critical essay

"Sexual lust, blood lust, lust for love––all are explored in Mary-Kim Arnold’s 'Lust.'"

“'Lust' was hailed by critic Robert Coover as a 'miniature gem'” (Coover). 

"We come away from reading 'Lust' having received not a clear understanding of a story but instead a reminder of the damage relationships can do, the lust they can evoke, the raw emotion they can drain from us, and how deeply they can cut."

"We’ve all been there––well, maybe most of us––in that relationship in which neither of you want to be but are too cowardly to end. Each of you dish out insults to the other and consume the other’s in return in the hope that one day your lover will be fed up enough to leave and you get off guilt-free. In this life you had set for two, what you think you're hoping for, ultimately, is a life alone––at least until you find yourself that way. This experience is all too familiar and all too human, and it is one chronicled in Robert Kendall’s long narrative poem, A Life Set for Two. Situated in a café, the story unfolds through the metaphor of two different menus––one belonging to the male narrator recounting the failed affair to us and other belonging to his lover."--Dene Grigar

"A key example of early pre-web hypertext"

"It is the first work of born digital science fiction"

"Seen through the lens of cultural theory, King of Space carries a strong feminist focus, exploring gender roles and dystopian worlds."

"As an example of one of the earliest published works of electronic literature, it also offers a fascinating study of the material culture that the digital world of cloud technology has left behind."

"All of these issues––the floppy disk, software, and the downturn of Apple computers during the 1990s––all conspired to leave Smith’s novel inaccessible to readers despite its value as important literary and cultural contributions."