Digi-novels combine books, movies and web

Reuters Read more October 7, 2009

Anthony Zuiker, creator of the CSI television series, is releasing what he calls a digi-novel – a combination of a book, movie and website.

Digi-novels combine books, movies and web

Level 26 is a crime novel that invites readers to log on to a website every 20 pages and use a special code to watch a “cyber-bridge” – a three-minute film clip tied to the story.

“Just doing one thing great is not going to sustain business,” says Zuiker. “The future of business in terms of entertainment will have to be the convergence of different mediums. So we did that – publishing, movies and a website.”

The future of business in terms of entertainment will have to be the convergence of different mediums

“I wanted to bring all the best in publishing, in a motion picture, in a website and converge all three into one experience,” he says. “And when the book finished and the bridges finished, I wanted the experience to continue online and in a social community.”

Zuiker admits the digi-novel will never replace traditional publishing, but says the business needs a shot in the arm.

“They need content creators like myself to come in the industry and say, ‘Hey, let’s try things this way,'” he says.

Zuiker put together a 60-page outline for the novel, which was written by Duane Swierczynski, and wrote and directed the “cyber-bridges.” He claims the book can be read without watching the “cyber-bridges.”