Inform 7 is amazing. A Creative Computing article in the 1970s speculated about far future adventure games, and suggested you would be able to type a quote mark at the start of the prompt to "talk" to other characters. It was very exciting when I went on MUD and realised that was the interface!

Also, from three years ago, I think you might enjoy this (if very bored) danny.spesh.com/talks/didana...

it's all just chit-chat in the end

old as the hills, too! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepri...

Better than any book is this essay by @danny.spesh.com which captures the mid-90s perfectly. www.spesh.com/danny/wireduk/

This is great, thank you for writing it!