The combination of the human ability to understand experience through narrative with the power of the computer to process and generate data that results in the development, modification, and distribution of narratives
Interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to deliver a story that can be influenced by players' actions
A distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the intended image or message
Technology that superimposes computer-generated enhancements atop an existing reality, enriching the user's perception of the real world with digital information and media
Aesthetic content and conceptual structures generated from internal, self-replicating and reflective processes, often constructed partially by Artificial Intelligence
Digital representation of a user or character within a virtual environment, allowing for interaction and identification within digital narratives or online spaces
Qualities or characteristics of traditional books retained or evoked in digital media, highlighting the ongoing influence of print culture on digital forms
Media creation specifically for digital formats, utilizing the capabilities and features of electronic devices and software from their inception, rather than being digitized after creation
Determination of the current era shaped by the forces of capitalism, often critiqued in digital narratives for its impact on technology, society, and the environment
Software application designed to simulate conversation with human users, often used in digital narratives to provide interactive storytelling experiences
Creative integration of computer code within literary texts, where programming languages are used alongside natural language to create layered meanings and effects
Combination and recombination of text, images, or other media to create varied storylines or poetic structures from a defined set of elements, enabling intricate patterns of interaction and interpretation
Predetermined limitations set by the author or system that shape the creation or interaction of a narrative, often used to foster creativity and innovation
Phenomenon of experiencing the past through the lens of present technologies, often exploring how digital media shapes our understanding of history and memory
Research approach that examines the cultural, sociological, and philosophical implications of computer code, considering how code influences and is influenced by its cultural context
Integration of the fields of semiotics into cybernetics in an effort to reveal how information and meaning are produced and interpreted in digital systems, highlighting the interplay between symbolic communication and technological processes
Print or digital texts that require active participation from the reader not just to interpret the meaning of the text but also to navigate through it, for example by choosing alternative paths or entering data that alters the output
20th-century art movement characterized by its avant-garde and anti-establishment attitudes, which influences digital literature in its embrace of absurdity, randomness, and critique of traditional narratives
Computational analysis of large text corpora to discern patterns, trends, and structures that are not apparent through close reading of individual texts
Variety of born-digital genres and formats that engage the capabilities of computing, often investigating the materiality of our everyday interactions with digital media
Form of digital storytelling that unfolds through the exchange of emails, utilizing the medium's format for character development, plot progression, and reader interaction
Experience of bodily presence within digital narratives, often the result of content or mechanics intended to make readers aware of their physical and sensory experience
Texts that require significant effort from the reader to traverse, often involving non-linear navigation and interaction that contribute to the narrative's meaning
Genre of writing, often published and shared in online communities, where fans create new stories based on characters, settings, or plots from existing works
Type of simulation video game in which the player controls the game on a large scale, often with the ability to influence or change the environment and guide its inhabitants
Determination of the predominantly print era that is bookended by orality on one side and present digital communication on the other, emphasizing the impact, and possibly the closure of print culture on human knowledge and society
Tactile feedback technology that recreates the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user, enhancing the sensory experience of digital environments
Methodology that describes and prescribes the process of interpretation of texts in which every part of the texts informs the understanding of the whole and the whole text informs the understanding of each part
Form of non-linear reading enabled by digital texts, characterized by clicking on hyperlinks, skimming, and scanning, allowing readers to quickly gather information from multiple sources
Poetry posted on the Instagram social media platform, which is characterized by brief, visually appealing texts that often incorporate themes of personal identity, traumatic experiences, and emotional catharsis
Variety of text-based games that allows readers to participate in a story, either by typing commands or making choices that affect the narrative's direction and outcome
Relationship between texts, where a text references, alludes to, or is influenced by another text, enriching the reader's understanding and interpretation
Process by which hyperlinks on the internet become obsolete or broken, leading to challenges in accessing digital resources and preserving the integrity of digital texts
Subset of artificial intelligence that involves the development of algorithms that allow computers to learn and adapt through experience, used in digital narratives to generate content or enhance interactivity
Complex interactions between media, technology, and human environments, including the ways media and communication technologies affect human perception, understanding, and society
Determination of the ubiquity of networked and responsive interfaces, exploring how they mediate and shape our interaction with technology, information, and one another
A commentary on a specific medium or media in general, often drawing attention to the medium's materiality, its position within a larger cultural context of its creation, or its links to other specific works of art, thus, emphasizing the distinction between what is fiction and what is real
Genre that combines online performance, storytelling, and collaborative writing, utilizing digital communication platforms to create dynamic, participatory narratives
Form of storytelling that actively involves the audience in the creation or progression of the narrative, often facilitated by digital platforms that enable collaboration and interaction
Academic field that examines the underlying computer systems and technologies that support digital media and literature, focusing on their impact on creative practices and cultural expressions
Increasing influence of digital platforms in organizing social, economic, and cultural activities, shaping how digital narratives are created, distributed, and consumed
Mindset or aesthetic that critiques the ubiquity of digital technology and culture, often by blending digital and analog practices in art and literature
Strategies and practices used to ensure the long-term accessibility and integrity of digital works, addressing challenges such as technological obsolescence and format compatibility
Software tool designed for creating and reading hypertext fiction, influential in the early development of electronic literature for its support of non-linear narrative structures
Philosophical movement that advocates for the enhancement of humans through advanced technology, often explored in digital narratives in themes of augmentation, AI, and future societies
Practice of telling a single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats, utilizing the material affordances of each medium to enrich the narrative
Open-source tool for creating interactive, non-linear stories and games, widely used in the digital literature community for its simplicity, versatility, and accessibility to non-programmers
Literature created using the Twitter platform, characterized by brevity, immediacy, and the use of hashtags and links, exploring new forms of storytelling within the constraints of social media
Technology that creates immersive digital environments, allowing users to spatially interact with and experience a computer-generated world as if it were real, often used in digital art and narrative to enhance spatial and sensory engagement
Genre of interactive game that combines text-based narrative with visual elements, typically featuring branching storylines and multiple endings based on player choices
Genre of video games focused on exploration and storytelling rather than traditional gameplay mechanics, emphasizing narrative immersion and environmental storytelling
Static web pages with limited user interactivity, primarily focused on information retrieval rather than collaborative content creation, perceived as the early stage of the World Wide Web
Platforms emphasizing user-generated content, interactivity, and interoperability that fostered social networking, collaboration, and sharing, classified as the second generation of the World Wide Web
Theorized evolution of web usage and interaction, featuring more personalized browsing experiences, data interconnectedness, and decentralized platforms, often associated with the decentralization and blockchain technologies
