(LEONARDO Online commission - 1999)
Metaphor and Terrain continues the thread of work in hypernarrative into the use of dynamic mindmaps as narrative metastructure. In this case, much like its successor, Grasping at Bits, M&T was written lexially instead of linearly with the assumption that it would have multiple associations with various topics throughout the essay. In addition, M&T also referred to the pleasing aesthetic of the interface as a parallel to the topic of interface as artwork.
Metaphor and Terrain was my first experiment in the use of explicit cognitive mapping as narrative structure in an online space. However, it only used the mindmap interface as central metaphor for assoaciation (even though it did include hyperlinks), This would broaden to include other types of association such as colorcoding and alternate interfacing, first seen in Grasping at Bits.
Metaphor and Terrain was a commission by the LEONARDO Online galley. The voyd.com archive has a frame nesting problem that has not been rectified at this date.
