Has anyone heard of ‘ergodic literature’? Because until today I had read a couple books in this unique little category without realising it had an actual name. And since words are so powerful, this single word has opened up a whole world of reading that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. So if you like strange, outside-of-the-box storytelling — read on!
What is Ergodic Literature?
Most English language books are read from front to back and left to right. Ergodic literature, from what I understand, tells this basic rule of reading to piss off. Ergodic literature wants you to forget traditional written storytelling and take control of your own journey through the book. Want to read a book where you can start in the middle? Read upside down? Follow along with bizarre footnotes? These books are crazy and interactive and want to make you, the reader, a part of the story. It involves a level of interaction that traditional books simply do not require, whether that’s holding a book up to a mirror to read a passage or pulling a letter out of an envelope. It’s immersion and agency without a digital screen and a way of storytelling that someone is either going to love or absolutely hate.
