Anthony E. Zuiker is the creator of television’s "CSI" franchise, which now includes "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: New York." Zuiker continues to delve into the worlds of gaming, publishing and cross-platform storytelling with the formation of his Dare To Pass production company. His most recent creation is the Digi-Novel, which takes readers across different media. Published by Dutton/Penguin Group, the first Digi-Novel in this crime series is titled "Level 26:Dark Origins," which will be in stores on September 8, 2009.
The writer’s strike changed everything for me.
For one, it gave me a chance to actually complete a thought. Day-to-day television has a way of stripping you of that. When we were picketing for those months, I was able to tap inside why I wasn’t a very good reader and did something about it.
So I invented the Digi-Novel.
"Level 26" is the the world’s first interactive crime novel that facilitated a “need." The need to make the reading experience easier and more enjoyable by providing levels of engagement beyond just endless white pages.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a champion of the imagination. That’s how I created the most successful television franchise in history with “CSI”.
But I’m not the greatest reader. Sure, I read scripts for a living, but I find the experience laborious. So, if I could find a way to make reading “entertaining” like I made science "entertaining,” maybe I’d read more and others would too.
The publishing industry is going through a major transformation due to the technological revolution. People are reading and consuming more and more online. Overnight, we all woke up to “attention economy” disorder. We want our entertainment on the go, anytime, anywhere, on any device.
Everything is changing. More and more businesses are converging. Companies are downsizing. Especially publishing. If you don’t think so, pick up a Variety or Hollywood Reporter. The running joke in Hollywood is that it weighs the same as a table napkin.
Point is, this form of media is dying. The New York Times will shut the presses down within the next decade. There is no profit attributable to print anymore. Publishing, for the most part, is headed towards extinction. Music went through it. Television is walking the plank. Industries are failing.
But it can all be saved. All it needs is a reinvention. In publishing, the Digi-Novel is that reinvention.
Now I’m not saying it will ever replace traditional book reading, but it will give it a run for its money.
The Digi-Novel is a novel, movie, and website all in one. Imagine, a horror crime novel written with the same pagination style as James Patterson. Short page chapters. After twenty or so pages, the story will stop and you will have the option to log into level26.com and enter a code.
