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Top novelists look to ebooks to challenge the rules of fiction Top novelists look to ebooks to challenge the rules of fiction
(7 months later)
Online fiction is a remote world, peopled by elves, dragons and whey-faced vampires. At least that is the view shared by millions of devoted readers of the printed novel. But now serious British literary talent is aiming to colonise territory occupied until now by fantasy authors and amateur fan-fiction writers.Online fiction is a remote world, peopled by elves, dragons and whey-faced vampires. At least that is the view shared by millions of devoted readers of the printed novel. But now serious British literary talent is aiming to colonise territory occupied until now by fantasy authors and amateur fan-fiction writers.
In the vanguard is Iain Pears, the best-selling historical novelist and author of An Instance of the Fingerpost and Stone's Fall. Pears will offer readers the chance to go back to check detailed elements of his narrative and will even flag up sections they do not have to read. "I am trying to find a new way of telling stories, and once you start thinking about it, there are almost too many possibilities," said the Oxford-based writer, who is completing an interactive ebook for Faber that will stretch the form to its current limits. "There is no reason to think the printed book will be the defining literary format. I don't want to be cautious any more. This is about changing the fundamentals. The worst that can happen is that it won't work."In the vanguard is Iain Pears, the best-selling historical novelist and author of An Instance of the Fingerpost and Stone's Fall. Pears will offer readers the chance to go back to check detailed elements of his narrative and will even flag up sections they do not have to read. "I am trying to find a new way of telling stories, and once you start thinking about it, there are almost too many possibilities," said the Oxford-based writer, who is completing an interactive ebook for Faber that will stretch the form to its current limits. "There is no reason to think the printed book will be the defining literary format. I don't want to be cautious any more. This is about changing the fundamentals. The worst that can happen is that it won't work."
It is a challenge that also intrigues acclaimed authors Blake Morrison and Will Self, although they detect some obstacles. As professor of creative writing at Goldsmiths College, at the University of London, Morrison has just launched a £10,000 prize for innovative new writing and argues that the success of experimental ebooks will depend on making interactivity more than just a feature. "Reading by its very nature is interactive – whether you do it on an iPad or with a printed book, you participate," he said. "The novelist creates a world and the reader brings something to it. Reading is not a passive process. Literary interactivity means more than computer games. Or should do."It is a challenge that also intrigues acclaimed authors Blake Morrison and Will Self, although they detect some obstacles. As professor of creative writing at Goldsmiths College, at the University of London, Morrison has just launched a £10,000 prize for innovative new writing and argues that the success of experimental ebooks will depend on making interactivity more than just a feature. "Reading by its very nature is interactive – whether you do it on an iPad or with a printed book, you participate," he said. "The novelist creates a world and the reader brings something to it. Reading is not a passive process. Literary interactivity means more than computer games. Or should do."
With a series of classic titles, such as John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps, as well as new work, about to be released in interactive formats, Faber and HarperCollins are among the publishing houses coaxing top contemporary names into creating the next generation of experimental novels.With a series of classic titles, such as John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps, as well as new work, about to be released in interactive formats, Faber and HarperCollins are among the publishing houses coaxing top contemporary names into creating the next generation of experimental novels.
Self, the Man Booker-shortlisted author of the unorthodox 2012 novel Umbrella, points out that early novelists such as Cervantes and Laurence Sterne were happy to play with format. "The sheer idea of experimentation in that form is interesting and people will want to mess around with these possibilities," he said, adding that, for him, there remains "an unavoidable linearity to the reading experience".Self, the Man Booker-shortlisted author of the unorthodox 2012 novel Umbrella, points out that early novelists such as Cervantes and Laurence Sterne were happy to play with format. "The sheer idea of experimentation in that form is interesting and people will want to mess around with these possibilities," he said, adding that, for him, there remains "an unavoidable linearity to the reading experience".
According to Scott Pack, head of digital development for HarperCollins, the days of just embedding music and a couple of videos into the text of an ebook are numbered: "Content doesn't need to be just words any more. We have to push to make it integral, and we can do this if writers really embrace it."According to Scott Pack, head of digital development for HarperCollins, the days of just embedding music and a couple of videos into the text of an ebook are numbered: "Content doesn't need to be just words any more. We have to push to make it integral, and we can do this if writers really embrace it."
