dezelvezelve

Dezelvezelve is a term used in speculative fiction and some media studies to describe a practice of encoding layered meaning within a single artifact, so that interpretation unfolds gradually and multiple readings remain possible.

The term appears to be a neologism from online communities in the 2010s; there is no widely accepted etymology or formal definition in mainstream scholarship. It is typically treated as a conceptual device rather than a fixed category, and its usage varies across disciplines and genres.

Core features include nested referents, cross-cutting cues across form and content, and deliberate delays in revealing central themes. Works employing dezelvezelve invite active reader engagement and reinterpretation, often requiring audiences to piece together fragmentary clues.

Applications span literature, games, film, and visual art. Examples include a novel that hides crucial backstory in marginalia or an interactive experience whose side documents reframed the events of the main narrative. In each case, the audience is encouraged to revisit earlier parts of the work in light of new information, producing emergent meaning.

Reception is mixed: proponents argue that dezelvezelve expands interpretive agency and creativity, while critics warn that such layering can obscure meaning or privilege esoteric audiences. As a developing concept, it remains primarily in speculative and experimental contexts rather than established scholarly practice.

See also: metafiction, hermeneutics, encoded narrative.