Overview
Aaron Reed’s Subcutanean (2020) is a novel where every copy is different. Using a combinatorial narrative system, Reed generated thousands of unique versions by varying word choices, sentence structures, and entire passages throughout the text. In 2025 Reed released the source text and code of Subcutanean under a CC-BY 4.0 license, meaning anyone can copy, share, modify, or remix the novel as long as credit for the original is given to Reed.
This variorum allows readers to compare any two editions side-by-side to discover how the story shifts between versions.
Features
- 25 pre-loaded unique versions (seeds 45443-45467)
- Upload additional versions (EPUB or TXT files)
- Four view modes: Unified, Side-by-side, Track Changes, and Collation
- Cross-chapter search with keyboard shortcuts (F3, Shift+F3)
- Word differential analysis showing unique vocabulary between versions
How to Use
- Select two versions using the dropdown menus
- Choose a view mode (Unified, Side-by-side, Track Changes, or Collation)
- Navigate chapters using the chapter menu
- Search for text or analyze word differences
- Upload additional EPUB or TXT copies of Subcutanean to compare; Aaron Reed has made 1,000 variants readily available for download
Credits
Subcutanean: Aaron Reed
Variorum: Mark Sample
Project Code: GitHub Repository
This tool is provided by Mark Sample for scholarly and educational purposes. The text of Subcutanean (every single version) is by Aaron Reed.