Winding Path

Abstract

Ergodic literature has a unique status as a literature, game, puzzle, and plaything. However, there is no scholarly consensus on the definition of ergodic literature. In this paper, building upon the views of various scholars, I argue that ergodic literature should not be defined by its specific elements, but rather by the unique experience ergodic works co-create with their participants. I analyze the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons to demonstrate how its unique balance of formal, material, and efficient limitations create coercive mimeticism. It is this coercive mimeticism, I argue, that grants Dungeons & Dragons its status as ergodic; however, as we will see, not all ergodic works require coercive mimesis. I argue that the balance of formal, material, and efficient limitations takes different forms depending on the work and who engages with it. Consequently, there is no universal definition of ergodic literature and every ergodic work must be considered on a case-by-case basis.