📙Intro to Contemporary Literature Unit 8 – Digital Literature in New Media

What's Digital Literature?

• Digital literature encompasses literary works created, published, and experienced through digital media and technology
• Combines elements of traditional literature with the interactive and multimedia capabilities of digital platforms
• Often incorporates hypertext, multimedia, interactivity, and non-linear narratives to create immersive and engaging experiences for readers
• Challenges conventional notions of authorship, readership, and the boundaries between writer and reader
• Explores new forms of storytelling and artistic expression made possible by digital technologies (interactive fiction, hypertext poetry)
• Embraces the collaborative nature of digital spaces, allowing for reader participation and co-creation of literary works
• Reflects the increasing influence of technology on contemporary culture and the changing landscape of literary production and consumption

Key Concepts and Terms

• Hypertext: Non-linear, interconnected text with clickable links that allow readers to navigate through the narrative in a non-sequential manner
• Interactivity: The ability for readers to actively engage with and influence the story, making choices that shape the narrative outcome
• Multimedia: The incorporation of various media elements (images, audio, video, animation) into the literary work to enhance the storytelling experience
• Ergodic literature: Literature that requires non-trivial effort from the reader to traverse the text, often involving decision-making and exploration
  • Encourages active participation and agency from the reader
  • Challenges traditional notions of passive reading and linear progression
• Cybertext: A type of ergodic literature that focuses on the mechanical organization of the text and the reader's engagement with it
• Electronic literature: A broader term encompassing digital literature and other forms of literature that rely on electronic media for creation and distribution
• Born-digital: Literary works that are created specifically for digital platforms and cannot be easily translated to print media without losing essential elements

Evolution of Digital Literature

• Early experiments with hypertext fiction in the 1980s and 1990s (Michael Joyce's "Afternoon, a story", Shelley Jackson's "Patchwork Girl") laid the foundation for digital literature
• The rise of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s provided new opportunities for publishing and distributing digital literature
• Advancements in multimedia technologies (Flash, HTML5) allowed for the incorporation of audio, video, and animation into digital literary works
• The proliferation of mobile devices and e-readers in the 2000s expanded the reach and accessibility of digital literature
• Social media and online platforms (Twitter, Instagram) have been used as tools for creating and sharing new forms of digital literature (Twitterature, Instapoetry)
• The emergence of virtual and augmented reality technologies has opened up new possibilities for immersive and interactive storytelling experiences
• Contemporary digital literature continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with technology, blurring the lines between literature, art, and digital media

Types of Digital Literature

• Interactive fiction: Stories that allow readers to make choices and influence the narrative through hyperlinks, branching paths, and user input (Twine games, choose-your-own-adventure stories)
• Hypertext poetry: Poems that utilize hyperlinks and non-linear structures to create multi-layered, interconnected reading experiences (Deena Larsen's "Marble Springs", Jim Andrews' "Stir Fry Texts")
• Kinetic poetry: Poems that incorporate motion, animation, and interactive elements to create dynamic and visually engaging experiences (Brian Kim Stefans' "The Dreamlife of Letters")
• Generative literature: Works that use algorithms and computer programs to automatically generate or recombine text, often based on user input or real-time data (Nick Montfort's "Taroko Gorge", Allison Parrish's "Everyword")
• Locative narratives: Stories that are tied to specific physical locations and can be accessed using GPS-enabled devices (Jeremy Hight's "34 North 118 West", Kate Armstrong's "PING")
• Collaborative writing: Digital platforms that allow multiple authors to contribute to a single literary work, either synchronously or asynchronously (Wikipedia novels, exquisite corpse projects)
• Social media literature: Literary works created and shared on social media platforms, often utilizing the constraints and affordances of each platform (Jennifer Egan's "Black Box", Teju Cole's "Hafiz")

