“A text is a lazy machine that expects a lot of collaboration from the reader.” Umberto Eco (1992)

The Simple Non-­linear Narrative Engine is an ongoing, collaborative story framework which turns third-­party text [Ogden’s Basic English] into a non-­linear narrative. It is an online application built in PHP using a database to deliver a pseudo-­random narrative. Users can either contribute to the story or read it by making certain choices. Drawing upon a culture of interactive fiction, this engine explores the short-form potential of text and the onus of interpretation upon the reader.