Digital literary genres: from hypertext to chat fiction

Abstract The article examines the evolution of digital literary genres in the context of digital platform development. Using a multi-method design, a corpus of 1,200 born-digital works (2018–25) was created, with 65 per cent from portals and 35 per cent from open platforms/blogs. The study revealed a high polymodality in contemporary digital writing. Dialogic chat formats made up 30 per cent of the corpus, emphasizing interactive communication and reader engagement as co-authors. Fan fiction, comprising 25 per cent, showcased intertextuality and collective story creation. Prose accounted for 25 per cent, adapting classical forms through fragmentation, non-standard structures, and interactive elements. Multimedia narratives, which combined text, graphics, audio, and video, made up 15 per cent, highlighting the role of multimedia in meaning creation. Experimental microforms, at 5 per cent, reflected a search for new stylistic and form-building solutions. The language structure of the corpus included 45 per cent Kazakh, 40 per cent Russian, 10 per cent English, and 5 per cent other languages, indicating the influence of local linguistic features. Twenty percent of works included multimedia elements, reinforcing the trend of intermediality. The study also found that platform structures and moderation policies impacted the visibility and development of formats, while the local language situation influenced intertextuality and thematic priorities. The practical significance of the study lies in recommendations for developing tools for classifying and archiving born-digital works, improving platform metadata, and fostering educational initiatives for authors and editors. The statistical models could also help predict how interface changes affect reading behaviour.