Hypertext fiction
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Hypertext fiction is a genre of electronic literature found mostly online, characterized by non-linearity and reader interaction. The reader typically chooses links to move from one node of text to the next, and in this fashion arranges a story from a deeper pool of potential stories.
The first hypertext fictions were published prior to the development of the World Wide Web, using software such as Storyspace and Hypercard. Michael Joyce's "Afternoon" is generally considered the first hypertext fiction.
In some renditions, all text is a link -- individual words or sentences link to different pages in the sequence. Some examples include Sunshine 69 (http://www.sunshine69.com), The Unknown (http://www.unknownhypertext.com), and These Waves of Girls (http://www.yorku.ca/caitlin/waves/). Many more can be found in The Electronic Literature Directory (http://directory.eliterature.org) maintained by The Electronic Literature Organization (http://www.eliterature.org).
See also
- Hypertext poetry
- The term is sometimes used interchangeably with Interactive fiction, although IF usually refers to a genre of computer games.