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In an increasingly digitised, networked, and visual culture, it has become clear that narrative is only one among many forms that is used to organise information and represent our world. The movement from print to digital media, however, has by no means left this cultural form behind. This course will introduce and analyse a range of narrative fiction that has emerged with the ascendancy of digital media, including hypertexts and Web-based fiction; textual adventure games/Interactive Fictions (IFs); and text-based multi-user discourses (MUDs). It will also address the role of narrative in structuring and shaping artefacts of contemporary popular culture that are exclusive to screen media, such as Web-logs (or ‘blogs’) and video games.
In an increasingly digitised, networked, and visual culture, it has become clear that narrative is only one among many forms that is used to organise information and represent our world. The movement from print to digital media, however, has by no means left this cultural form behind. This course will introduce and analyse a range of narrative fiction that has emerged with the ascendancy of digital media, including hypertexts and Web-based fiction; textual adventure games/Interactive Fictions (IFs); and text-based multi-user discourses (MUDs). It will also address the role of narrative in structuring and shaping artefacts of contemporary popular culture that are exclusive to screen media, such as Web-logs (or ‘blogs’) and video games. In order to prepare students for a critical and analytical study of the required texts, the course begins by providing a basic understanding of narrative theory and the general concerns of the discipline known as narratology. With this foundation in place, students will be asked to engage with questions that arise when narrative fiction migrates to digital environments, such as those that concern multi-linearity, immersion/participation, textual orientation, and collaborative composition. They will also respond critically to the distinction between ‘literature’ and ‘games’, and that of ‘interpretation’ and ‘play’. Broadly, students will consider the implications of digital narratives for the reading and writing (authorship) of texts.
Course aims:to gain a basic understanding of narrative as a ‘cultural form’;to become familiar with narrative fiction that belongs to the field of digital literature, and to gain a familiarity with the working vocabulary of that field;to identify moments of convergence and divergence between print-based and digitally-based narrative fiction, and describe how narratives in digital environments emerge in relation to their medium; to gain an appreciation for literary innovation in a medium more commonly associated with visuality, animation, and immediacy;to demonstrate basic ability in the use of hypertext and web applications for the reading and writing of texts; to recognize how commonplace assumptions and biases about technology and culture are re-inscribed or resisted in literary works.
EITHER at least 18 points of English at 100 level with a B pass OR at least 36 points of English at 100 level OR any 54 points from the Arts Schedule at 100 level.
Dave Ciccoricco
All texts will be available online.Upon enrolling, please login to the ENGL242 WebCT site for a Course Outline and preliminary reading.
Library portal
Basic computer literacy, including email and Web navigation is strongly recommended as a preparation for this course.
Domestic fee $687.00
International fee $2,786.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
This course will not be offered if fewer than 21 people apply to enrol.
For further information see Humanities .