For the purposes of this paper, hypertext and hypermedia refers to a system of annotations that are provided via links embedded in the primary text of the novel. These hypertext and hypermedia annotations can contain definitions, notes, photographs, and any other contextualizing information that can assist a reader with their comprehension of the novel or its textual genetics. The James Joyce Digital Archive [8] focuses on the textual genetics of the novel by using hypertext to show the variations and evolution between the editions from 1922-2017, emphasizing Joyce’s schema and the relationship of the novel to the Odyssey. In this project, hypertext is used to add annotations about the compositional history of the text. The homepage describes the progression of the narrative layers depicted in the project: “the final text contains within it a representation of the penultimate level (the page proofs), within that a representation of the preceding level (the galleys), and so on all the way down to a representation of the earliest draft and notebook entries. It effectively provides an edition of each draft level (in itself an invaluable tool for textual studies) linked to the relevant sections of the notebooks and notesheets Joyce used to augment the text. Thus a user of the JJDA can watch the text write itself out of the thousands of its constitutive notes” [8]. The emphasis on textual genetics is demonstrated with a practical use of hypertext annotations to demonstrate the edits made to the novel throughout its history, either by Joyce or subsequent editors. The project describes itself as aimed towards “scholars, students, and general readers” and provides the opportunity for users to create their own edition by customizing the layers of the editions [8]. The JJDA is only focused on the manuscript history of the novel, making it more aimed towards an audience of advanced Joycean scholars who are invested in parsing out the alterations made to the text throughout its publishing history. While the project may be of interest to educators to demonstrate to students the uses of hypertext in textual genetics, it is unlikely that a firsttime reader would use this edition to acquaint themselves with the novel. The Joyce Project [9] is an online edition of Ulysses that uses colorcoded hypertext and hypermedia links to provide

contextualization to the many historical, literary, and cultural allusions within the novel. Developed by John Hunt, he writes,

“Ulysses, which incorporates so many different kinds of content, has always threatened to exceed the knowledge base of its readers and to overwhelm the reading process. The literary allusions alone seem to demand that shelves of other books lie open next to the novel, and other sorts of reference compound the problem exponentially” [9]. In order to solve this problem of requiring separate texts to contextualize the allusions of the novel, The Joyce Project uses an advanced hyperlink system to demystify the novel. The goal is for the hypertexts to serve as “encyclopedia entries or short literary essays. Freed from the limitations of print publication, and intended to guide the reading process rather than simply to give it raw material, they can explore contexts in greater detail ..., show how these contexts may shape readings of the fictive text, elaborate on issues more discursively, and illustrate verbal content with visual (and aural, and cinematic) images” [9]. The hyperlinks are color coded as follows: green for Ireland, orange for literature, brown for Dublin, purple for performances, red for the body, and blue for the writer. Notably, some of the hypertext annotations contain further hyperlinks, creating a network of links that allow the user to explore the depths of allusions without losing sight of the original primary text. Unfortunately, the navigation of the hypertext does not allow a user to backtrack once they begin their hyperlinked journey through the annotations, but they can always close the window and return to the novel. This project can be used by either first time readers or more advanced scholars who want to further explore the allusions made in the text. The Joyce Project, with its simple user interface and straightforward annotation system, is aimed towards first-time readers as well as more advanced researchers who may desire more historical and cultural context for the novel. Currently, the project is not interactive for users, as they are restricted to accessing the hypertext notes without the ability to add their own annotations.

