may suggest to children that what is important about these characters is their social rank, and that social rank in general is what makes people important.

Artistic Directions

• The King's Quest 1 SCI Remake did not sell well, and like many of the other later SCI remakes (SQ/PQ, etc), was compared with the controversial recoloring of old black and white movies. This led to later remakes for KQ2 and 3 being canceled.

Poisonous vs Venomous

Poisonous snakes are not uncommon in fairy tales and classic literature from which King's Quest is inspired. Be it from 'poisoning' via venom or snakes being poisonous to eat. See Mohammed with the Magic Finger, The Story of Zoulvisia, or The Snake Prince: in Andrew Lang's Fairy Books. See also Oleg: the Prince Who Was Killed by His Favorite Horse and Charlegmagne and the Snake. The Twelve Brothers in Grimm's Fairy Tales. Sinbad had to deal with poisonous snakes as well., and the story of Riki Tiki Tavi. The use of 'poisonous' to describe snakes and other creatures with venom appears commonly in Gothic literature as well; In The Adventure of the Speckled Band the titular band is a 'poisonous snake', which Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson discover as the weapon in a crime.. In Bram Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm the worm in question is yet another 'poisonous snake' (not even a beneficial white snake), venomous only appears once but more as a description of malevolence (rather than literal venom). Even Dracula is said to be poisonous or spread poison to his victims through his bite and blood. Poisonous snakes also appear in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft as well. Even the King James Bible uses poisonous/poison when referring to various kinds of poisonous snakes (only uses 'venom' once in one context as synonym of poison). Poisonous Snake is also a common DND creature as well (a 'tiny beast'). Notably speaking during middle ages, medieval, dark ages, and early renaissance, poison and venom were interchangeable terms, and venom even came from the Latin word for poison: 'venenum' (both largely having link to 'potions' and 'imbibing'). So the usage of the 'literary' "poisonous" seems rather fitting (it's not a zoology or veterinary textbook, it's a 'high fantasy/fairy tale game').

The narrator calls the snake in KQ5, a venomous snake, and Cedric calls it poisonous. Earlier games often refer to 'poisonous snakes' as well as 'venomous snakes' (poisonous viper/venomous viper). KQ3 and KQ6 refer to poisonous spiders (KQ7 refers to poisonous/venomous spiders). There is a pedantic internet discussion of 'venomous vs. poisonous' which is a controversy, but in reality should be only a non-controversy. Some have accused Roberta Williams of being unintelligent or ignorant for use of these terms in the games... But they themselves overlook other grammatically valid uses of the terms in other contexts, medical field and other fields of sciences.

In fact to argue there is only a 'single' definition for words, and that other definitions are wrong is an example of a false dichotomy fallacy; Two choices are presented, when more might exist, and the claim is made that one is false and one is true - or one is acceptable and the other is not. Often, there are other alternatives which haven’t been considered, or both choices might be false or true. As well as an "Appeal to Definition" fallacy (Using one definition of a term as evidence that term cannot have another meaning, expanded meaning, or even conflicting meaning).

In modern "biological" (Some biological medicine, particularly veterinary and zoology often distinguish a poison from a toxin, and from a venom) and most modern "herpetology" (not necessarily medical or other science fields), these are used as forms of how the toxin is administered. Poisonous referring to touching or ingestion, while venomous refers to injection, and the argument there is no overlap (each being a totally different kind of 'substance'). However, other fields (medical and other science fields) argue that that venom is a subset of poisons, and so poisonous is technically true, while those of the other school of thought; argue that makes the definition of poison too broad, and that having more specific meanings for different terms is more useful. This is seemingly a more modern argument however found in the 21st century, as many nature and even some 'science' books from the 1500s-1990s used 'poisonous', and 'poisonous' also appears in poetic or literary usages even within the Bible and William Shakespeare.

Thanks for that. The adult snake lies in the ditch. The young snake that escaped will in time become poisonous and threatening, but for now he has no fangs. Get out of here. I’ll talk to you again tomorrow.-Macbeth

Paracelsus expressed the classic toxicology maxim "All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; the dosage alone makes it so a thing is not a poison." This is often condensed to: "The dose makes the poison" or in Latin, "Sola dosis facit venenum".

Jan Freeman’s research into it in her book Write it Right.... About this issue, she writes:

“As usual, Bierce would like to fence the overlapping words into separate pens. But while venomous does describe rattlesnakes and other animals that poison victims with a bite or sting, poisonous has always been a broader term. Samuel Johnson knew both words, but in his Dictionary (1755) he referred to ‘a poisonous serpent,’ ‘a poisonous insect,’ and ‘a poisonous reptile.'”

It’s not just Johnson, either. The Oxford English Dictionary cites The Indian Queen, a play by Robert Howard and John Dryden (he of “no final prepositions” fame), with “poisonous Vipers” in 1665. Google Books can supply you a vast array of hits for “poisonous snakes” from the 1800s, if you need convincing of the lineage. Here’s my favorite, as it’s very clearly talking about snakes with venomous bites; it’s written by someone studying the venom of the snakes, so this isn’t some casual imprecise usage but the considered usage of a professional; and it’s from 1839, so there’s no arguing that this is some sloppy modern usage.

In the case of venomous and poisonous, this oughtn’t to be surprising, as their stems have this same relationship. A venom is one kind of poison, and similarly, being venomous is one way that an animal can be poisonous. The biggest clue that we aren’t all wrong for using poisonous in place of venomous is that it’s very rare to see the opposite extension. When people talk about “venomous plants”, for instance, they’re usually talking about plants that literally do sting, like stinging nettles or the gympie gympie. If people are just stupid or underinformed, they ought to make their errors symmetrically; here, the supposed error really only goes one way. (I’d expect asymmetric errors if one were much rarer than the other, but venomous isn’t particularly rare.)

