Hypercompendia

Steve Ersinghaus has an interesting posting regarding endings and what they traditionally mean or as construed in various patterns of thought and form.

He says, "A better question may be why multiple paths, not alternative endings (which assumes a primary and secondary set), may be called for in a given story. "  Steve has produced a novel, The Life of Geronimo Sandoval, in hypertext format using Storyspace, so he fully understands the question of paths and variables based on choice.  His novel has paths that run concurrently in time and space, as well as overlaps in these areas–meaning, alternatives.

In focusing on my plan to give Story #1 two endings, he says, "What’s interesting here is the implication for Story 1 that it has two endings and not one. But how can this be so?"  Actually, in adding another "ending" to Story #1, I’ve in fact added a third or fourth, since the four stories themselves are all alternative paths.  That may not make sense, but the whole piece is based on the concept of choice.  Choice and regret; choice and satisfaction; choice and action, inaction, and reaction. 

Then throw character perspective in there and you’ve got a whole lot of options.  As a matter of fact (dammitdammitdammit!) there’s an idea swimming around that maybe the main four stories aren’t really the full story.  I can easily see a few more possibilities, even based on one summer back somewhere in the 70’s.  I can see dreams and wishes as clearly as memories.  That’s no reason they all can’t be part of the narrative; aren’t they, after all, a part of every man’s life?