What is E-Lit? (Sydney)

 

    There are many differing definitions of e-lit, but the most clear one for me is that "it can be defined in more specific terms as writing in networked and programmable media" (Rettberg). E-lit is, loosely of course, a contemporary form of literature that is made on digital spaces, for digital spaces. The textbook goes on to disclose that there are genres of e-lit, which are understood as a "category that we impute to [classify] texts" (Rettberg). These genres act as classic archetypes which map how texts are laid out, and I chose to interact with the "interactive fiction" genre. In short, e-lit can act as a more-hands on approach to "reading," and it is constantly changing as it unfolds into its "third-generation". Only time can tell what's to become of e-lit, perhaps an even-more new version of literature will unfold as technology develops.

    I chose to interact with "The Unknown" because it claims to be the "original great American hypertext novel". It seems to tell the story of the authors, who, of course, made a hypertext novel. The visual format of the interactive novel is compelling, with different color font against a black background flooding the screen. However, the navigation from one linked word to another makes the actual narrative aspect of the novel confusing, where the reader enters the narrative in media-res. Without knowing the context or the characters, the reader can only discover what the narrative is about by continuing to explore. While this creates a fun immersion, I am still not entirely sure what the narrative is about even after interacting with the text for a little bit. If anyone else can discover more about "The Unknown," let me know what you find!

https://unknownhypertext.com/