Venom is defined in the medical sense:

"venom (ven´әm) a poison, especially one secreted by a serpent, insect, or other animal. adj., ven´omous., adj.

The act of dying from snake venom is known as "Snake poisoning" or "snake venom poisoning", which is another indication that 'poisonous snake' is not incorrect by certain definitions of poison.

Note: Even most dictionaries outside of very specific biology textbooks don't make a designated difference between "poison" and "venom", with additional caveat, that all 'venoms' are poisonous, but not all poisons are 'venom'.

Though there may have been ancient differences between the two in earliest definitions, but lost over time (later resurrected by modern biologists). In Latin, venēmum meant "magical herb, poison, etc". From a thesaurus perspective "venom" and "poison' are synonyms (one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses).

synonym study for poison

1. Poison, toxin, venom are terms for any substance that injures the health or destroys life when absorbed into the system, especially of a higher animal. Poison is the general word: a poison for insects. A toxin is a poison produced by an organism; it is especially used in medicine in reference to disease-causing bacterial secretions: A toxin produces diphtheria. Venom is especially used of the poisons secreted by certain animals, usually injected by bite or sting: the venom of a snake.

To be too pedantic about the 'definition' is to overlook other definitions found in the same language (every word in English language often has more than one 'common' 'definition'). For example, the definition of 'vegetable' has 'culinary' uses and 'scientific/'technical uses'. A tomato or cucumber may be a technical "fruit", but is a 'culinary' vegetable as they are often used in 'savory' vegetable dishes and salads.

Also definitions of "poison' are split into three types... Noun, Verb & Adjective. In the case of "adjective" poison and venom have the same meaning. The root word for both poison and venom, "poi" and "wen" both originally had to do with 'ingesting' or 'drinking' such as in potions.

The respective IE roots of the terms "venom" and "poison", "wen" and "poi" refer to desire or the act of ingesting liquids. The origin of the term, "venom", is associated with polytheistic cults that emphasized attainment of desires sometimes assisted by "love potions", a term later interpolated with the word, "poison". Specific interpretation of the term, venom, has varied since its first probable use in the mid-Thirteenth Century

The act of receiving venom, aka envenoming, means to 'make poisonous', to be 'poisoned'.. Envenomation is the proper term which means 'an act of instance poisoning by venom (as by snake or spider)'. Oxford Dictionary defines envenomate's definition as "Zoology Medicine: (of a snake, spider, insect, etc.) poison by biting or stinging." So literally speaking in the round about way, a snake that has envenomed its prey or victim through envenomation has poisoned its victim with venom. Calling something venomous or poisonous (i.e. 'venomous snake' or 'poisonous snake') at that point is semantics.

Findlay Russell, MD PhD, in his introduction to the chapter on “Toxic Effects of Animal Venoms” in Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology: The Basic Science of Poisons states:

“The term venomous animal is usually applied to those creatures that are capable of producing a poison in a highly developed secretory gland or group of cells and that can deliver this toxin during a biting or stinging act. Poisonous animals, on the other hand, are generally regarded to be those whose tissues, either in part or in their entirety, are toxic. These animals have no mechanism or structure for the delivery of their poisons. Poisoning by these forms usually takes place through ingestion. In reality, all venemous animals are poisonous, but not all poisonous animals are venemous.”

Outside of technical biology and herpetology field textbooks, there are many medical texts and journal articles which refer to 'technical terms' of 'snake poisoning'/'poisonous snakes' It is 'Poison Control Centers/Poison Centers' that treat venomous bites.

In conclusion, poison is a toxin that gets into the body via swallowing, inhaling or absorption through the skin. ... Venom is a specialized type of poison that has evolved for a specific purpose. It is actively injected via a bite or sting. In other words poisons and venoms are both toxins, and venom is a type of poison. As noted venom comes from the Latin word for "poison".

Summary: Poisonous and venomous aren’t totally distinct. It’s fine to call a snake poisonous, even if it’s its venom that’s dangerous. But it’s rare (and generally incorrect) to call something with a non-venom poison venomous. This is how it has been for hundreds of years in English. Objections to the subset relationship between poisonous and venomous are pretty rare, and outside of specialized contexts, pretty unfounded.

Besides, it's more than a little insane to focus on such a pedantic nitpick in a literary and fantasy setting. It shouldn't have to be pointed out that we are discussing fantasy medieval settings (where such literary, and poetic language are generally used) not zoology lab environment, and a language (English) that has more than one meaning (and overlapping definitions), and where even science and medical textbooks are not that pedantic or specific. One will find this same situation in Quest for Glory as well, where most 'poison'/'venom' are used interchangeably, and most 'poisoning' comes from creatures or monsters with venom. It contains its fair share of 'poisonous spiders (and poisonous bat-spiders...)'/'poisonous bugs'/'poisonous scorpions'/'poisonous snakes (flying snakes at that)'/'poisonous fish'/'poisonous wyverns'/'poisonous demons', and 'poisonous plants (venomous and poisonous)'. Where there is no, "anti-venom", but "poison cure' (pills and potions) are a 'universal poison antidote'. Poisonous snakes (see cobras) and 'poisonous rats', also appear in Conquests of Camelot as well in the desert and in catacombs. Poison is only curable via an elixir. Laura Bow II mentions both poisonous snakes, and venomous snakes.

See also

• Controversies in Space Quest
• Controversies in Police Quest
• Controversies in EcoQuest
• Controversies in Quest For Glory
• Controversies in Conquests series
• Controversies in Leisure Suit Larry
• Controversies in Laura Bow
• Controversies in Gabriel Knight series
• Controversies in Phantasmagoria series
• Controversies in Freddy Pharkas