Despite continued interest from the academy and creative writers, the question
remains as to whether ‘ordinary’ readers, used to the
conventions of print narratives, can enjoy hypertext fiction.
Since each hypertext fiction interface is more or less idiosyncratic, readers can be
discouraged by unfriendly interface designs. Radically re-structured narrative forms
can also cause confusion for readers. Critical works and empirical research from
literary studies and interface design provide clues towards a better understanding
of the effects of hypertext fiction upon readers, and knowledge from both fields can
be productively merged in empirical studies of hypertext.
This article provides a methodological specification, and a summary of findings from
my ongoing study of readers’ responses to a range of hypertext fictions
and their interfaces. Though there are barriers to reading pleasure, these can be
overcome, and there is evidence that hyper text fiction can be as engaging and
enjoyable as fiction in print.
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