Analog / Digital / Information Transfer in Pynchon's novels

[Boris Schepker]

Hi to all of you,

I would like to re-initiate a thread I posted some time ago. It might be
that you guys have been talking about it some time ago when I wasn't
around.
<Or perhaps back in those dark ages when I hadn't subscribed to the Pynchon
list yet>

I am examining the analog and digital transfer of information in Pynchon's
work. The books I have choosen for this are: COL 49, Vineland and Entropy.
Entropy being predigital with traces of development towards a digital
narrative, COL 49 in between and Vineland as the latest available novel
almost digitally perfect <reading this book reminds me very much of working
with pieces of information given in hypertext documents- only that the text
clicks the highlighted words of interest for you.>

Information is a rather broad term and I see that I run into problems
defining the word. I am considering many different media transferring
information in Pynchon's novels: <these groups are not yet divided in
predigital and digital, but in most cases it is petty obvious anyway>

Computer:
ever present in Vineland


Video: <everything stimulating the brain via the sense of seeing and thus
transferring many pieces of information>
Film
Photography
TV
Video
VCR

Audio: <everything stimulating the brain via the sense of hearing and thus
transferring loads of information>
Music <either through radio & DJ's, TV <eg. MTV>, stereo, Musicians, Muzak,
etc.>

Mail Systems: <definitely predigital stage of internet in my opinion>
Tristero

Measurements for entropy: <many different aspects>
Mercury thermometer in Entropy

Is there anyone out there who is interested in the same thing? Anyone who
might be able to help me out with literature etc.?
<I have ordered Katherine Hayles 2 textbooks but it seems almost impossible
to get them quick- it takes a least another 14 days for me to get them!>









Cheers,

Boris


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