The quick spread of posthumanism and of critiques of anthropomorphism in the past few decades has resulted in greater attention to concrete objects in critical theories and in philosophy. This new materialism or new object philosophy marks a renewal of interest in the existence of objects. Yet while their mode of existence is independent of human cognition, it cannot erase the relation of subject to object and the foundational role of our experience of things in our mental activity. These developments have important implications for narratology. Traditional conceptions of narrative define its core components as setting, characters, and plot, but nonhuman entities play a crucial role in characterizing the setting, in enabling or impeding the actions of characters, and thus in determining plot. Marie-Laure Ryan and Tang Weisheng combine a theoretical approach that defines the basic narrative functions of objects with interpretive studies of narrative texts that rely more closely on ideas advanced by proponents of new object philosophy. Object-Oriented Narratology opens new theoretical horizons for narratology and offers individual case studies that demonstrate the richness and diversity of the ways in which narrative, both Western and non-Western, deals with humans’ relationships to their material environment and with the otherness of objects.

Interactive Digital Storytelling has evolved as a prospering research topic banding together formerly disjointed disciplines stemming from the arts and humanities as well as computer science. It’s tied up with the notion of storytelling as an effective means for the communication of knowledge and social values since the existence of humankind. It also builds a bridge between current academic trends investigating and formalizing computer games, and developments towards the experience-based design of human-media interaction in general. In Darmstadt, a first national workshop on Digital Storytelling was organized by ZGDV e.V. in 2000, which at that time gave an impression about the breadth of this new research field for computer graphics (DISTEL 2000). An international follow-up was planned: the 1st International Conference on Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment (TIDSE 2003). Taking place in March 2003, it showed a more focussed range of research specifically on concepts and first pro- types for automated storytelling and autonomous characters, including modelling of emotions and the user experience. At TIDSE 2004, an established and still-growing community of researchers ga- ered together to exchange results and visions. This confirms the construction of a series of European conferences on the topic – together with the International Conf- ence on Virtual Storytelling, ICVS (conducted in 2001 and 2003 in France) – which will be further cultivated.

How do physical things differ from non-things—human subjects, animals, abstract ideas, or processes? Those questions, which are as old as philosophy itself, have inspired contemporary debates in ecocriticism, thing theory, and in the interdisciplinary field of new materialism. This book argues that contemporary narrative is well placed to map out and work through the spectrum of the material and the philosophical questions that underlie it. This is because narrative does not resolve the tensions at the heart of conceptions of materiality but rather reframes them, envisioning their implications and exploring their relevance to concrete contexts of human interaction. This monograph is structured around a number of novels, experimental fiction, films, and video games that imagine the inherent agency of things but also interrogate the affective and ethical significance of materiality in human terms. Its aim is to demonstrate the power of formal narrative analysis to foster conceptually and ethically sophisticated ways of thinking about thingness in times of ecological crisis—that is, times in which "stuff" can no longer be taken for granted.

A selection of modern criticism on the writings of Marie Henri Beyle.

"A unique reference for all those using the new electronic 'multimedia' arts, The Cyberspace Lexicon provides a much-needed guide through the maze of existing and emerging technologies. From arcade games to artificial intelligence, data superhighways to DTP, video graphics to virtual reality, this book explains all the essential concepts and technical terms." "Arranged alphabetically, The Cyberspace Lexicon offers a variety of levels of information and access. Technologies are defined; innovatory organizations are profiled; key concepts are explained and 'buzzwords' clarified. Over 800 clear, concise dictionary entries, designed for quick reference, are complemented by illustrated features covering important issues. A comprehensive bibliography is also provided. The latest software and hardware is illustrated by hundreds of colour photographs, many of them appearing in printed form for the first time." "This is the first book to offer a comprehensive and 'random access' approach to the new media. Both a cross-disciplinary glossary and an illustrated introduction to the subject, it is an invaluable resource for media professionals, students, and all those affected by the new digital technologies."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Object-Oriented Narratology explores the representation of objects from a narratological point of view, combining an object-centered approach with specific text studies and arguing for the cultural meanings of objects and their power and influence on the behavior of characters, while acknowledging the independence of their existence from human perception.

Explores the diverse and inspirational works of filmakers such as Lars Von Trier, Spike Jonze and David Lynch, as well as computer game creators, music pioneers and commercial directors. The author highlights how new techniques and innovative talent are infiltrating the mainstream.

The foundation of the modern science of narrative texts-narratology-has, to a great extent, been the folktale and the fairy tale. This book directs the narratological focus towards another tale-genre, namely the literary imitation of the traditional tale known as the art M���¤rchen in its undoubtedly most famous expression, the stories of the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. This volume provides for new readings of Andersen's stories and throws new light on narratology through the exploration of his highly complex tales.

“XML Schema 1.1 has gone from strong data typing to positively stalwart—so powerful it can enforce database level constraints and business rules, so your data transfer code won’t have to. This book covers the 1.1 changes—and more—in its 500 revisions to Priscilla Walmsley’s 10-year best-selling classic. It’s the guide you need to navigate XML Schema’s complexity—and master its power!” —Charles F. Goldfarb For Ten Years the World’s Favorite Guide to XML Schema—Now Extensively Revised for Version 1.1 and Today’s Best Practices! To leverage XML’s full power, organizations need shared vocabularies based on XML Schema. For a full decade, Definitive XML Schema has been the most practical, accessible, and usable guide to working with XML Schema. Now, author Priscilla Walmsley has thoroughly updated her classic to fully reflect XML Schema 1.1, and to present new best practices for designing successful schemas. Priscilla helped create XML Schema as a member of the W3C XML Schema Working Group, so she is well qualified to explain the W3C recommendation with insight and clarity. Her book teaches practical techniques for writing schemas to support any application, including many new use cases. You’ll discover how XML Schema 1.1 provides a rigorous, complete specification for modeling XML document structure, content, and datatypes; and walk through the many aspects of designing and applying schemas, including composition, instance validation, documentation, and namespaces. Then, building on the fundamentals, Priscilla introduces powerful advanced techniques ranging from type derivation to identity constraints. This edition’s extensive new coverage includes Many new design hints, tips, and tricks – plus a full chapter on creating an enterprise strategy for schema development and maintenance Design considerations in creating schemas for relational and object-oriented models, narrative content, and Web services An all-new chapter on assertions Coverage of new 1.1 features, including overrides, conditional type assignment, open content and more Modernized rules for naming and design Substantially updated coverage of extensibility, reuse, and versioning And much more If you’re an XML developer, architect, or content specialist, with this Second Edition you can join the tens of thousands who rely on Definitive XML Schema for practical insights, deeper understanding, and solutions that work.