Emily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction (IF) writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters. She has been called "one of the most renowned authors in the IF community", and is the author of over fifteen works of IF in addition to being chief editor of the IF Theory Book. A number of Short's works have won acclaim at the XYZZY Awards, an annual popular-choice award for interactive fiction. Her work has been described by reviewers in terms that range from "mesmerizing" to "frustrating", but she is widely respected as an authority in the field and has presided over numerous IF contests. Her 2003 work, City of Secrets, was originally commissioned by a San Francisco synth pop band, but later left the project, which she completed on her own. Short has played a major role in the development of Graham Nelson's radical new interactive fiction development system, Inform 7. Her more conspicuous contr...