In Hayles reading Electronic Literature, explain the term electronic literature. How has electronic literature evolved? Is there a difference between “classical” and “contemporary” electronic literature? If so, what is it?
According to the text, electronic literature is literature that is digitally born. It is a “first –generation” virtual/digital object created using a computer. Most of the time this artifact is supposed to be viewed on a computer. An example of electronic literature would be that of ESPN.COM. The articles here are created on a computer and viewed on a computer; ESPN includes videos, hyperlinks, pictures, and text.
Hayden explains that there are two periods of electronic literature. The first generation, known as the classical time, refers to pre 1995. Storyspace was the main aspect behind this era. Many different authors used Storyspace to create their work and would distribute it via CDs and floppy disks. The Internet came to rise around the end of this time, which in turn changed how electronic literature was distributed. The advancement of technology and software led to better developments in multimedia. The combination of these two aspects led to the second generation of electronic literature, referred to as the contemporary time. This new era brought upon the utilization of better graphics, animation, colors, and sound that was distributed over the World Wide Web. All of this advancement in technology brought upon authors utilizing videos, sound, and animation instead of just simple text.
