Third Generation Electronic Literature

Abstract

The history of electronic literature is inextricably linked to the history of computing and networks. As computers become increasingly powerful, accessible, and ubiquitous, so is their user base. As digital networks migrated from dial-up to the Web and corporate social media networks, the scale of digital communication and the public grew exponentially. Assuming that a percentage of users of these media seek to creatively explore the writing possibilities offered by these technologies, we could expect an equivalent level of growth in the production and publication of electronic literature. is this true? What if this is happening, but in a way that is not recognizable by the field as it currently defines itself? What is the place of electronic literature in our exhaustively connected world How can it become better known? To begin answering these questions, this article describes a paradigm shift that opens the door to the third generation of electronic literature.