Abstract

The development of electronic literature takes place against the backdrop of theories on posthumanism, so they share quite a number of ideological features. This paper investigates the status of this contemporary form of literature, regarding it as an emblematic phenomenon of posthumanism, a innovative means of artistic communication combining some of the traditional literary features with modern technological acquisitions. Assuming that the rise of computational technologies modifies writing and reading practices, we intend to delineate the way in which theories on electronic literature are consonant with, and also highlight, posthumanist thought. The numerous genres of electronic literature (hypertext/network fiction, interactive fiction, e-mail and SMS novels, kinetic poetry, locative narratives, etc.) display both significant remnants of humanistic values and a large category of computer programs and applications, constantly activating the infusion of technology in the very heart of humanity. Since print literature is usually associated with human sensitivity and identity, this paper intends to overview the critical perspectives on this new and controversial type of literature, and to interrogate the way in which (and if) it asserts a type of enhanced writer or reader.