Writing Machines II

Electronic literature works in a fundamentally different ways than print and thus requires a new critical framework for analysis. new paths can be forged by the reader between the different lexias.  E-lit is not necessarily about reading the words from beginning to end, but can make use of navigation to follow many different paths to discover background documents, maps, letter & journals that serve to possibly enhance the reader's experience, making it a more interactive environment that the normal print one.  E-text has its own properties and should be viewed as a medium rather than a transparent interface.

In traditional literature the author's voice is privileged, however, it is my opinion that with e-lit the voice is no longer solely that of the writer.  The graphic designer and programmer now also have a voice that was not originally there. This will obviously dilute the voice of the writer, something that has left the traditionalists agasht. But this also may perhaps elevate the work of the programmer/designer to the level of art, which in some cases is long over due. 

This new medium has lead some writers to explore and experiment with the new form, embracing the technology and making it part of the narrative.  The example cited is Lexia to Perplexia. The author here actually creates a creole in which computerspeak and english are intermingled and it all become part of the story. He continues to integrate humans and computers further. 

The wordiness of this book makes me wish i too could use a more powerful tool to navigate the reading, skipping her little life adventures and getting straight to the point.