Tools and Platforms

• Twine: An open-source tool for creating interactive, non-linear stories and games without requiring programming knowledge
• Inform: A programming language and development environment specifically designed for creating interactive fiction
• Scalar: A platform for creating and publishing multimedia-rich, non-linear scholarly works and digital exhibitions
• Ren'Py: A visual novel engine that allows creators to combine text, images, and audio to create interactive stories
• Unity: A game development platform that can be used to create immersive, interactive narrative experiences
• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: The foundational web technologies that enable the creation of interactive and multimedia-rich digital literature
• Social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook): Used by authors to create and share short-form digital literature, often utilizing platform-specific constraints and features
• Virtual and augmented reality platforms (Oculus, HTC Vive, ARKit): Emerging technologies that offer new possibilities for immersive and interactive storytelling experiences

Notable Works and Authors

• Michael Joyce's "Afternoon, a story" (1987): One of the earliest and most influential works of hypertext fiction, exploring the non-linear possibilities of digital narratives
• Shelley Jackson's "Patchwork Girl" (1995): A hypertext retelling of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", using the fragmented and non-linear structure to explore themes of identity, gender, and the body
• Mez Breeze's "Mezangelle" (ongoing): A unique digital language and style of writing that combines code, abbreviations, and neologisms to create visually striking and semantically layered works
• Serge Bouchardon's "Loss of Grasp" (2010): An interactive narrative that uses multimedia elements and user input to explore themes of control, identity, and the relationship between the reader and the text
• Christine Wilks' "Underbelly" (2010): A multimedia, non-linear work that combines text, images, and audio to tell the story of a woman's journey through the London Underground
• Samantha Gorman and Danny Cannizzaro's "Pry" (2014): An iOS app that combines text, video, and interactive elements to create an immersive narrative experience exploring the life of a Gulf War veteran
• Kate Pullinger's "Breathe" (2018): A ghost story told through a combination of text, audio, and reader interaction, utilizing the reader's breathing to control the pace and reveal of the narrative

Impact on Traditional Literature

• Digital literature challenges traditional notions of authorship, readership, and the boundaries between writer and reader, blurring the lines between creator and consumer
• The non-linear and interactive nature of digital literature encourages readers to actively engage with the text, making choices and shaping the narrative in ways that traditional print literature does not allow
• The incorporation of multimedia elements (images, audio, video) in digital literature expands the storytelling possibilities and creates new forms of artistic expression
• The accessibility and shareability of digital literature have the potential to reach wider and more diverse audiences, democratizing access to literary works
• Digital platforms and tools enable new forms of collaborative writing and reader participation, fostering a sense of community and shared ownership of literary works
• The ephemeral and ever-evolving nature of digital technologies raises questions about the preservation and longevity of digital literary works, challenging traditional notions of literary canon and cultural heritage
• As digital literature continues to evolve and gain prominence, it may influence the way traditional print literature is created, published, and consumed, leading to a more fluid and hybrid literary landscape

Creating Digital Literature

• Begin by familiarizing yourself with the various tools, platforms, and technologies available for creating digital literature (Twine, Inform, HTML/CSS/JavaScript)
• Experiment with different forms and genres of digital literature (interactive fiction, hypertext poetry, generative literature) to find what resonates with your creative vision
• Consider how the affordances and constraints of digital media can be used to enhance your storytelling and create unique reader experiences (interactivity, multimedia, non-linearity)
• Develop a clear narrative structure and design for your digital literary work, considering how the various elements (text, images, audio, user input) will interact and contribute to the overall experience
• Collaborate with other creators (writers, artists, programmers) to bring your vision to life and create a more engaging and immersive digital literary work
• Test your work with readers and gather feedback to refine and improve the user experience and narrative impact
• Promote and distribute your digital literary work through online platforms, social media, and literary communities to reach a wider audience and contribute to the growing field of digital literature
• Continuously explore new technologies and platforms as they emerge, and consider how they can be used to push the boundaries of digital storytelling and literary expression