Electronic literature

Electronic literature, also known as digital literature, is a unique genre of writing. It uses digital capabilities like interactivity and multimodality for aesthetic purposes. These works are "born digital," meaning they are created specifically for digital environments. They are intended to be read on devices like computers, tablets, or mobile phones. Because these works rely on digital elements, they cannot be easily printed. If you tried to print them, you would lose the very things that make them special.

There are several distinct ways these works function. In hypertext fiction, a reader moves through a story by selecting links. These fragments of text are often called lexias. In digital poetry, the text might be animated or kinetic. This means the words move across the screen in specific ways. Some works use algorithmic text generation, which is also called generative literature. In these cases, a single program can create many different poems or stories. Other forms include literary chatbots, which are conversational digital artefacts.

The history of this field begins much earlier than the modern internet. In the 1950s, the first computer-generated literature appeared. In 1952, Christopher Strachey wrote a program for the Manchester Mark 1. This program generated short love letters through combinatory poetry. Later, in 1959, Max Bense created Stochastic Texts. This program used a Z22 computer to produce random sentences. It used the logic of the machine to create its own aesthetic style. These early works are seen as important precursors to modern AI-generated literature.

The 1960s brought even more experimentation with art and technology. In 1961, Nanni Balestrini composed Tape Mark I on an IBM 7070. This was the first Italian work of electronic literature. During this decade, the program Auto-Beatnik was created to mimic Beat poetry. In 1964, Mabel Addis and William McKay developed The Sumerian Game. This was likely the first narrative computer game. By 1966, Joseph Weizenbaum programmed ELIZA. This established the genre of conversational bots. This era also saw Ted Nelson coin the terms hypertext and hypermedia.

In the 1970s, interactive fiction became a major cultural force. A significant milestone was the 1975 game Adventure, created by Will Crowther. Also known as Colossal Cave Adventure, it allowed readers to make choices. These choices could lead to a successful ending or an untimely death. The game spread rapidly through the ARPANET and inspired many others. One famous successor was the text adventure game Zork, released in 1977.

Some scholars call this game the "Gilgamesh of video games" because it was so foundational.

The 1980s saw the rise of personal computers and new communities. Interactive fiction became a commercial success through companies like Infocom. At the same time, hypertext fiction grew in different regions. In Canada, Bp Nichol published computer poems in 1984. In the United States, Judy Malloy published Uncle Roger on The WELL in 1986. The first ACM Hypertext conference was held in 1987. This helped writers realize they were part of a growing movement. In France, digital literature was closely tied to the Oulipo movement.

Today, electronic literature has entered a third generation. This generation uses social media platforms for literary expression. Examples include Instapoetry and Twitterature. These works are often part of a broader digital culture. Some scholars include fan fiction and creepypasta in this field. They argue these are born-digital genres that rely on online communities. Even if the text is linear, the social context makes them digital in nature.

Despite its growth, the field faces significant challenges regarding preservation. Electronic literature is difficult to archive because hardware and software become obsolete. When the original device stops working, the work may become impossible to read. Additionally, these works are not part of the traditional publishing industry. They often lack ISBN numbers and are hard to find in library catalogues. To help, the Electronic Literature Organization was established in 1999. This group supports the study and publishing of digital works through conferences and events.