The Novel as Software

LukePieStalker writes "Former English professor Eric Brown has published the first work in what he claims is a new literary category called the 'digital epistolary novel', or DEN. 'Intimacies', based on an 18th century novel, requires the DEN 1.2 software. The program's interface has windows for mock e-mail, instant messaging, Web browser and pager, through which the narrative unfolds. For those wishing to create their own works in this genre, Mr. Brown is marketing composition software called DEN WriterWare."

Whoops!

[Seth Finklestein]

I know this is going to sound silly, but I read the title as "The Novell [novell.com] as Software"! Did anyone else make that mental typo, or "mypo"?

Great...

[maan]

Great: first of all there's no link in the NY times article to find where this guy's homepage is. Then I go to google, and the first link is a guy named "Eric Brown" who's an FBI top ten [fbi.gov] wanted person. But hey, this [wustl.edu] Eric Brown has published a guide to all Eric Browns [wustl.edu] on the net. Thank you!

Maan

So basically....

[SkaOMatic]

Interesting concept. Sometimes it would feel nice to virtually live another life in such a detailed manner. This one is making me sleepy.

Now if only Microsoft could do something with this.....

*naps in his cube dreaming of malware-infected reading materials*

Been there done that

[Anonymous Coward]

"...if you join Sallah on his balloon journey, turn to page 31. If you decide to continue on your own, turn to page 46."

Interesting idea. But new literary category? Please.

When I first read this

[jlechem]

I imagined a choose your own adventure novel online. If you pick the machine gun turn to page 36 if you pick the rocket launcher turn to page 54.

The opening act... except

[lacrymology.com]

You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door.
There is a small mailbox here.

WTF?!?

-m

Re:When I first read this

[Dun Malg]

I imagined a choose your own adventure novel online. If you pick the machine gun turn to page 36 if you pick the rocket launcher turn to page 54.

Heh. Choose your own FPS.

You got the rocket launcher!
. If you run at him and fire, go to 71
. If you choose to bunny-hop to the side while firing, go to 13

pg71 - ***BLAM!*** he totally rocket blasts you and GIBS fly everywhere! U sux0rz!
. Respawn at page 1

pg13 - ***SPLACK!*** you totally gibbed him!
. If you pick up his ammo, go to 19
. if you keep firing, go to 62

Re:Question about novel piracy

[maxwell demon]

Well, you cannot pirate a novel, since if you copy it, it's not novel any more, is it?

yeah, I'm an idiot...

[Thud457]

arrrrrrr, me likes a good pirate novel [jennifersromances.com] to while away the time on a long third watch!!!

Re:Epistolary form

[JLyle]

The epistolary form requires the reader to put additional effort into understanding the author's intent. It died out as a viable form more than a hundred years ago as authors realized their readers didn't want to put that much effort into reading. So they came up with the "omniscient narrator."

So you finally get a chance to put that English Lit. major to use, eh? ;)

For the love of God, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

[Thud457]

I signed up for that "game" when it first started and I haven't been able to escape since! They're still following me!!!

Oh God, I've gotta go, one of "Them" just came into the library...

Re:Epistolary form

[panda]

Yeah, except that he should have studied Medieval Lit., too, and then he'd know that the omniscient narrator has been around longer than the epistolary novel.

Re:The opening act... except

[doublem]

Take Mailbox

> The Mailbox is attached to the ground

Kick Mailbox

> The mailbox jiggles and shimmies like a pole dancer on acid. The reverberations reach the ground and a humming tone comes from the vibrating soil. Earthworms emerge from the ground, driven out by the vibrating mailbox pole. You see a white envelope slowly emerge from the mailbox, falling to the ground just before the mailbox stops vibrating.

>Press Enter to Continue

ENTER

>Your foot hurts.

Narrative through technology?

[mopslik]

The program's interface has windows for mock e-mail, instant messaging, Web browser and pager, through which the narrative unfolds.

Just browsing through the table of contents...

Chapter I: John deletes his spam
Chapter II: John closes a million popups
Chapter III: John deletes more spam
Chapter IV: John cybers **hotChIcKa69**
Chapter V: John deletes more spam and sets up a new mail client
Chapter VI: John closes more popups, installs Mozilla
Chapter VII: John deletes more spam, puts his fist through the monitor
Chapter VIII: John goes to the hospital
...