Michael Groden’s Digital Ulysses [5] is another well-known attempt to create a digital version of the novel with extensive hypertext and hypermedia annotations. Groden intended for the finished product to include the “full text of Ulysses (multiple versions), words and phrases linked to definitions, annotations to analyses and critical commentary, photographs, maps, audio versions of songs and music referenced in the book, audio readings from quoted or cited works, [and an] oral pronunciation guide” [5]. The project was notoriously halted in 2003 by the Joyce estate, but Groden’s work in the field of hypertext annotation and his ambitions for the project can be used as a template for future projects. Groden argued, “a digital hypermedia Ulysses has to dispense with the covers and the boundaries they provide and with the physicality of the pages, but as compensation it can provide a great deal of flexibility and openness in the way it can present secondary information” [5]. He envisioned readers being “offered multiple pathways through the materials, and they can choose which information and how much detail they want to see” [5]. This format is similar to the one used by The Joyce Project,

with readers able to access the primary text of the novel without being interrupted by annotations, with the option to open hypertext annotations that are color-coded for their needs. Through his work on Digital Ulysses, Groden engaged in important discussions on what should be annotated, whether the work should be aimed towards first time readers or advanced researchers, how information should be presented, how much information should be presented, and the balance between providing information versus interpretation. However, Groden did not consider the scholarly and pedagogical benefits of allowing users to create their own hypertext annotations to their edition of Digital Ulysses, and the final product, a CD-ROM, was intended to be a closed circuit.

Due to Ulysses’ status as a place-based novel, with all of the narrative occurring within the city of Dublin on a single day, researchers are eager to utilize GIS and spatial software to enhance the reader experience of the text. One of the earliest projects focused on spatiality and Ulysses is “Time, Voice, and Joyce” [10] from the first ACM workshop on story representation, mechanism, and context in 2004. This project used two computational systems, AmbleTime and Polymorphic Letters, and had participants reconstruct the characters’ journeys from “Wandering Rocks,” read passages from the chapter, and reflect on their experiences. AmbleTime emphasized the amount of time it takes for a user to arrive at a specific destination, so it allowed the users to realistically recreate the timing and pace of the novel that was meticulously constructed by Joyce. The focus of “Time, Voice, and Joyce” is on the participants’ experience with the journey, locations, and the text itself. Unfortunately, the project predated handheld smartphones, which limited the detail of the mapping system and the ability to record the participants’ experiences in real time. The users of the project were also limited to those who are able to visit Dublin in-person, physically walk the paths of the characters, and record their experiences. “Mapping Dedalus” [11] is a StoryMaps project that depicts Stephen Dedalus’ journey throughout the novel, with a hypermediate map following his movements and accompanying text and multimedia offering context and summary. It is described as an “interactive representation of Stephen’s physical movements, as well as a chart conferring the narrative of Stephen’s circuiting psyche” [11]. As users toggle from chapter to chapter, the map automatically adjusts itself to the new location in the narrative. The project uses very limited hypertext, with only two links and one of which is broken, but each chapter does have an accompanying photo, illustration, or video. While not explicitly stated, the project seems aimed towards first-time readers of the novel who may require a summary of the text as well as more experienced readers who would be interested in

tracing Stephen’s journey through Dublin. The project is only focused on one character, but the same method and application could be used to chart the movements of other characters. Using Google Maps, Boston College developed a map of all of the locations of Ulysses with accompanying excerpts from the texts and, for some locations, brief descriptions of the location and its current status [12]. Unlike the StoryMaps project, this map does not allow users to track the characters’ journeys through the narrative, but only displays the various locations mentioned in the text. Considering this, it can be implied that this project is not meant for first-time readers, as users need to already be familiar with the narrative in order to use the map to sequentially navigate through the locations. The focus of the project is on the locations themselves, not the plot or the characters, so it does offer the opportunity for readers to emphasize their place attachment to Dublin. As a pedagogical tool, it might be more beneficial for firsttime readers to create their own map of the locations in the novel rather than for them to explore an already-finished product, as this would provide students the opportunity to conduct their own research.

