Electronic Literature: New Horizons for the Literary

by N. Katherine Hayles

A visible presence for some two decades, electronic literature has already produced many works that deserve the rigorous scrutiny critics have long practiced with print literature. Only now, however, with Electronic Literature by N. Katherine Hayles, do we have the first systematic survey of the field and an analysis of its importance, breadth, and wide-ranging implications for literary study. Hayles's book is designed to help electronic literature move into the classroom. Her systematic survey of the field addresses its major genres, the challenges it poses to traditional literary theory, and the complex and compelling issues at stake. She develops a theoretical framework for understanding how electronic literature both draws on the print tradition and requires new reading and interpretive strategies. Grounding her approach in the evolutionary dynamic between humans and technology, Hayles argues that neither the body nor the machine should be given absolute theoretical priority. Rather, she focuses on the interconnections between embodied writers and users and the intelligent machines that perform electronic texts. Through close readings of important works, Hayles demonstrates that a new mode of narration is emerging that differs significantly from previous models. Key to her argument is the observation that almost all contemporary literature has its genesis as electronic files, so that print becomes a specific mode for electronic text rather than an entirely different medium. Hayles illustrates the implications of this condition with three contemporary novels that bear the mark of the digital.

Included with the book is a companion website ( ) and an online resource, The Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 1 ( ). The companion website offers resources for teachers and students, including sample syllabi, original essays, author biographies, and useful links. The ELC contains sixty new and recent works of electronic literature with keyword index, authors' notes, and editorial headnotes. Representing multiple modalities of electronic writing―hypertext fiction, kinetic poetry, generative and combinatory forms, network writing, codework, 3D, narrative animations, installation pieces, and Flash poetry―the collection encompasses comparatively low-tech work alongside heavily coded pieces. Together, the book, companion website, and collection provide an exceptional pedagogical opportunity.

Genres: Nonfiction, Theory, Criticism, Literature, Essays, Technology

223 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Electronic Literature: New Horizons for the Literary (2008), N. Katherine Hayles argues that we cannot understand electronic literature through the lens of print (3); instead, we need to attend to the materiality of the text and moves it makes specific to its own materials and modes. She questions the notion of privileging the hyperlink as the distinguishing characteristic of digital literature because print media has analogous technologies, such as the footnote, references, etc. Additionally, we should question the supposed "user power" that many attribute to the hyperlink, because hyperlinks are already limited selections made by creators (31).

In Chapter 2, she describes the "feedback loops" in which "the human and the digital computer [are:] partners in a dynamic heterarchy bound together by intermediating dynamics" (83, 47) — that is, the human and the computer are increasingly bound together in complex ways. She builds on this in Chapter 3, where she argues that both "People and machines are embodied, and the specificities of their embodiments can best be understood in the recursive dynamics whereby they coevolve with one another" (129). Our bodies' relationships with technologies are one of "open-ended recursivity" (130).

Hayles notes the important aspect that all print material is already digital in its production process. In Chapter 5, Hayles argues that print should actually be understood as an output of digital files, not simply a separate medium from the digital. She writes that "The digital leaves its mark on print in new capabilities for innovative typography, new aesthetics for book design, and in the near future new modes of marketing" (159).

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Read for thesis)
Slightly dated by now but still incredible. 4.5

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, 5/5

Favorite line is when she calls rumsfeld a zen poet.

Her concept of machine cognition, that gets developed more in Unthought, has its outlines in this work. Essential reading for a critical theorist.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a survey of arguments for how literature is being changed and the effects that it may lead to.

Despite being, relatively, recently published I found that much of her content focused on dated technology and was at often times chaotic in linking topics.

She delved too far into technical details that I found unnecessary. For instance she often referenced binary code (the fundamental way a computer is told how to function), transistors (what the binary code drives to perform the function), and even voltage levels. This seemed irrelevant to the effect on how technology is changing literature and I imagine would lead to great confusion to the less technically knowledgeable. Though it is good to know that someone who is leading the field in this research knows both the technical and literary theories well.

I did find that she included many research references that covered a wide range of fields (neural evolution, visual arts, education, etc.) and that helps in branching out to finding more in depth books and papers on the topic. It is unclear to me who her intended audience was and I hope that when I look into her white papers I will find more elaboration on the things she touched on.

To her credit, she did included a fair amount of examples and posed many open ended questions that I ended up reflecting on which opened my mind to the possibilities of the future.

[Joshua Mckinney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hayles does an excellent job summarizing the current changes in Literature due to digital trends and providing well-reasoned predictions for future developments. Beginning with a fictional, yet historical, example of when the printing press was "cheapening" the literary experience, she sets the stage for what we see happening today with ereaders and .pdf books. We have reached the next stage of world literature founded upon principles of inexpensive, quality books with freedom and accessibility for all. She further discusses the consequences of this stage of literary evolution where anyone can become and author and big-publishing companies are having to re-define the way they do business.

TL;DR: Anyone interested in understanding what's going on with all the digital literature stuff now, and where it's probably headed in the future should read this book. It's flippin' sweet.

[Chris Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be shallow for a moment: several things are annoying me about this book, and they unfortunately have nothing to do with the content. 1) Pages are too glossy and too easily glare with light from behind the reader. 2) Book smells bad. Usually I'm a dork who loves the smell of new books; this is the first time I've not liked the scent of a book's production. 3) No chapter numbers in footers. Why the text's title must be printed on both sides of each spread, but the chapter number should only appear on that chapter's first page is not only nonsensical but also highly inefficient.

For a book all about hyping why electronic texts are just so über-cool, this one's annoying as all get-out when it comes to a physical manifestation.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the introductory chapter interesting, as it describes and locates the discussion of computer technology in the evolving literary landscape. I'd recommend to stop reading there. The following chapters are dense, should be reserved for specialists in the field, and diverge greatly from what I took to be the thesis.

I'm a print aficionado, and will need patience engaging in a literature that seems dependent on postmodern ontology rather than traditional narrative and discovery. This book does at least initiate my personal avenue into what will, inevitable, come.

This review, after all, was generated, all 1s and 0s, from a frickin' phone.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though she digresses at times this was an excellent introductory book on digital literature, covering a gamut of material in a condensed volume. The ending is perhaps over-optimistic and I disagree that the digital has been pivotal to conceptualizing some of the works she's mentioned, but overall a great way to get a long reading-list and understand some of the basic questions surrounding the study.

[Jane Hammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot of things I needed to know from this book. Also a great resource. The lit on the cd that is included seems dated to me now as I've started reading current electronic lit, but I needed the foundation and theory in order to get a critical perspective and also to teach students how to read electronic lit in an academic setting.

[Chris Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for a graduate school course in creative writing. It was interesting, but the more I read about electronic literature, the more I think it's not going to last the test of time. It comes with a CD of electronic literature samples, which I look forward to perusing, but in general, I think it's a somewhat trumped up "art form."

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cogent attempt at canon-building for an emergent class of digital literature, from classic hypertext to more contemporary flash-based curiosities. practically and philosophically savvy, as are most of hayles' works.

[Conrad]

N.K. Hayles's "How We Became Posthuman," which is about nearly everything and only a little about its title, really took the top of my head off.

So I wouldn't mind giving this a try, even though my interest in non-print literature is really thin.

[Joe Nelis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look into the break between how we read traditional literature and electronic texts/new media, as well as the relationship between reader embodiment and electronic (computational, coded) reading experiences.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the content was informative and interesting but it kept making me want to take a nap.

[Ryan]

i suspect i will hate this.

[Chad Harrison]

She says some completely crazy things in here. Well-written and definitely has some important things to say, but kind of goes off the deep end.