What is hypertext?

In 1963 Ted Nelson coined the term
“hypertext”. He defines it as a non-sequential writing. The Oxford
Dictionaries defines it as; “A
software system that links topics on the screen to related information and graphics, which are typically accessed by a point-and-click method.”

Overall, Hypertext is a way of writing
online in a non-linear form. Hypertext demands an active reader in order for
the story to develop a plot. If the reader does not make the decision to click
on an image or a word link, the story will not proceed for him/her.

For example, in my Digital Literature
class taught by Professor Pressman, we were introduced to a work Produced in
2000 by Deena Larsen; Disappearing Rain. This work is
a hypertext work that tells the story of Anna, a freshman at University of
Berkeley California whom got lost. The story joins the four generations of
Japanese-American family members. The story is supposed to help you discover
what happened to Anna, but each character had a story that you can fallow. The
work allows you to choose what story you want to fallow, Anna’s story or
another characters story.

When I read the work, I fallowed the
grandmother and her struggle in America. Another classmate tried to figure out
what happened to Anna. When we discussed the reading it seemed as if we had read
two totally different stories. Even though Larsen is the author, we were able
to participate in authoring the story because we each found our own plot. 

1. Landow & Hypertext
2. Coover
3. Conclusion
4. Introduction
5. What is Digital Literature?
6. The reader turns into a collaborating author
7. Interactive Fiction (IF)