Uncle Roger, Version 3.3

Internal Copies

ELL-W-89-2

Good Condition

Copy published by Art Com Electronic Network (ACEN) on 5.25in Floppy Disk in .

Grigar was given this copy by Judy Malloy for Grigar's research into Uncle Roger for the Pathfinders project. Uncle Roger by Judy Malloy first appeared from 1986-1988, placing it among the first generation of born digital works--predating the earliest versions of Michael Joyce's "afternoon: a story." There are currently six digital versions of the work: Version 1 (1986-87), the serial novel for the net; Version 2 (1986-87), the interactive narrative for the net); Version 3 (1986-88), the boxed version as stand alone artists software in narrabase programmed in AppleSoft BASIC; Version 4 (1988), the boxed version as stand alone artists software in narrabase programmed in GW-BASIC; Version 5 (1995, 2014), the web version; Version 6 (2014), the DOSBox emulator Version. Malloy considers the web version to be the authorized one. It's content varies from the four previous versions due to its migration from the elite, artistic audience of The WELL to the more mainstream audience of the World Wide Web. There is also a seventh version created as a card catalog was produced in 1986-88. This is one of five extant copies of Version 3.3, created 1986-1988. It consists of a plastic floppy disk box that Malloy affixed a hand-designed label with the work's title. Inside are two of the three floppy disks--"A Party in Woodside" and "The Blue Notebook"--in their original hand-designed sleeves. Also included are all of the inserts that Malloy produced for this version of the work. Missing is the third floppy disk, "Terminals."

Tested and working on the following operating systems:

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      Author(s)

      Judy Malloy

      First Published

      1986~

      Original Publisher

      Art Com Electronic Network (ACEN)

      Language

      English

      Description

      Uncle Roger is a database narrative that "involves numerous plots and subplots that are relayed through the perspective of Jenny, a 21-year old who works in the Bay area as the baby-sitter for the wealthy Broadthrow family and becomes entangled in the intrigue involving Tom Broadthrow and his company, BroadthrowMicro. Tom, we learn in 'A Party in Woodside,' has stolen a custom chip from Jeff Gallagher, a young man in whom Jenny claims a romantic interest. This plot rises to a climax in 'The Blue Notebook.' Jenny, we also learn, is the niece of the titular Uncle Roger, who is also heavily implicated in the shenanigans surrounding the stolen chip. Jenny's other stories, both fanciful and real, focus on relationships with other characters--her former lover David; her family back on the East Coast; the growing romantic involvement with Jeff; extramarital affairs between people with whom she comes in contact or knows well; the imagined destruction of Somerville, Massachusetts by bombs dropped by blimps; caring for the child she is hired to babysit; and many more. Jenny, however, is not a completely reliable narrator: in 'A Party in Woodside' she reveals that she drank too much wine and slept 'fitfully' with thoughts 'interspersed with dreams;' in The Blue Notebook, she admits that what she is writing down--and so telling us about the story--is not 'exactly' how the events really happened."--Grigar, Traversals

      External References

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