The Origins of Electronic Literature. An Overview.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to sketch the origins of electronic literature and to highlight some important moments in order to trace its history. In doing so we consider the variety of languages, cultural backgrounds, cultural heritages, and contexts in which digital literature has been created. The article is divided into five sections: a brief history of electronic literature in general (however, we must admit that this section has a very ethnocentric point of view) and then four other sections divided into North American, Latin American, European (Russia included), and Arab Electronic Literature. Due to the lack of information, there is no section devoted to Electronic Literature in Asia, although a few texts will be mentioned. We are aware of the limits of this division and of the problems it can create, however, we thought it was the easiest way to shortly map out the origins of electronic literature and its development in different countries and continents. The article shows how some countries have developed their interest in and creation of electronic literature almost simultaneously, while others, just because of their own cultural background and/or contexts (also political and economic contexts and backgrounds), have only recently discovered electronic literature, or accepted it as a new form of the literary genre.

Keywords

• literatura eletrônica
• origem
• desenvolvimento
• mundo