Narrating Through Interfaces: Simulation, Amplification and Immersion in How to Rob a Bank

Abstract

Digital literature, characterized by its multimodality and intertextuality, challenges traditional notions of textuality and narrative. Evolving from early hypertext fiction into diverse forms such as interactive drama, flash poetry, and social media-based storytelling, it reflects shifting media ecologies and reading practices. This paper examines Alan Bigelow’s How to Rob a Bank (2016) through the lens of Simon Rowberry’s The Rise of Electronic Literature (2018), with particular attention to three interrelated concepts: simulation, amplification, and immersion. Bigelow’s work simulates the everyday experience of navigating digital interfaces, Google, Instagram, text messages, mirroring how contemporary users engage with media. The narrative's multimodal structure amplifies its thematic content by embedding it within the logic of networked life, where identity and action unfold through screens and code. Finally, the piece fosters immersion not by mimicking reality but by reflecting our intimate familiarity with digital environments. In doing so, it highlights how electronic literature can leverage media conventions to tell stories that are both experientially and formally distinct from print-based works. The paper argues that How to Rob a Bank not only exemplifies current trends in digital literature but also invites broader reflection on how we consume, construct, and interpret narrative in the digital age.