The web layout for Shi Ge Ji: A Site for Zombie Literature showcases a collection of social media robot posts from Weibo, which are often jumbled and contain mixed-up words, yet still can evoke emotions in people. This website invites visitors to discover, read, and search for zombie literature that interests them.
The visual language is created based on torn paper, reflecting the identity of forgotten, fragmented, and patched-together pieces. Audiences can drag and rearrange the pieces of paper to create alternative layouts. The site presents zombie literature in two languages: Chinese, the original zombie literature, and translated into English. Both languages appear simultaneously, not as a language choice, but as a way of presenting the coexisting text. Also, the site invites audiences to name the piece: by giving zombie literature a name, these words are no longer forgotten.
Zombie literature embodies a sense of cyber romance through the cold algorithm, but we tend to see social media bots as a by-product of network data. However, if we take a closer look at those “humanized” posts by these social media bots, we can see that they imitate human emotions. I aim to create a platform specifically for these forgotten creations, collecting interesting posts made by robots, and inviting everyone to discover the literary attainments of these robot accounts. Perhaps being seen by people is what these zombie accounts want most, so take a look at what they have shared—it may seem nonsensical, but it is still interesting.