For the Grinnell Electronic Literature Project, we define e-literature as literary work that utilize digital technologies such as hypertext, interactive elements, and multimedia to tell stories that would not otherwise be possible (in the same way) if it were in traditional print formats.
These works often incorporate hypertext, interactivity, multimedia, and computational processes, creating reading experiences that are nonlinear, dynamic, and sometimes participatory.
E-literature invites us to consider questions such as:
- How do interfaces shape the meaning and structure of a story?
- What are the affordances of e-literature?
- How does digital interactivity change the role of the reader?
For further reading, this article from the Electronic Literature Organization has a full history and context for electronic literature.
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