"New Perspectives on Digital Literature" in Dichtung Digital

One issue a year: finally there is another edition of Dichtung Digital out. Guest editors are Astrid Ensslin and Alice Bell. The subject: New Perspectives on Digital Literature: Criticism and Analysis.

Ensslin and Bell take an Anglo-American perspective on digital literature and let us know about a second-wave theory on hypertext fiction that is about to come our way: 

"this special issue of dichtung-digital aims to develop what is now called “second-wave” theory in the field of digital literature. As opposed to the often over-generalised applications of poststructuralist theory, which dominated first-wave (hypertext and hypermedia) criticism, this latest school of criticism and analysis focuses on close readings and semiotic textuality, as well as the cross-currents between previously separate forms of entertainment (i.e. reading, watching and playing). In so doing, second-wave theory aims to contravene the characteristically negative, often condescending responses of mainstream literary academia to first-wave (hypertext and hypermedia) criticism. More generally, first-wave “analyses”, unsurprisingly, oftentimes result in technological pessimism vis à vis the alleged endangerment of the book. The lack of closure and, thus, suspense in non-linear and modular narratives, and the physical and mental “ordeal” and thus infeasibility of reading from a screen form strong areas of debate."

http://www.dichtung-digital.com

see: Alice Bell: http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/hrc/sp-alice-bell.html

see: Astrid Ensslin: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/creative_industries/astrid.php.en