Immersive technologies like mixed reality have also been used to adapt Ulysses in the digital realm, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in the cancellation of the annual Bloomsday festival in Dublin. For the purposes of this paper, extended reality (XR) is the term that best encompasses the multiple technologies on the virtuality continuum, including augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality. There are notable asynchronous and synchronous applications of extended reality to Ulysses. Synchronous extended reality experiences are used for live performances of the novel that would otherwise occur in-person on Bloomsday or during other Joyce-themed celebrations. Asynchronous extended reality applications are either pre-recorded content or immersive gamification

experiences. Both means offer ways for users to immerse themselves in the novel by allowing them to experience the locations, characters, dialogue, and action in real time. Mixed Reality Ulysses (XR Ulysses) [13] was originally a live virtual reality performance of the first scene of the novel to celebrate Bloomsday in June 2020. The purpose and focus of the project were to allow performances of the novel to continue despite the global shutdown of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has since evolved to include discussions about how XR can be used for sitespecific work and increase audience engagement. With its focus on theatrical performances, Mixed Reality Ulysses does not offer any critical interpretations of the work, but it could be used as a pedagogical tool for instructors wishing their students to have another means of experiencing the novel beyond the text. The live virtual performance was also an opportunity for Ulysses

enthusiasts to celebrate Bloomsday in a social virtual format that was unavailable due to the global shutdown. While the project is limited to live performances, there is potential for the work to be expanded and recorded for users to access the content asynchronously. Joseph Nugent at Boston College has led the development of a virtual reality immersive game based on Ulysses called Joycestick [14]. Using 3-D modeling software, archival images, drone footage, and audio from a theater production, the game allows users to explore scenes from the novel and interact with objects from the scenes. Eventually, Nugent wants to further gamify the novel by having users interact with the characters and locations in depth, with the ability to “win” the game. He views virtual reality as a tool for inspiring greater engagement from readers: “We look on VR as the ultimate empathy machine, in that we don’t simply want to excite the readers- the viewers- but to move them, to engage them with the emotions and events in the book” [14]. Still in its beta stages, it is unclear how the novel will be adapted to this XR game format and how that might lead to further critical inquiry. Currently, it seems that the development of the game is primarily serving as a pedagogical tool allowing Nugent’s students to better immerse themselves in the text. It could be argued that the process of creating XR projects, like Joycestick, serve more purpose than the finished products, due to the amount of critical thinking, analysis, and research required to create these digital projects. Similarly, the I-Ulysses Poetry in Motion project [15] is a virtual reality experience that unfolds in real-time in order to highlight the spatial and auditory metaphors of the novel. The goal of the project is to serve as an educational tool that demystifies the allusions and structure of Ulysses by “embed[ding] hypertextual elements of Ulysses into this real-time framework of audio-spatial nodes, mirroring the book’s structure and creating an interactive learning waypoint experience” [15]. There is a great emphasis on the interactivity of the game, with users playing as specific characters with distinct goals and objectives. I-Ulysses is intended to be used alongside a standard curriculum by functioning independently as “a virtual environment that a user can interact with and learn about Joyce's work from” [15]. The creators envision the project being used within a classroom under the guidance of an instructor as means of complementing a traditional close reading of the text. The project is limited in scope, as only a few chapters have been adapted, and the creators note the historical inaccuracy of the project. While Joycestick emphasized the historical accuracy using archival photos and documents, IUlysses is focused on depicting the spatial and auditory metaphors of the novel rather than Georgian-era Dublin.

The primary focus of the project will be the complete text of Ulysses, and it is integral that the interface allows for uninterrupted readings of the novel. The hypertext annotations can be added in either a color-coded format, like The Joyce Project, or in layers that can be enabled or disabled based on the preferences of the user. Each layer can correspond to a different critical lens such as textual genetics and manuscript studies, historical and cultural context, critical analysis, and literary allusions to other texts and the novel itself. Hans Walter Gabler, author of the 1987 edition of Ulysses, notes that electronic editions “should be capable of providing, above all, an innovative user interface for the scholarly edition: an interface not only to access an edition’s material content and its critical... substance, but also one to interface the user into the edition” [16]. Similarly, Mark Marino argues that “The interface for an electronic Ulysses should also be ‘skinnable’ and reconfigurable, so that each user could develop an individual interface, more reflective of her or his own parallactic encounters with the text” [7]. Considering this, the ability of the user to engage with the edition is of upmost importance to the project, as it would allow customized versions of the project that reflect the needs of each user.

