A visible presence for some two decades, electronic literature has already produced many works that deserve
the rigorous scrutiny critics have long practiced with print literature. Only now, however, with "Electronic
Literature" by N. Katherine Hayles, do we have the first systematic survey of the field and an analysis of
its importance, breadth, and wide-ranging implications for literary study.Hayles' book is designed to help electronic
literature move into the classroom. Her systematic survey of the field addresses its major genres, the challenges
it poses to traditional literary theory, and the complex and compelling issues at stake. She develops a theoretical
framework for understanding how electronic literature both draws on the print tradition and requires new reading
and interpretive strategies. Grounding her approach in the evolutionary dynamic between humans and technology,
Hayles argues that neither the body nor the machine should be given absolute theoretical priority. Rather, she
focuses on the interconnections between embodied writers and users and the intelligent machines that perform electronic
texts.Through close readings of important works, Hayles demonstrates that a new mode of narration is emerging that
differs significantly from previous models. Key to her argument is the observation that almost all contemporary
literature has its genesis as electronic files, so that print becomes a specific mode for electronic text rather
than an entirely different medium. Hayles illustrates the implications of this condition with three contemporary
novels that bear the mark of the digital.Included with the book is a CD, "The Electronic Literature Collection,
Volume 1", containing sixty new and recent works of electronic literature with keyword index, authors' notes,
and editorial headnotes. Representing multiple modalities of electronic writing - hypertext fiction, kinetic poetry,
generative and combinatory forms, network writing, codework, 3D, narrative animations, installation pieces, and
Flash poetry - the ELC 1 encompasses comparatively low-tech work alongside heavily coded pieces. Complementing
the text and the CD-ROM is a website offering resources for teachers and students, including sample syllabi, original
essays, author biographies, and useful links. Together, the three elements provide an exceptional pedagogical opportunity.