Database Structures

In Lev Manovich’s The Language of New Media (2001) he identifies the concept of the database as being at the centre of his definition of new media. As a form the database has much to offer Choice- Based Narrative in that a database, literally a collection of data that can be sorted and reordered depending on the parameters, can be given over to an audience to control. While Manovich initially separates database and narrative as two separate forms: “the database represents the world as a list of items, and it refuses to order this list. In contrast a narrative creates a cause and effect trajectory of seemingly unordered items (events).” (p.225, 2001) He eventually acknowledges that narratives require that “the user must uncover their underlying logic while proceeding through them – their algorithm.” (p.225, 2001) Although Manovich here is juxtaposing narratives with games, the analogy

fits well to the concept of Choice-Based Narratives. Once again, as stated at the beginning of this section, this working definition of the database does not directly conform to the formal definition of database as understood in computer science. Manovich’s definition is used however because of it’s ability to repurpose the database for narrative construction, and thus is the definition that has been utilised throughout this dissertation.

Furthermore time has shown that Manovich’s separation between narrative and database was an artificial one, created by Manovich to help justify and identify the boundaries of new media and to separate new media from existing media at the time he was writing. This is not a criticism of Manovich, merely an observation that since that time, the database as a form has ceased to be viewed as new media artefact and is now viewed more broadly as an all purpose media artefact. The separation imposed by Manovich has been reconciled by creators and practitioners and also by theorists such as Marie-Laure Ryan who states “...if the database is properly structured, and if it’s contents are appropriate, the unpredictable probes and always incomplete exploration of the reader will not prevent the emergence of narrative meaning.” (p.149, 2006). Ryan goes on to state:

“The reconclillation of database and narrative is facilitated when the following conditions are met: 1. A storyline with which readers are already familiar. When the global coherence of the story

is not problematic, readers can bring a magnifying glass to certain parts without losing sight of the whole plot.

2. A very modular narrative, whose individual parts are themselves more or less autonomous stories.

3. A narrative that foregrounds the setting, so that learning about the world in which the story takes place is at least as important to the reader as following the narrative events proper. 4. A database design and a linking philosophy sufficiently transparent to enable readers to aim

with precision at the elements of the story that they want to expand.” (p.149, 2006) It is from this starting point that Database Structures and Non-Linear Paths can be discussed in relations to Choice-Based Narratives, because it is from here that it is now possible to have database narratives that enable the audience to choose what will happen next.

From this definition arise two forms of choice structures that can facilitate Database Narratives. Each form prompts exploration through the experience that it creates, but a narrative can only be

considered successfully constructed if the parameters defined by Ryan are met. These forms are as follows: Hypertext (Hyperlinks) and The Maze (Multilinear). A description of each form and an example is provided below.

Hypertext (Hyperlinks)

Hypertext and hyperlinks remain the oldest and most common form of database narrative. The navigation of a world is achieved through accessing links, and although this can be exist in an analogue form (Nelson, 1981) it is most commonly associated with navigating the internet and the world wide web. A good example of this is Maximus Clarke’s adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges’ short story The Book of Sand (http://bookofsand.net/hypertext/) which transforms Borges story not only into an act of deciphering the order of the story, but also serves as an exploration of the nature of truth and fiction.

If there is one problem with Hypertext it is that the form remains the most medium dependent of all of the database narratives. Although hypertext documents can exist in

analogue form (Nelson, 1981) they are easier to navigate in electronic form. As such hypertext document are typically limited to electronic formats which means that they cannot be easily utilised to create works which can exist in other mediums.

The Maze (Multilinear)

Ryan (2006) describes the Maze as a “the topography of a virtual world.” She goes on to state “The user wanders across this topography, trying to reach certain locations that correspond with the liberation from the labyrinth, while avoiding other endpoints that represent failure. The maze thus traces a spatial narrative with several endings, and every itinerary of the user represents a different adventure in the ... world.” (p.106).

The spatial nature of the Maze allows for its adaptation across various mediums. It can take the form of an Alternative Reality Game similar to the Why So Serious campaign

(www.whysoserious.com - now defunct, but points to the creators of the campaign 42 Entertainment [42 Entertainment, work section – Why so serious?]) to promote the film The Dark Knight (2008). In which the character of the Joker recruited acolytes (the audience) to decipher codes and perform tasks for him in the real world. It can also take the form of theatre performance where the audience can wander through the experience and construct the narrative as they go depending on what they discover and how they interpret this. An example is The Drowned Man by Punchdrunk Theatre (2014) in which the audience moves through a real four storey building, the fictitious Temple Studios, to uncover the story of the performance.

Here the Maze as a choice structure, demphasises the quality of choice. Although the audience makes choice it’s not always conscious and/or the ramifications of the choice are not always clear. The Maze represents a shift towards emergent narrative and is included here to illustrate how easily choice structures can move across the Spectrum of Interaction (see Figure 2.3). The Maze structure does allow for Choice-Based Narratives to arise, but it generally creates experiences where the audience is not necessarily aware of the

consequences of their choices.

Each of these forms requires the audience to undertake an untangling of the information presented. This cognitive sorting by the audience is how the narrative is constructed, and the audience will create a narrative based on the experience that they have had. Database Narratives also lend themselves to allowing successful narrative construction after the experience is over. So while narrative meaning can be made during the experience, it can also be reconstructed at the

experience’s conclusion. This requires the audience to invest more heavily in the experience in order for them to satisfactorily create meaning out of what they’ve participated in.