These sources trace how a form took shape over time. Their subjects include strategy games, jungle, Forth and a saints' tale. They are histories more than arguments.
Hauntology
A Wikipedia article on hauntology, the idea of the past haunting the present.
The Concept of the Aesthetic
A philosophy encyclopedia entry tracing how the concept of the aesthetic developed from 18th-century taste.
Vorticism
A Wikipedia article on Vorticism, a short-lived British modernist art movement of 1914.
Forth: The programming language that writes itself: The Web Page
A long illustrated essay tracing the history of Forth and how a Forth system works.
The cultural evolution of distortion in music (and other norms of mixed appeal)
A journal paper on how musical distortion evolved culturally, with a simulation model.
A History of Real-Time Strategy Gameplay From Decryption to Prediction: Introducing the Actional Statement
A game studies article that proposes a method for tracing how real-time strategy play developed.
The invention of the MMO
A magazine feature on Habitat, the 1980s online world for the Commodore 64.
Hangul
A Wikipedia article on Hangul, the Korean alphabet, covering its history, design and use.
What Heraldry and Japanese Mon Can Teach Us About Building Visual-Identity Generators
A comparison of two emblem traditions as systems of generative rules.
Shadow of the Colossus: An oral history
An oral history of how the game Shadow of the Colossus was made.
The Impact of Jungle Music in 90s Video Game Development
A blog post tracing jungle music from UK rave culture into 90s console game soundtracks.
Hru and Hua: A Secret Egregore of the A.A. and H.O.G.D.?
An occult essay tracing the names Hru and Hua across magical systems.
The Secret History of Knocking on Wood
An essay on where knocking on wood comes from, and on AI.
The two Christian saints who are secretly the Buddha
A short blog post on how the Buddha's story became a Christian saints' tale.