Blue Company

"A novel told in email. Readers subscribed and received at least one e-mail per day for the month of May 2002. Blue Company is part one of a two part fiction; the second part is Kind of Blue by Scott Rettberg. Blue Company's e-mails are from a young marketing guy, Berto, who has gotten a really bad job transfer. He's been transferred to Italy, which is great, but he's also been transferred to the 14th century, which is dangerous and uncomfortable. The e-mails are nominally addressed to a woman Berto met shortly before his departure, and as he courts her we learn the story of his travels with a small group of 21st century corporate mercenaries called the Blue Company toward a fateful rendezvous beyond Milan. The e-mails are illustrated by hand since, of course, there were no cameras in the late middle ages." -- from ELMCIP

"Blue Company, a novel in e-mail by Rob Wittig, has been performed twice: once in 2001, with current events from the year, again 2002, for a paid subscription audience, with current events from that tumultuous year, and design collaboration from Rick Valicenti of 3st.

"Blue Company is only the first part of a two part e-mail fiction, the second part being Kind of Blue by hypertext author Scott Rettberg.

When Blue Company 2002 came to its abrupt end, Rettberg missed the daily installments in his inbox to the point that he began to compose and e-mail a response, a sequel, a rebuttal --- his brilliant Kind of Blue --- in which the characters of Blue Company are re-cast and re-imagined.

Together, Blue Company and Kind of Blue form a complete work in the new style --- the intimate, collaborative style of 'chatmail.'" -- from Blue Company 2002 archive