TY - ART TI - The Unknown AU - Scott Rettberg AU - William Gillespie AU - Dirk Stratton AU - Frank Marquardt AB -

The Unknown is described as a "collaborative hypertext novel written during the turn of the millennium and principally concerning a book tour that takes on the excesses of a rock tour. Notorious for breaking the 'comedy barrier' in electronic literature, The Unknown replaces the pretentious modernism and self-conciousness of previous hypertext works with a pretentious postmodernism and self-absorption that is more satirical in nature. It is an encyclopedic work and a unique record of a particular period in American history, the moment of irrational exuberance that preceded the dawn of the age of terror. With respect to design, The Unknown privileges old-fashioned writing more than fancy graphics, interface doodads, or sophisticated programming of any kind. By including several 'lines' of content from a sickeningly decadent hypertext novel, documentary material, metafictional bullshit, correspondence, art projects, documentation of live readings, and a press kit, The Unknown attempts to destroy the contemporary literary culture by making institutions such as publishing houses, publicists, book reviews, and literary critics completely obsolete." -- from Electronic Literature Collection, Volume Two

C3 - CD-ROM PY - 2001 LA - English M3 - Collaborative, Hypertext, Novel, Satire UR - https://the-next.eliterature.org/works/596/0/0/ DB - The NEXT Y2 - 2025-04-01 ER -