Questions & Responses on Chapter 7: Interactive Fiction
The seven chapter of the book, "Interactive Fiction," has a lot of information in it, but what caught my eye the most was the section on the disruption of presumably linear frameworks of storytelling. I don't entirely agree with Bolter's assertion that the linearity of fiction is merely ornamental and merely serves as a sort of distraction to the audience from the more appealing elements of fiction.
While I will agree with the notion that hypertext and non-linear narratives allow the readership of any author to perceive the content of the literature of choice differently, I don't entirely agree that linear narratives are ultimately invisible so as for readers to look through them and pick up absolutely nothing. I like the idea that hypertext allows for a more continues thought process to take place for the reader; however, I have a tendency to suspect the displacement of content serves the audience any more of an advantage. Aaron
I think there are a variety of things that used interaction -- video games, movies, so why not books? There are also various levels of interaction. With some being very strong hypertextual novels and others just clicking an image to change it and hearing something audio (a voice or music). There are movies that let you choose the ending and games that let you skip around to various sections. However, do you think that this decreases the value of a book? Does this defeat the purpose of an editorial group? Since much can be subjective, can an author keep all he or she wants in it, regardless of advice from editors, and then let the reader pick and choose the chapters or sections they want to read? Carrie
The web as a new way of presenting works of fiction and even using this medium to present works of fiction as performance art is a very exciting idea. For example, music composers have always been trying to incorporate text in unexpected and new ways. Edging into the unknown and when we finally think that perhaps there is no more unknown to explore we can now look to hypermedia to expand our artistic visions. Allowing the viewer to explore text through many avenues is critical to the expansion of many different art forms. Diana
This chapter was quite long. I found it really interesting about all the interactive fiction. I really liked some of the ideas that interactive fiction presented. The prospects of interactive future is really interesting i think it would be a great education tool. This would help I think kids get excited about reading if they were able to read and control the story themselves. I think interactive fiction has potential to be very good for adults as well. it certiantly seems to be the author has to work really hard to develop all those different viewpoints. Hannah K
Interactive Fiction is an intresting yet unorthodox method of conveying literature. I took Global Hypertext with Mary Dwiggins 2 semester's ago and it provided me with a challenge....it was completely non-linear while most other reading is strictly linear. We read Shelley Jackson's Patchwork Girl and Victory Garden both of which are featured in the Chapter. I felt at times that the reading was spontaneous and it took alot of reading before I could group together all the simultaneous stories (Some 6 or so if memory serves me justly) But in the respect of gaming I'm actually an avid gamer but I find games to be very linear but that changed with the non-linear and controversial Grand Theft Auto series. I feel Bolter struggled with continuity in this chapter being that he bounced around more than a red ball with jacks as he went from subject to subject but I'm becoming accustomed to it as it seems to be his writing style. Jay
The author discusses the notion that choosing paths in interactive fiction can force readers out of the imagined world (p. 138). I remember reading the "Choose you own adventure" books and feeling somewhat removed when I would flip to the specified page to continue my story--especially if I caught a glimpse of something else on the way. This seems much less likely in hyperfiction, where one has only to click a link to continue. However, the author states that interactive fiction's emphasis on the choices make the readers aware of the media and draw the readers, even if only slightly, out of the story. What are some possible options to keep the reader more involved in the interactive fiction itself, rather than the idea of interactive fiction as a form of media? Jim
I believe that interacting a reader to fiction by using small bars on the bottom of the screen that allows the reader to type in how they feel about the matter. I think that by replying how they feel they might ingage themselves in the reading better. And then computer will give the reader their reply on the subject relating to how they feel. Sure, some people may think this to be silly--I mean you know how you feel when you are reading a fictional novel, you shouldn't need to type how you feel and then get a reply back in order to fully understand. But I do think it helps to allow the reader to interact. What do you think? Stacey |