ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Ainee Basir looks at Mark Z. Danielewski’s Only Revolutions (2006), a stunning piece of ergodic literature where the potential reader’s disorientation begins the minute they hold the physical copy of the text. As the reader is made aware of the physical nuances involved in the ergonomics of the act of reading, from posture to the underlying assumption that readers are able-bodied enough to physically rotate the text every few pages, an overwhelming feeling of having to catch up to technology takes over. Basir notices this is very similar to certain experiences that are common to human interactions with technology used in our daily lives such as accompanying user manuals, motion sensors, gyroscopes, etc. that come alongside or are built into mobile devices, tablets, personal computers, etc. In the chapter, Basir explores how Danieleweski makes technological innovations in the novel form, how the new internet user-reader experience has shaped such literature and this literature then raises questions around ideas of authorship, readership, static narratives and the body’s interaction with the text.
