The SEA path
Branching Paths & Butterfly Effects – Example: Bandersnatch
Bandersnatch is an interactive narrative that allows the reader to configure the story through choice-based mechanics. This chapter examines how branching structures impact agency, authorship, and meaning in storytelling.
PATHS.
Which way will you go?
The Stars /
The Grandmother
A short film on the freedom of youth and the consequences of that raw energy. Where do your feet lead you, and are you in control of them?
The Sea /
The Mother
A poetry collection questioning our place in life. Questioning who we've become when so much is behind us, and so much is still ahead.
Footnotes & References
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Core Theoretical Foundations:
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1️⃣ Jesper Juul – The Art of Failure
- Discusses player agency and consequences, reinforcing configurational storytelling.
2️⃣ Nick Montfort – Twisty Little Passages
- Examines interactive fiction as a form of narrative architecture.
3️⃣ Henry Jenkins – Convergence Culture
- Explores how transmedia storytelling incorporates multiple narrative pathways.
- Discusses player agency and consequences, reinforcing configurational storytelling.
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Critical Debates and Counterarguments:
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Jan Baetens – Rewriting Narrative Theory
- Critiques hypertext fiction as being structurally chaotic rather than meaningfully configurable.
2️⃣ Brian Upton – The Aesthetics of Play
- Questions whether branching narratives truly create meaningful differences.
3️⃣ Douglas Rushkoff – Present Shock
- Suggests that fragmented storytelling leads to cognitive overload.
- Critiques hypertext fiction as being structurally chaotic rather than meaningfully configurable.
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Empirical Studies & Case Studies:
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Telltale Games’ The Wolf Among Us
- A case study in narrative choices and configurability.
2️⃣ Robert Coover’s The Babysitter
- A literary example of multiple, contradictory versions of events.
3️⃣ Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch
- A case study in narrative branching and configurability.
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