Hypertext Fiction Recs?

[intertext]

I've (perhaps foolishly) agreed to supervise an Applied Communication student's final project - he's doing a hypertext fantasy. I'm familiar with the medium, of course, but can't really claim any deep knowledge - I think the student, who has taken some courses in it, knows more than I, but he really needs my "English" credentials to see to the quality of the writing. The fact that I know something about hypertext and a lot about fantasy makes me a reasonably good fit, though.

But I'd like to be able to recommend either or both some good examples of the medium and perhaps some names of people doing theoretical work on hypertext. The student's work on it was about ten years ago - he actually learned Hypercard (boy, how far we've come, eh?) - and I'd like to suggest some more up-to-date material. Any suggestions?

Comments

[owlfish]

I think it would be relevant to look at text adventures. There are far more classic ones, but since it was the first thing to come to mind: are you familiar with the text adventure Hamlet?

http://www.versificator.co.uk/hamlet/

(The help function, particularly if you haven't done text adventures before, is delightful.)

[intertext.livejournal.com]

That is very cool! But now I don't know whether to thank you or throw something across the ether at you because I am likely to get lost in there for hours... I love it :-D

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

The only serious hypertext novel length piece of fiction I'm familiar with is Geoff Ryman's 253. If you're not already familiar with it, it's online here (http://www.ryman-novel.com/)...

Otherwise as owlfish says, I only know the online games, which are not always very literary, though they are fun.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I can't speak to the quality of anything there, but there's the electronic fiction directory (http://directory.eliterature.org/) which browsing would at least give some idea of what the kids these days are doing. And afternoon, a story (http://www.eastgate.com/catalog/Afternoon.html), which you and he have probably both read, is supposedly required reading in the genre.

I personally feel that nothing has happened in the genre for the last ten years and nothing will ever happen to it, but that's just because I'm irrational and like sequential time.