The Novel as Software 150
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."
A first in a new genre? (Score:4, Interesting)
That game takes place in a massively multiplayer online RPG; the events unfold through happenings in the world, posts to the message board and e-mail. It seems like this "novel" is very much the same thing, but perhaps more in depth.
In either case, as far as literature goes, there's no need to have people clicking around to get to the next part. That, to me, says "game". This can just as easily be accomplished in a book with a bit of narration.. it seems just an attempt to shift the style of narration.
-DrkShadow
Epistolary form (Score:4, Interesting)
I doubt that people today are much more interested in putting effort into their reading than they were 100 years ago.
My predicition is that the DEN will not revolutionize writing.
Question about novel piracy (Score:1, Interesting)
Digital Epistolary Novel. . ? (Score:3, Interesting)
If all his works sound this appealing, then I'm sure he'll be making tens of dollars in no time.
Anyway, Griffin and Sabine [griffinandsabine.com] has done the series of letters as a story already, and in grand style, I might add. The novelty novel. With paintings and cursive handwriting and little pasted-in envelopes.
Frankly, I can't think of anything further from the romantic ideal than ASCII. Of course, I can also think of several relationships which began on-line, so who am I to judge?
-FL
Eye-strain (Score:3, Interesting)
Now, the one thing I don't see any indication of, but that several people have mentioned, is the ability to alter the story by how you respond. This DEN looks pretty cut and dried to me - i.e. the sequence of emails and webpages is preset to tell the story - it isn't something you as the reader respond to. Maybe I missed something because I didn't read the NY Times article (won't register) - but looking at his own site should have been more informative.
Re:A first in a new genre? (Score:5, Interesting)
It seems like the innovation here is that instead of chapters, the user has days of the week they can click on to look at the formatted messages. And the vaunted interactivity is that the user can read the story out of sequence, not really in a nonlinear fiction sense (that can be hard), but really just in the same way I can skip forwards and backwards in a book if I want. Wow. I agree that while the interface is cute I suppose, the style really is more like a "game" version of a book. You might as well try interactive fiction [f9.co.uk] instead.
Isn't highly similar to LJBook ?! (Score:1, Interesting)
It's highly similar when people use their blog as a journal like livejournal's users...
Re:A first in a new genre? (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, I think people tend to discount new ways of telling stories. I say there's a reason interactive fiction lives on: people are naturally drawn to a medium which allows them to feel they are in control of a story. This sounds like it's a new form of interactive fiction, and I for one am happy that this professor has pushed the boundaries just a little with respect to how we receive our fiction.
I love a good novel as much as the next person, but in this age of tech, the novel format is not the only way to present a storyline, and I enjoy being challenged every now and then with a new format for the art form I admire most. I think the interactive novel is the way of the future with respect to fiction.
There is a reason that interactive fiction lives on despite the lack of pretty graphics and bells and whistles and so forth. People like to be a part of the fictional worlds they enjoy, and fancy graphics can only tell so much of a story. In the end, there's no substitute for good writing.
Someday, interactive fiction may be the norm, with the old, passively read novel format becoming quaint and outdated. This work may be seen as a pioneering work, when that day comes.
When people think interactive fiction, they think games, but I think this space has not been explored in depth and I see great opportunities for the future. I for one applaud this man and wish him great success.
Exegesis (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What Is Art? (Score:3, Interesting)
"Art it the indirect communication of one persons abstract idea to another through an indirect medium."
The more abstract the idea, the less the audience connects with the artist; the more direct the communication the less 'revelatory' the experience is.
Re:It's been done (Score:2, Interesting)
In the same way, I can see that the on-screen email epistolary novel could give you the same immersive feeling. But it's not a new genre, it's just a slightly new medium. It's still an epistolary novel, just presented in a form meant to make it more immersive.
As a sidenote, Nick Bantock, the writer/illustrator of the G+S books, also did a ook called the Venetian's Wife, in which most of the messages are emails. IMHO, this book was significantly less successful than G+S - the paper medium, entirely appropriate for the G+S letters and postcards, just looked foolish when applied to email. I can see how the software-based medium might be a really good choice for this kind of work.
All that said, I agree with the parent post that this is primarily a one-shot gimmick. I don't foresee many (read: any) real writers adopting this medium, which bodes ill for the DEN software biz.
Re:Epistolary form (Score:2, Interesting)
Ever read The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie?
Re:Epistolary form (Score:2, Interesting)