VR Version of Joyce’s Ulysses Hits Crowdfunding Target

James Joyce wrote a novel which broke established conventions and broke new ground for literature – or so I’ve heard. But if Joyce had had today’s range of multimedia to choose from, would he have been content with prose alone?

The question is moot, but with the expiry of Joyce’s copyright in 2012, the way has been opened for all kinds of re-imaginings. And with the development of VR technology, filmmaker Eoghan Kidney decided to develop a Virtual Reality experience called In Ulysses, based on one of the first chapters in the book – Proteus.

As a user of “In Ulysses” walks along a virtual Sandymount Strand, the book will be read to them – they will hear Stephen’s thoughts as they are written – but these thoughts will then be illustrated around the user in real-time using textual annotations, images and links. A user can stop walking (therefore stopping Stephen walking) and explore these illustrations, gaining insight into the book and adding to the enjoyment of it.

This will be a prototype version for a larger project, with future versions exploring the experience of the book’s very own Leopold Bloom.

Eoghan turned to Fundit.ie to raise €4000 for the project, and passed his goal on Saturday after some international websites picked up the story. The project currently stands at €4,518 and it will close in a few hours, but there’s still time if you want to get involved!

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