I Read Books: Cybertext

 

Cybertext, Espen J Aarseth, John Hopkins University Press, 1997

In this book, subtitled Perspectives On Ergodic Literature, the author takes a look at how computer, hypertext and interactive works can be considered as literary forms. These descriptions come loaded with preconceptions and problems, which is why he has coined the term Ergodic Literature; a work of art that requires following rules for it’s own successful use. In this way we might consider a gamebook, a hypertext document, a video game or a MUD (multi-user-dungeon) all different types of ergodic literature.

This was published in 1997; the author has gone on to extend this to consider games of various sorts in his later work. He notes that the limitations of this definition come up against the problems of defining a work of art. Not his problem in other words, or rather, a bigger problem than the admittedly large ones he confronts in the book.

After several chapters considering other approaches that literary and other theorists have used to consider fiction of this sort, the author takes a variety of ways that works can be defined by variable, and creates a taxonomy (this includes his control novel, the non-ergodic Moby Dick). Conducting an analysis reveals some interesting points. One is that there is an overlap between ergodic texts printed on paper, and those on a computer. Another is that not only is there a space where only computer works operate, there’s also one where only paper does.

This becomes clearer if we consider the difference between a text adventure or hypertext document and a paper book. I can choose to open the book at any point, to backtrack, to see how far I am through and other possibilities, all of which are normal ways of interacting with a book. To do this with a program on the computer I would need to open the file in a non-standard way – or alternatively have the computer text act to imitate the book.

This is, of course, done in a grinding academic style, the conclusions being several paragraphs that my summaries do not do justice to. Nevertheless this is not a long book (based on a doctoral thesis) and rich with ideas. In my own practice working with interactive arts, it has given me some useful thoughts on how, in particular, moving a work between paper, computer, and live performance might operate.

Read This: Foundational text on the theory of ergodic literature
Don’t Read This: Just read some interactive texts and not worry about the theory