Interactive Digital Narrative

The book is concerned with narrative in digital media that changes according to user input—Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN). It provides a broad overview of current issues and future directions in this multi-disciplinary field that includes humanities-based and computational perspectives. It assembles the voices of leading researchers and practitioners like Janet Murray, Marie-Laure Ryan, Scott Rettberg and Martin Rieser. In three sections, it covers history, theoretical perspectives and varieties of practice including narrative game design, with a special focus on changes in the power relationship between audience and author enabled by interactivity. After discussing the historical development of diverse forms, the book presents theoretical standpoints including a semiotic perspective, a proposal for a specific theoretical framework and an inquiry into the role of artificial intelligence. Finally, it analyses varieties of current practice from digital poetry to location-based applications, artistic experiments and expanded remakes of older narrative game titles.

(Source: Routledge catalog copy)

1. Introduction: Perspectives on Interactive Digital Narrative Hartmut Koenitz, Gabriele Ferri, Mads Haahr, Diğdem Sezen and Tonguç İbrahim Sezen Section I: IDN History Section I Introduction: A Concise History of Interactive Digital NarrativeHartmut Koenitz, Gabriele Ferri, Mads Haahr, Diğdem Sezen and Tonguç İbrahim Sezen 2. The American Hypertext Novel, and Whatever Became of It? Scott Rettberg 3. Interactive Cinema in the Digital Age Chris Hales 4. The Holodeck is all Around Us — Interface Dispositifs in Interactive Digital Storytelling Udi ben Arie and Noam Knoeller Section II: IDN Theory Section II Introduction: The Evolution of Interactive Digital Narrative Theory Hartmut Koenitz, Gabriele Ferri, Mads Haahr, Diğdem Sezen and Tonguç İbrahim Sezen 5. Narrative Structures in IDN Authoring and Analysis Gabriele Ferri 6. Towards a Specific Theory of Interactive Digital NarrativeHartmut Koenitz 7. Emotional and Strategic Conceptions of Space in Digital Narratives Marie-Laure Ryan 8. A Tale of Two Boyfriends: A Literary Abstraction Strategy for Creating Meaningful Character Variation Janet H. Murray 9. Re-considering the Role of AI in Interactive Digital Narrative Nicolas Szilas Section III: IDN Practice Section III Introduction: Beyond the Holodeck: A Speculative Perspective on Future Practices Hartmut Koenitz, Gabriele Ferri, Mads Haahr, Diğdem Sezen and Tonguç İbrahim Sezen 10. Interaction Design Principles as Narrative Techniques for Interactive Digital Storytelling Ulrike Spierling11. Post-Hyperfiction: Practices in Digital Textuality Scott Rettberg 12. Emergent Narrative: Past, Present and Future of an Interactive Storytelling Approach Sandy Louchart, John Truesdale, Neil Suttie and Ruth Aylett 13. Learning through Interactive Digital NarrativesAndreea Molnar and Patty Kostkova 14. Everting the Holodeck: Games and Storytelling in Physical Space Mads Haahr 15. Narrative Explorations in Videogame Poetry Diğdem Sezen16. Artistic Explorations: Mobile, Locative and Hybrid Narratives Martin Rieser 17. Remaking as Revision of Narrative Design in Digital Games Tonguç İbrahim Sezen