Joe Bray is Senior Lecturer in English Language and Literature at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Alison Gibbons is Senior Lecturer in Stylistics, English Language and Literature at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Brian McHale is Distinguished Arts and Humanities Professor of English at Ohio State University, USA.

The Routledge Companion to Experimental Literature maps this expansive and multifaceted field, with essays on:

• the history of literary experiment from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present
• the impact of new media on literature, including multimodal literature, digital fiction and code poetry
• the development of experimental genres from graphic narratives and found poetry through to gaming and interactive fiction
• experimental movements from Futurism and Surrealism to Postmodernism, Avant-Pop and Flarf.

Shedding new light on often critically neglected terrain, the contributors introduce this vibrant area, define its current state, and offer exciting new perspectives on its future.

1. Introduction Joe Bray, Alison Gibbons and Brian Mchale  Part 1: The Historical Avant-Gardes  A. Modernist-Era Experimentalism  2. Italian Futurism and Russian Cubo-Futurism John White  3. The Poetics of Animism: Realism and the Fantastic in Expressionist Literature and Film Richard Murphy 4. The Surrealist Experiments with Language Peter Stockwell  5. The Literary Absurd Joanna Gavins  B. Postmodernist Experimentalism  6. Spontaneity and Improvisation in Postwar Experimental Poetry Benjamin Lee  7. The Nouveau Roman and Tel Quel Danielle Marx-Scouras  8. Lettrism and Situationism Tyrus Miller  9. OuLiPo and Proceduralism Jan Baetens  10. Metafiction Ralph Berry  11. Postmodernism and Experiment Brian McHale  C. Experiments with Identity  12. Sexing The Text: Women's Avant-Garde Writing in the Twentieth Century Ellen Friedman  13. Experiments in Black: African-American Avant-Garde Poetics Aldon Lynn Nielsen  14. The Limits of Hybridity: Language and Innovation in Anglophone Postcolonial Poetry Priyamvada Gopal  D. The New Experimentalism  15. Avant-Pop Lance Olsen  16. Post-postmodernism Robert L. McLaughlin  17. Globalization and Transnationalism Liam Connell  18. Altermodernist Fiction Alison Gibbons  19. Manifestos and Ars Poetica Laura Winkiel  20. Post-criticism: Conceptual Takes Gregory L. Ulmer  Part 2: Experiment Now: Printed Matter  E. Experiments with Language  21. The Expanded Field of L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E Charles Bernstein  22. Concrete Poetry and Prose Joe Bray  23. Found Poetry, "Uncreative Writing," and the Art of Appropriation Andrew Epstein  24. Words in Visual Art Jessica Prinz  25. Hoax-Poetry and Inauthenticity Philip Mead  F. Experiments with Narrative and Fiction  26. Unnatural Voices, Minds and Narration Jan Alber, Henrik Skov Nielsen and Brian Richardson  27. Impossible Worlds Marie-Laure Ryan  28. Experimental Life Writing Irene Kacandes  29. "Rotting Time": Genre Fiction and the Avant-Garde Elana Gomel  G. Experiments with Form and Design  30. Graphic Narrative Hillary Chute  31. Multimodal Literature and Experimentation Alison Gibbons  32. Information Design, Emergent Culture and Experimental Form in the Novel Steve Tomasula  33. Interactive Fiction N. Katherine Hayles and Nick Montfort  Part 3: Experiment Now: Beyond The Page  H. The Digital Age  34. Digital fiction: Networked Narratives David Ciccoricco  35. Code Poetry and New-Media Literature Steve Tomasula  36. Computer Gaming Astrid Ensslin  37. Virtual Autobiography: Autographies, Interfaces, and Avatars Amy Elias

What is experimental literature? How has experimentation affected the course of literary history, and how is it shaping literary expression today? Literary experiment has always been diverse and challenging, but never more so than in our age of digital media and social networking, when the very category of the literary is coming under intense pressure. How will literature reconfigure itself in the future?

The Routledge Companion to Experimental Literature maps this expansive and multifaceted field, with essays on:

• the history of literary experiment from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present
• the impact of new media on literature, including multimodal literature, digital fiction and code poetry
• the development of experimental genres from graphic narratives and found poetry through to gaming and interactive fiction
• experimental movements from Futurism and Surrealism to Postmodernism, Avant-Pop and Flarf.

Shedding new light on often critically neglected terrain, the contributors introduce this vibrant area, define its current state, and offer exciting new perspectives on its future.

This volume is the ideal introduction for those approaching the study of experimental literature for the first time or looking to further their knowledge.