The Electronic Literature Collection, Volume 2, launched on the web last week, is an anthology of works by an international group of authors “that pushes through the boundaries of literary forms, creating new kinds of experiences for interacting readers.”  And, I’m delighted to say, it includes two of my works – Fitting the Pattern and Tailspin.

Published by the Electronic Literature Organisation, and edited by Laura Borràs, Talan Memmott, Rita Raley, and Brian Kim Stefans, Volume 2 picks up where the first volume, ELC1, left off.

The new collection includes 63 works drawn from (and extending beyond):

• Countries: Austria, Australia, Catalonia, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Israel, The Netherlands, Portugal, Peru, Spain, UK, US
• Languages: Catalan, Dutch, English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish
• Formats: Flash, Processing, Java, JavaScript, Inform, HTML, C++

Like ELC1, the collection can be browsed by author, title, or keyword.

ELC2 speaks to both the continuity as well as the bright future of electronic literature. The works include many of the emerging categories of e-lit: mash-ups, geolocative, codework, as well as “traditional” and evolving forms such as hypertext, chatbots, and interactive fiction. The authors list presents readers with both veterans and newcomers to the field.

The collection is also available on DVD for free on request from the ELO.

ELC2 is published under a Creative Commons license, which means the collection can be freely shared, non-commercially, between individuals, libraries, and schools, provided that appropriate attribution is maintained and the works are unmodified.

remixed for R3/\/\1X\/\/0RX from: GhouLs + botty training + Tailspin

flash source: playthingsFl8.fla (236kb)

remixed for: R3/\/\1X\/\/0RX – from: plumbing diagnostics, 1 million sheep, Tailspin

flash source: bottytrainingFl8.fla (339kb) – if you want to remix this, you may want to download and install TweenMax (AS2), a great tweening engine for Flash.

Tailspin – a story to explore

by Christine Wilks

An old man’s Tinnitus and partial deafness is a source of friction between him and his family yet he stubbornly refuses to contemplate treatment or hearing aids. His adult daughter, with two girls of her own, has always been hurt and mystified by his angry reactions. But the key to his behaviour lies deep in the past.

Created in Flash, Tailspin is a multi-layered, animated fiction, in which sound plays a significant role. Although non-linear, the narrative is constructed as a series of regions for the reader to travel around and through. So there is a loose itinerary and a particular destination to reach. The story takes place over the span of one family meal-time but the past is ever present. To read Tailspin takes about 15 mins.