This hypertext was created for English 475: Postmodern Literature at the University of Maryland.
The fundamental conceit is an exploration of several works of postmodern literature, with a primary focus on William Gibson's Pattern Recognition, in relation to the notion of fragmented and conflicted personal identity in a time when information overload and cultural pressures overwhelm individual inclinations.
The work is presented as a progression of nodes that follow one primary train of thought with divergent tangents at each central point. The visual juxtaposition of elements, centering around the "T" shape that is a crucial element of Gibson's work, is used to unify ideas around the graphic elements that dominate media representation today.
As the very concept of self is a construct of images and words that changes from moment to moment and has only one constant, the reflection of current society and media, the work attempts to reflect that fluidity of concept and connection. The relation of elements to each other is hinted at through mouse over thoughts on the image map navigations.
Works Cited
Created by Anastasia