User:EverFortuitous/A Dream with Demons

A Dream with Demons is an electronic literature project written by hypertext author Edward Falco and published by Eastgate Systems, Inc. in 1997. The reading is narrative driven story, with a collection of poem-style ramblings hidden beneath the surface of the main reading to further entice the reader into exploring.

Publishing History
A Dream with Demons ' was published in 1997, by Eastgate Systems, Inc. The work was published on a floppy disk contained within a vinyl cover with a short paper brochure. To this day, there is no mention or record of a reprinting or modernization, and continues to only be viewable on the hardware it was created for.

Plot
The plot of the reading centers around a young woman, her daughter, and her lover and the drama they struggle with in their everyday life. In this story, a fictional author named Preston Morris presents this story of characters such as a teenager named Missy who struggles with growing up after her mother leaves talented artist Val Rivson. The reading explores their troubled history as it connects together in a dramatic story, touching on very heavy adult topics as well. Morris uses this work to, in a sense, vent his own life's frustrations.

Story structure and navigation
On the surface, there is a linear, narrative driven story. However, beneath this, there are ways to navigate into a series of hidden notes and poem-like rambles which are implied to be from the fictional author, Preston. It also touches on how the story dips into two unique realms of storytelling: a normal, linear story on the surface, with a history deep inside the Mirrorworld hidden beneath. Readers navigate primarily by clicking on very simple UI to access a structure map, or to directly dive into the ramblings.

Literary significance and critical reception
This reading does not appear to have a massive audience. According to Ed Falco himself, he would be very surprised if this worked reached an audience that was greater than 50 people.

Awards and Exhibitions
In 2008, the reading was featured in a Media Arts Show focused on visionary landscapes. The show was curated by Dene Grigar and hosted by Washington State University Vancouver.