From Czechoslovakia with nightmares: how the search for "Clock Man" illustrates the digital deterritorialization of world literature online

Imogen Nutting*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    This study follows the origins of and search for “Clock Man”, from a nineteenth century Yorkshire folktale to a 2012 forum post about a lost 1976 Czechoslovakian stop motion film, and evaluates its merits as a piece of contemporary world literature. The internet has significantly altered how people communicate and share stories, allowing a range of texts to be instantly created, disseminated and discussed around the world. As the classification and study of 'world literature' are affected by changing standards of communication and literary merit, these new media communications can provide contemporary insight into how literature may be found in virtual public spaces. This paper blends theories of literariness, reception and new media with Deleuze and Guattari's theory of deterritorialization to track the changes in the “Clock Man” story and observe broader trends of contemporary world literature in digital storytelling spaces.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)376-392
    Number of pages17
    JournalJournal of World Literature
    Volume8
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2023

    Keywords

    • Clock Man
    • Czechoslovakia
    • deterritorialization
    • digital storytelling
    • folklore

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