Infocult: Uncanny Informatics

Perspective tunnel: zoom Flash

Zoom is a fascinating use of Flash, knitting together a series of images into a smooth perspectival arc.

The Zoomquilt site offers multiple formats, along with links to the individual artists and their disaggregatedimages.

A new German cannibal lovers feast?

Nearly one year after the Miewes sex cannibal case, Germany offers a new story of a lover killing the other for meal purposes. It looks like the body was prepared, but not consumed. "Intent to cannibalize, your honor?"

Investigators say they want to determine if this is a copycat of last year's sensational case, or if there is a cult of gay cannibals in the country.

It is not know if the victim willingly went to his death in this case...

And, of course, the internet plays a role:

The man allegedly said he met his victim via a gay internet chat site.

Let no one say Britain has been left out:

Writing from his prison cell on the Costa Blanca, Paul Durant, 44, who was arrested in February over the killing of Karen Durrell, 41, confessed to her murder and admitted cannibalism, the London Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

"After I killed her, I cut her body into small parts, eating what part of her I found eatable," Durant wrote, according to the newspaper. "I finally disposed of what was left in small rubbish bags around Calpe."

He added: "Before I killed Karen I told her I had come to Spain where I was going to kill and eat pedophiles. My mental state was breaking down at this stage. I believed God had delivered her to me."

No word yet about the role of the internet in this case.

(via Gloria Brame)

Narrative by found floppy

"Floppy" is a new story from Digital Fiction.  It's cast as found digital documents, related to "I found a digital camera..., and contains lexia outlining the story of a man living next door to an abusive couple.  Materials are mostly text, along with several images and a low-key semi-industrial soundtrack. 

Perhaps I should create a category of new media experimental storytelling forms.

Another Web interactive game

Today's exploration of the Crimson Room brought me to another such interactive space/narrative.  The Mystery of Time and Space is a bit older, but larger:

Perhaps I should set up a new blog category for these games: Web-based, narrative combined with space.

Today's Web game-narrative: Crimson Room

I finally found time to work on The Crimson Room and solve it.  A pleasant short interactive space/narrative, which lives in a browser via Flash.

Thanks to Sarah for reminding me of it.

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Rabkin on science fiction and the evolving present

University of Michigan literature professor Eric Rabkin has an article recommending science fiction in order to better grasp our innovative times. After showing how our smartmobbing world resembles science fiction, Rabkin lays out reasons to look to the genre again, including following the evolution of language, extrapolating social effects of technologies, and scoping out grand new concepts.

Innovations change our behavior. Trains make us run on time. The automobile begat the highway begat the suburb begat the shopping mall begat children spending time wandering in Consumerland after school instead of playing in the neighborhood. Science Fiction tells us where such inventions are heading -- and where they will take our children.

Keep an eye out for that impending Mars book, too.