Thoughtless Play

Abstract

Authorial responsibility has been increasingly decentralized by the collective manipulation of media parameters. Whereas this encourages a sense of freedom for those exposed to such narratives, participation in narrative realization and a lack of interpretative dislocation can actually impair a reader. To demonstrate how excessive mediation can liberate or limit an audience, this article will compare how William Blake's “The Fly” and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas differently enable and disable the authority and agency of storytellers and readers.