Pack's boss at HarperCollins, Victoria Barnsley, recently pinpointed online innovation as crucial to the survival of the industry. "There is a hell of a lot you can do and this has taken me into a lot of new areas," said Pack, who last year published Caroline Smailes's 99 Reasons Why, which offered 11 different endings. "By adding a GPS element, for instance, you could alter a text according to your location."Pack's boss at HarperCollins, Victoria Barnsley, recently pinpointed online innovation as crucial to the survival of the industry. "There is a hell of a lot you can do and this has taken me into a lot of new areas," said Pack, who last year published Caroline Smailes's 99 Reasons Why, which offered 11 different endings. "By adding a GPS element, for instance, you could alter a text according to your location."
Innovation has so far centred on non-fiction and mass market ebooks, but Pack thinks the online era has broken down old boundaries between genres of writing. "There is a much broader crossover now," he said, "but literary fiction is difficult because it needs to be taken seriously. It will come down to the writing, of course, although it is unlikely authors can do it alone."Innovation has so far centred on non-fiction and mass market ebooks, but Pack thinks the online era has broken down old boundaries between genres of writing. "There is a much broader crossover now," he said, "but literary fiction is difficult because it needs to be taken seriously. It will come down to the writing, of course, although it is unlikely authors can do it alone."
Morrison sees the possibilities opened up by interactive books, but will not give up on the printed page. "I don't see this as a war between old and new, between the fustiness of print and the excitement of reading on Kindles and iPads," he said. "Most authors are interested in both technologies. Most readers are too. We all want the best of both worlds. And why not?"Morrison sees the possibilities opened up by interactive books, but will not give up on the printed page. "I don't see this as a war between old and new, between the fustiness of print and the excitement of reading on Kindles and iPads," he said. "Most authors are interested in both technologies. Most readers are too. We all want the best of both worlds. And why not?"
With a nod in the direction of avant-garde 20th century writers such as BS Johnson and Georges Perec, Self notes that the printed novel is still a relatively new form. "It took a long time for it to find the appearance of a realistic, linear form," he said. "It is true that linearity in the novel is undoubtedly an ideology, but people still write novels in linear form because they read books in linear form."With a nod in the direction of avant-garde 20th century writers such as BS Johnson and Georges Perec, Self notes that the printed novel is still a relatively new form. "It took a long time for it to find the appearance of a realistic, linear form," he said. "It is true that linearity in the novel is undoubtedly an ideology, but people still write novels in linear form because they read books in linear form."
When complaints reached Self that Umbrella had no chapters, he asked readers if there were chapters in their lives. "Some told me that there were, so I said they were reading too many novels with chapters. You cannot abandon all linearity on the page, though. There is some unavoidable traction for the reader there."When complaints reached Self that Umbrella had no chapters, he asked readers if there were chapters in their lives. "Some told me that there were, so I said they were reading too many novels with chapters. You cannot abandon all linearity on the page, though. There is some unavoidable traction for the reader there."
At the recent FutureBook conference, Faber's chief executive, Stephen Page, urged publishers to bring leading writers together with software developers. "Ebooks are a boring format that just comes straight out of normal books," he said.At the recent FutureBook conference, Faber's chief executive, Stephen Page, urged publishers to bring leading writers together with software developers. "Ebooks are a boring format that just comes straight out of normal books," he said.
On Friday Faber's interactive version of John Buchan's thriller is released for iPads, Mac and PCs. "We believe the product has the potential to reach out to audiences everywhere – whether they're core gamers, digital readers or anyone else with a passion for a great story," said Simon Meel of The Story Mechanics, the company that developed the content.On Friday Faber's interactive version of John Buchan's thriller is released for iPads, Mac and PCs. "We believe the product has the potential to reach out to audiences everywhere – whether they're core gamers, digital readers or anyone else with a passion for a great story," said Simon Meel of The Story Mechanics, the company that developed the content.
Yet Iain Pears is wary of gaming content. "My interactive book, which has the working title Arcadia, is very much a story. I don't want too much reader involvement and there's no game," he said. "Games may look great, but you are never going to get Hamlet out of a game. I am telling a story that will be an app before it is a hardback or a paperback. Faber understood it would look like a gimmick if the app came out later."Yet Iain Pears is wary of gaming content. "My interactive book, which has the working title Arcadia, is very much a story. I don't want too much reader involvement and there's no game," he said. "Games may look great, but you are never going to get Hamlet out of a game. I am telling a story that will be an app before it is a hardback or a paperback. Faber understood it would look like a gimmick if the app came out later."
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