Author Patrick Carman (wow…mental gap there…at first I thought Eric Carmen…) is flogging a new multimedia book, Skeleton Creek. See the full story here. The children’s ghost mystery is a hybrid that takes the form of an ‘actual’ book that is also an online movie. Both elements depend on the other for the complete experience. It is Carman’s way to keep kids interested in books, and drag some of their net time toward reading.
It’s a great idea, and one that will truly flourish when he offers the book component as a tricked out eBook–something that links out of an eReader and interfaces with an online experience.
I can see this working well for kids and the adult market. This type of interface has been around for some time, perhaps in a less interactive form, with a paperback’s story augmented by online components like clues, illustrations and maps.
I can’t wait to see story ideas like this evolving until the reader is flipping between a hand-held reader and a wall-mounted flat screen. Too cool!
