Introduction: Perspectives on interactive digital narrative

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in this book. This book covers a diverse and vibrant field that has continually grown since the late 1970s, from the first text-based Interactive Fiction to such forms as Hypertext Fiction, Interactive Cinema, Interactive Installations, Interactive Drama and Video Game Narrative. Chris Hales describes the historical development of interactive cinema with a focus on the impact of digital technology on this form of Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN). The book addresses how forms of IDN emerged over the years as distinct phenomena and how the transformations of digital media shaped the current forms. It emphasises the importance of user interface design for the IDN experience, as well as its implementation in practice. IDN connects artistic vision with technology. IDN promises to dissolve the division between active creator and passive audience and herald the advent of a new triadic relationship between creator, dynamic narrative artefact and audience-turned-participant.