One way to accomplish this customization is by allowing users to add their own annotations via hypertext and hypermedia. This would also allow the project to serve as a powerful collaborative and educational tool. Users could authenticate their own version of the novel with their log in credentials that automatically saves their personal annotations along with the annotations provided via the project. These hypertext annotations can allow users to add their own interpretations of the text or to highlight questions they have, which can be answered via a commenting feature. From a pedagogical perspective, an instructor could provide their own annotated version of the project that emphasizes the aspects of the novel they want their students to focus on. This could also allow students to highlight their questions that arise during reading that can be addressed in class time, giving the instructor time to prepare responses. Students and instructors could also use

the hypermedia function to record audio and video of themselves performing sections from the novel, which can allow for deeper understanding and connection to the narrative. By giving users the ability to add their own hypertext and hypermedia, the project would open up the possibility for users to create their own annotations with their critical analysis. A possible layer of critical interpretive annotations would then be enabled, allowing users to compare their interpretations of the text with work by previous scholars. One of the important benefits of this interface is allowing users to conduct independent research and develop their own interpretations of the text.

StoryMaps would allow for a spatial navigation of the novel, with readers automatically being redirected to different locations on a map as they scroll or toggle through the novel. This real-time pacing a movement will keep users stimulated as they read and provide a more immerse place-based experience. One of the lasting impacts of Ulysses is the attachment readers form to the city of Dublin and specific locations from the novel. By adding a geospatial component to the project, users will be able to better visualize the city of Dublin and the spatial movements of the characters.

I am hesitant to include extended reality as a possibility for this proposed project, but there is no denying the allure of the technology in the digital humanities. However, it does seem that adaptations of Ulysses that feature XR technology offer more to the creators of the project than the project itself, as the creation of an XR novel requires intense research and interpretations. Perhaps as XR technology becomes less expensive to develop and more refined in its execution, it could be better applied to the whole text of Ulysses. Whether this develops into a synchronous or asynchronous immersive experience is up to debate, as there are pros and cons between a live performative experience versus a pre-determined experience or game. An XR experience combined with the GIS technology would allow users to immerse themselves in the novel and its locations, providing valuable opportunities for place attachment to develop.

One of the biggest obstacles to creating a project of this size and scope would be monetizing it and licensing it. While in an ideal world, an educational and literary project of this scope would be completely open access, it is likely it would need to be a subscription-based service that can be purchased via either individual accounts or institutionally. For institutional licensing agreements, it is likely the funding for the project would come through academic libraries, which do not always have the budget for continuing subscriptions. Similarly, it would be difficult to know when to “close” the project, so to speak, or to keep it as an open circuit that is able to be continuously updated, added to, and improved upon. A project of

this scope could continue indefinitely, as further scholarship on Ulysses might require additional annotations. Users would want the ability to save multiple versions of the novel with their own hypertext and hypermedia, such as instructors wanting to save a version for each of their classes. Mark Marino cautions that a “hypermedia Ulysses could either close off a very open text or could extend the reading experience into the elusive work of intersecting discourse suggested by Joyce’s text” [7]. By keeping the project open, we can potentially continue the intertextual work begun by Joyce in the novel itself. Another significant limitation of the project would be the creation of the hypertext and hypermedia annotations, as there would either need to be permissions granted to use existing versions or all the annotations would be created from open access sources and archives. Photographs, advertisements, video, audio and other forms of media would need to be ethically sourced before being added to the project. It would not seem prudent to attempt to recreate the annotations of the novel, as this has already been extensively done by multiple scholars in both print and digital editions. However, it would be difficult to determine which annotations, editions, and scholarship to include, as many of the interpretations of the text are contradictory. Including these contradictions, and even highlighting them, might ultimately be a benefit as it would demonstrate to users the points of contention in Joycean scholarship. Marino argues that “the challenge to assemblers of hypermedia editions of Ulysses is to create a work that does not reduce Joyce’s stumbling blocks to manageable piles of trivia” [7]. With this in mind, it is important to be mindful of the annotations included in the edition, so as not to overwhelm readers or undermine the impact Joyce intended.