You know, I have heard a number of other people - in person or on the Web - say that Myst was the reason that adventure gaming went on the decline that it did from the mid 1990s until now. If indeed that is the case, then it is because of a single reason - Myst executed the ideal of adventure gaming. There was no real backstory because none was needed; you were simply a person drawn into the place depicted in the image of a strange book, and you need to find out where you are and what you need to do to get back home. Further, there is no need to have knowldge of the developer's thought process to proceed through the game; many of the puzzles of the game can be overcome through experimentation, intuition, and visual and audial cues. This, my friends, is authentic advenure. It also helps that the world is so inviting (even after almost 20 years since the original Myst came on the market) that you will want to return to the worlds of Myst long after you have figured out all of the puzzles and secrets. If there is a classic game to be had, this is it.
