Nonlinear (arts)
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In the arts, the word nonlinear is used to describe events portrayed in a non-chronological manner. This technique is often used to mimic the structure and recall of human memory, but it has been applied for other reasons as well. Well-known examples of nonlinear novels are Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy, Thomas Carlyle's Sartor Resartus, James Joyce's Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch, and Joseph Heller's Catch-22. Nonlinearity has become very common in film. Some good examples of movies with nonlinear plots include Memento, Pulp Fiction, 21 Grams, The Prestige, Kill Bill, Run Lola Run and Premonition.
In video games, nonlinear refers to a game that has more than one possible plotline and ending, leaving the gamer to take the path that most suits their style of play. This increases replay value, as players must often beat the game several times to get the whole story. Fable could be cited as an example, as there are two paths of take - that of good and that of evil.
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