
Of the link data structure from the first version, along with a tree and an outline It worked explicitly with topographic metaphors, incorporating a graphic “map view” System from the outset, the nodes in Storyspace were called “writing spaces,” and Profound influence over hypertext theory and criticism, and also the Storyspace Īpocryphal stories aside, what is clear is that as a novelist, Joyce was thinkingĪbout the process of writing, and even more importantly, about the internalĬonnections that exist in stories - connections that might, with the aid of aĬomputer, be shaped by potential readers.īolter’s ideas around “topographic writing” were nascent when he startedĬollaborating with Joyce in September 1983. That would change every time you read it.

With this multiple fiction in Vassar College’s version of the tale, Joyce “lookedĪt his little Apple II in the early 80s and said I’ll bet you could do a story If Storyspace has an origin legend, then it begins Phrasing: “forgive this, this is like an English teacher, it’s notĮvery reading in the sense of every different reader, but I said each reading, and I had in mind readers who would go back toĪ text again and again”. In our interview, he actually corrected my The idea of a novel that changes with each reading was obviously important to him,īased on its longevity in his own work. Ideals and aspirations to Bolter,” and then building a system to do that , Some time naturally discovered in the process of writing and that I wantedĪlthough he is quick to point out that “it wasn’t a matter of just bringing a set of To make those changing versions according to the connections that I had for Quite simply, to write a novel that would change in successive readings and Paragraph from page 265 to page 7 but to do so almost endlessly. What I really wanted to do, I discovered, was not merely to move a In theĮssay “What I Really Wanted to Do I Thought”,Ībout the early development of Storyspace, Joyce writes:
#Storyspace jay david bolter how to
Like Ted Nelson, who had his first epiphany about the nature of ideas and theĬonnections between them as he trailed his hand in the water under his grandfather’sīoat, Joyce has long been concerned with how to represent a multiplicity of ideasĪnd their swirling interrelationships, with how stories change over time. The metaphor of water is an appropriate one. Work is a gentle concern, or even fixation, with how stories are told, with “how we make meaning, as if a caress” And he has told many stories: fourīooks, forty scholarly essays, and at last count (my count), a dozen Then it is this polyglot dialogue, as Robert Coover terms it - a lyrical

Thread to be drawn between his hyperfictions, his academic writing and his novels, Voices and narrative trajectories, a babbling stream of textual overflow interruptedĪt regular intervals by playful, descriptive whorls and eddies. Joyce’s fictions or critical writing will attest, his work is replete with multiple Inscribes the first page with an epigram: “Still flowing”. To get in touch with Eastgate, call 1-80.Michael Joyce has kept a journal for many years. I am a supporter and friend of theirs, so I am not entirely I should also add that, although I am not affiliated withĮastgate or StorySpace, I think their products are good, and Worthwhile initiation into this new medium (.?!). Sophisticated and versatile hypertext system, and using it is a very I have played with StorySpace a little, and have also read some of theįiction written in it (also from Eastgate). Is distributed by Eastgate Systems in Cambridge Mass. StorySpace was originally conceived as a writing tool, but has sinceīeen used as an organizer, courseware authoring system, environment It is then possible to use the keywords to select sets of links to Links can also be created betweenĭifferent text spans, and the links can be keyworded.

The person using it creates "spaces" whichĬan contain text and/or other spaces. StorySpace is a hypertext authoring system that runs on the This is a rather tardy reply to the query about StorySpace. Subject: Re: Coover article in NYT Bk Rvw on electronic fiction
#Storyspace jay david bolter mac
This message) and this might be close to a Mac front end for the web. Of the technical people on the project, Mark Bernstein, (he's cced on I don't know how interesting this will be to people, but I called one
