Das Epos der Maschine. Tendenzen der Literatur im digitalen Zeitalter

Abstract

‘Das Epos der Maschine’ is a multimedia work by Urs Schreiber that was published in 1998. In the work, the relationship between literature and technology is addressed in two ways. On the one hand, digital technology is tested as a new medium in the production of literature. On the other hand, the work is an epic about the reach of man who tries to uncover the mysteries of his existence with the help of technology. In this article, ‘Das Epos der Maschine’ is analyzed in terms of authorship, the nature of the text and the function of the recipient. The aim is to use this hypertext to examine which tendencies the above‑mentioned trio of aspects display when addressing new technology.