Research On Systemic Issues In Internet Novels From The Posthumanist Perspective

In the past two decades,internet literature,as a new form of popular literature carried by digital media,has rapidly gained popularity.It has evolved from a surprising emergence to a remarkable phenomenon firmly established in the literary world.However,when attempting to apply modern literary theories to the study of internet literature,scholars have encountered a dilemma where the research and criticism of internet literature seem disconnected from its actual production.The emergence of posthumanist thought not only represents a rebellion against traditional humanism but also offers a new way of interpreting the seemingly irreversible technological and material processes in contemporary human society.Although internet literature,rooted in the virtual online world,may not fit well within traditional literary theoretical frameworks,it can find a more appropriate interpretive path within the paradigm of posthumanist criticism due to the undeniable presence of "non-human" elements in its creation process.Moreover,internet literature,through its sensitive depictions and recordings of posthuman conditions,not only serves as a direct reflection of humanity’s first encounter with the "posthuman" but also plays a potential role in facilitating the transformation of the posthuman from a "phenomenon" to a "norm".However,the rapid growth of internet literature today has exceeded the capacity of individual researchers.Therefore,it is necessary to adopt suitable perspectives to fully understand the bidirectional interaction between "posthumanism" and internet literature.Due to the distinct "timeliness" of internet literature,researchers need to keep up with the current trends in internet novels in order to delve into the production process of internet literature and grasp the new literature that blends technology and literature in the present era.In the current field of online writing,the frequent appearance of systematic elements in internet novels since around 2010 is undoubtedly an innovative aspect worth attention.However,the presence of systematic elements in internet novels extends beyond literary innovation;it also points to the systems behind the creation of internet novels and the gradually emerging posthumanist society that is transitioning from theory to reality.Therefore,this thesis chooses to focus on the systemic issues in internet novels and combines them with the posthumanist perspective to explore the social implications behind these systematic elements by pursuing the "presence" of internet novels.This thesis is divided into five chapters.The first chapter analyzes the origins of systemic issues in internet novels,which mainly refer to the production mechanism of internet novels and the systemic elements within them.In the current context of posthumanism transitioning from theory to reality,the production mechanism of internet novels has shifted from human-centric editorial review to AI-powered review systems.The introduction of systemic elements has become an undeniable growth point in the world of internet novels shaped by the collaborative creation of young readers and authors,known as "digital natives".Systemic elements have become crucial entry points for exploring the ongoing production landscape of contemporary internet literature.The second chapter delves into the internal structure of internet novels and categorizes the systemic elements within them from four perspectives: as characters,as "cheats" or game-like features,as storytelling methods,and as a new type of internet-based novel.Placed in the context of the posthuman era,this chapter examines the influence of new media on the creation and portrayal of these systemic elements and their reflection and refraction of new technologies within internet novels.The third chapter analyzes the encoding of pleasure in internet novels under the construction of systems.In the world of internet novels,where strong immersion is pursued,mature pleasure mechanisms can satisfy readers’ needs for pleasure.However,conventional pleasure mechanisms can also become monotonous and tiresome for avid readers.The introduction of systemic elements brings innovation to traditional pleasure mechanisms.The success of this innovation lies in the active integration and adaptation of young internet novel readers,represented by digital natives,into the posthuman cyberspace and their ability to create novel worlds that substitute reality with settings.The fourth chapter analyzes the representation of posthumanism in internet novels under the framework of system construction.In the era of human-machine integration,the creation of internet novels no longer solely belongs to individual authors but involves a tripartite collaboration between authors,readers,and the production mechanism of internet novels.The transformation of novel protagonists,the lengthening of novel titles,and the open-endedness of novel endings are not merely literary changes but rather compromises and exploitations by authors in response to the systemic nature of internet novel production.The fifth chapter takes the perspective of media evolution to examine the transformation of literature in the process of media transition,aiming to explore how the subjectivity of literature gives way to technology and thus forms a new subjectivity aligned with posthumanism.Through traversing illusions and interpreting signs,internet novels reflect the ideological signs of posthumanism.In this era where complete human-machine integration has yet to appear,internet novels constructed within systems present partial glimpses of posthumanism that deserve our contemplation.