The Evolution of Storytelling – A Review

Storytelling has never been straight forward. The “oral tradition” refers to the earliest known stories which were passed down by word of mouth. Those stories range from the heroic tales of Beowulf to the myths and tales that formed the backbones of most ancient religions. The stories were meandering, but still interesting, and filled with lessons and references to honor and culture.

No one can know how these ancient stories originally played out, but that’s kind of the point. Since the stories were able to evolve, each iteration was different than the last, scholars obviously can’t know if the stories were made better or worse, and they can’t know which stories survived, but the entire effort was based on generations upon generations telling and retelling the “same” story, this kind of community effort doesn’t happen today… or does it?

Since the invention of the “novel” there has been a myriad of distinct styles that developed. Some last, like the traditional narrative style, some don’t, such as epistolary novels. But even when a genre dies, it never dies, because classics that were written in that style will either be read or recreated by someone. It’s also abundantly clear, that other works that were inspired by those “dead” genres, are here to stay. Additionally, at any point there could be a resurgence in a style or genre.

My favorite oddity has to be the genre known as “eldritch horror.” Now before I lose you, I won’t stay on this topic for too long. Eldritch horror originated with H. P. Lovecraft, who was mainly known for his short stories (although he was quite a prolific writer). Due to recurring gods and themes, the stories were recognized as part of a collected universe which is known today as the “Cthulu Mythos.” Throughout the later years of his life and after he died, other writers began producing works of similar themes and used Lovecraft’s mythos as the background. Soon, a “canon” was formed, much like that of a bible, eldritch experts sifted through the works and handpicked which stories fit into the cohesive universe. Content is still being produced today and the “Cthulu Mythos” has, ironically, become sort of a cult classic (if you caught the pun, give yourself a pat on the back).

While there wasn’t evolution caused by reiteration, like what happened with the oral tradition, there was still the evolution of the story through time, lore, and community curation. This couldn’t have happened without the advent of faster communication and the widespread publication of collective works that sprung up in the late 1800s. That system informed Lovecraft and eventually led to the structure that allowed his progenitors to collaborate.

Today, that infrastructure has become the internet. Information no longer has to physically travel, it can be presented in bulk on one site. As a kid, I spent a lot of time on the Marvel Wiki. You could basically read any superhero’s story from start to finish in minutes. There was thousands of articles and pages, outlining events and characters, and you better believe I read most of them. Wikis have been around since 1995, and since then just about every fandom has one. There’s even a wiki page for the history of “wikis,” on a wiki devoted to cataloguing information for wikis… which blows my mind.

Wiki’s, if you’re unaware, are essentially information sites that catalogue as much data as possible in a summary. The sites generally break down their subject into specific categories known as “tags,” these tags allow a user to find information faster and easier. The content on the sites are written by the community. Most wiki’s allow anyone to edit, so long as they make an account. Some wiki’s have editors who confirm or deny any change, others have strict guidelines that mandate sourcing and other rules. Most wiki’s or wikia’s are created for an existing subject. If there’s a TV series you like, odds are it has a wiki. On it you’ll find a character’s backstory, episode summaries, and small descriptions of different recurring items or things from the show.

If I had to guess, there’s about 3 people who now know where I’m going with this. The SCP Foundation is a website that seems to take itself seriously. It’s a wiki that pretends to be a database for a secret organization. But that organization (obviously) doesn’t exist. There is no foundation outside of the wiki for the SCP, which is unusual.

Inside there are thousands of pages of “SCP’s” which are objects or beings that have specific powers or abilities. Each SCP is classified by number and given a small description of how it’s contained, where it was found, and what it can do.

Some SCP’s are simple, like a key that can unlock any door. Some are more complicated, like a being who steals any information that is written about it (which is why its page is depicted as an infographic). There’s also an SCP that’s just a poorly lit staircase, anyone on the staircase will hear the voice of a distant child downstairs. While on the staircase, a face with no pupils, nostrils or mouth might appear, but it doesn’t do anything. One of my personal favorites is an SCP that’s just a Wendy’s in Ohio. It’s freezer contains a bottomless pit that leaks yellow gas at night and occasionally plays “I’ve Got you Under my Skin,” by Frank Sinatra.

The only real “rules” of the SCP wiki are the strict formatting and the tone. Each article starts with the SCP’s designated number, it’s class (which is basically just how difficult it is to contain), how to contain it, and then its description. The description comes last because containment is what the organization values the most. The tone is generally clinical, since the base of the stories are all case files. The works are self-aware, but not in a fourth-wall-breaking sort of way.

This kind of storytelling exists in other parts of the internet as well, copypastas and creepypastas are community curated stories that sort of were the foundation for the SCP. Copypastas are poorly written jokes that either tell a story or make fun of the more “overzealous” types of people you can find on the internet. Creepypastas range from actually terrifying to inane shaggy dog stories that poke fun at horror tropes. Slenderman got its start in these stories.

Copypastas and creepypastas exist on a wiki as well, but they are usually authored somewhere else, like as spam on a YouTube comment thread or on Reddit and then transferred by what is essentially an internet librarian.

Storytelling has always changed with technology. Whether it be the advent of plays due to the expansion of civilization and cities, the spread of novels thanks to the printing press, or the more serialized radio shows, movies, or TV. But even in different mediums and genres, the core of storytelling has never changed. It’s a community experience, and I can’t wait to be amazed at the depth of whatever kooky thing the world drums up next.

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