Back t0:

Espen J. Aarseth:

Espen Aarseth attempts to shift the focus study for digital textualities. He challenges critics that have viewed digital textuality as a realization of contemporary theory. Likewise, he attempts to erase the binary categories of traditional and electronic texts; he believes digital textuality doesn't necessarily create new forms of textuality as much as it makes certain characteristics more noticeable.

He introduces the concept of "cybertext" as opposed to our previous terms hypertext, electronic text, or digital text (no doubt Aarseth would take exception to the name of this site). He endorses a typological understanding of texts, one that expands our traditional conceptions by re-thinking the nature of our engagement with them. This leads first to a distinction between textons and scriptons (words presented in a text versus words presented by a reader or user) and a conception of cybertext as ergodic textuality. Out of these discussions, Aarseth articulates a textonomy composed of seven base characteristics of textuality. Aarseth pays particular attention to the differences between ergodic and narrative literature (especially as concerns video games).

For those interested in a more detailed discussion of Aarseth's theories in relation to other literary models, I recommend the following threads from Electronic Book Review:

Markku Eskelinen's article "Cybertext Theory and Literary Studies, A User's Manual" from Eletronic Book Review 12 provides deeper coverage of cybertextuality's main concerns.

N. Katherine Hayles response to Eskelinen's article offers a succinct summary of cybertextuality's possible limitations.

For more on the differences between hypertext and cybertext, see Nick Montfort's "Cybertext Killed the Hypertext Star." This is especially worth the trip if you have never seen ELIZA, one of the first "interactive" digital programs! Also, the thread contains a copy of Marc Blank's Deadline.