Friday 6 April 2012

Frankenstein becomes the first classic interactive e-book on iPad {Gamebooks}



Shambling onto iPad and iPhone this month is the macabre tale of Frankenstein, but with a twist: the reader controls the narrative. 

Gamebook authors Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson have taken the original text of Mary Shelley's classic novel and added an interactive element that allows the reader to delve deeper into the plot and characters.

Published by Profile Books, Frankenstein is the first interactive rendition of a well-known book on the iOS format and it promises to entertain both book-lovers and gamers alike.

Profile’s digital publishing director Michael Bhaskar says: ‘Over the centuries Frankenstein has inspired films, plays and dozens of imaginative ventures – from graphic novels to musicals. How appropriate that it should inspire this new artform – a digital literary experience. Dave and Jamie set the bar when it comes to interactive storytelling and inkle are setting the technology agenda. This is the start of a whole new way of telling classic stories.’




To gamebook fans, Morris and Thomson are familiar names, having penned the world famous Fabled Lands books which have also been made into mobile apps. 


But while Fabled Lands was all about roleplaying a dice rolling, Frankenstein offers a more artistic approach to the genre:


 "Maybe you remember gamebooks or choose-your-own novels?" Say Morris and Thomson, "If so, put those right out of your mind. Frankenstein is way more than that. It’s an art installation made up of story fragments, where the reader can explore the text, creating a unique and personal experience of this rightly world-famous work and developing a direct relationship with the main characters. That’s why we’re describing it as interactive literature – it’s a truly new kind of novel for the digital age."


Inkle, the company who designed the app are confident that Frankenstein will deliver something totally revolutionary: "I genuinely believe people will look back at Frankenstein and say, that’s the moment when everything changed."


Frankenstein will hit the iTunes App Store this month. 

2 comments:

  1. Another great preview! I've just finished playing Tin Man Games' An Assassin in Orlandes and plan to expand to more games. This one sounds like fun.

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    1. Yeah, it looks great, although I think it's a departure from the classic gamebook and more like a piece of interactive fiction.

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