One of my favorite components of communication theory is that of the process of perception. This ongoing process of the selection, organization, and interpretation of the constant barrage of stimuli we receive minute-by-minute has always held a fascination for me. A strong influence on all of us is that of our present concerns, interests, mission, hobby, or occupation. Whatever that may be, the world suddenly contains many references that can make it seem that the entire world has suddenly taken an interest in what’s on our mind.
Focused as I have been in recent weeks on the relevance of interactive fiction (IF) this process of perception can have this effect; from the relevant to the ridiculous. For instance, reading something like the following:
If I were king of the forest…
My eye picks up that “If” and my brain says “an interactive fiction reference!” Things like this happen often enough for me to consider reducing my caffeine intake.
Regardless, the point of this is that this influence on my selection process can be useful as IF is popping up quite a bit of late. The most recent manifestation is at the 1up game site in an article entitled >Magic Word_ Interactive Fiction in the 21st Century
And, the best visualization of the world of IF that I have seen:
I thought this accurately illustrates the perceptual changes of the narrative world for both readers and authors of IF.