Cyber-Fiction: The Digital Revival of the Lost Art of Epistolary Novel

Abstract

Literature has had its fair share of ups and down throughout history. Even now, the literary world faces many threats and obstacles which makes its future rather uncertain. The developments in technology poses a threat to the traditional form of literature as there is an increasing penchant for cyber-literature. Much like the literary world, the epistolary form is a genre that has been facing numerous hindrances in its path over the ages. Despite the doubts and altercations amidst the writers, readers and critics, there are various digital literary revolutions underway that aim to bring harmony between the past, the present and the future of literature and technology. The paper is a case study on the digital rebirth of the epistolary format, the influence of social media in reviving the old formats and the public opinion regarding the new changes that are ongoing. Micro-fiction sites that excel in bridging the old with the new, such as Terribly Tiny Tales, are major influencers within the circles of the young adults. It seems that the new age literature is here to stay for a long time.