AUTOMATIST STORYTELLER SYSTEMS AND THE SHIFTING SANDS OF STORY

We present a novel approach to documentary storytelling that celebrate s electronic narrative as a process in which the author(s), a networke d presentation system, and the audience actively collaborate in the co -construction of meaning. A spreading-activation network is used to se lect relevant story elements from a multimedia database and dynamicall y conjoin them into an appealing, coherent narrative presentation. The flow of positive or negative ''energies'' through associative keyword links determines which story materials are presented as especially re levant ''next steps'' and which ones recede into the background out of sight. The associative nature of this navigation serves to enhance me aning while preserving narrative continuity This approach is well-suit ed for the telling of stories that-because of their complexity, breadt h, or bulk-are best communicated through variable-presentation systems . Connected to the narrative engine through rich feedback loops and in tuitively understandable interfaces, the audience becomes an active pa rtner in the shaping and presentation of story.