Supertext as a Literary Phenomenon of Modernity: Theoretical Justification

This article is dedicated to the development of the theory of super-large test prose formations (supertexts), characteristic of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, as noted by a number of researchers. The subject of the study is a type of text ensemble that we define as a supertext. The concept of text and its essence are subjects of study in linguistics (text linguistics); however, in literary theory, there is some terminological chaos regarding the definition of the term "supertext" and its relationship with "supercycle" and "cycle," as mentioned above. It seems important to us to clarify the terminological apparatus of literary studies concerning the phenomenon of cyclization and its generated phenomenon—the supertext as a hyper-genre, which we will discuss in the article. In this work, the central term is "supertext" as a prose cycle; the aim of the study is to examine existing definitions of this concept and highlight essential features that distinguish what may initially seem like synonymous terminology, describing the principles of cyclization and the formation of large text formations in literary studies. The practical material consists of the novels of D. Rubina, E. Vodolazkin, A. Ivanov, M. Yelizаров, S. Lukyanenko, M. Semenova, A. Pehov, K. Demina, among others; "Gone with the Wind" and its related cycle; the cycle "The Vampire Diaries," "A Song of Ice and Fire," and their adaptations. The main methodology of the work includes the analysis of theoretical sources and their interpretation, scientific modeling, synthesis, and hermeneutic analysis of literary works. The article convincingly proves the existence in the modern cultural field of text formations that exceed the traditionally large form of the novel and/or epic novel, which we refer to as supertext. The result of the research is the clarification of the term supertext in literary theory, abstracting from the definitions proposed by linguists engaged in text linguistics. A key aspect is the proposal of an author's formulation of the term supertext within the framework of literary studies, which undoubtedly emphasizes the novelty and relevance of the work. The article describes the highlighted definitions of supertext, based on the processed textual material of contemporary works of domestic and foreign prose, and also proposes a basis for the classification of supertexts in modern literature while attempting to clarify the terminological apparatus of literary studies concerning related concepts: supertext, cycle, text ensemble.