Whoever thinks books are on their way out because of the internet and smartphones, is dead wrong: publishers are enjoying increasing revenues year after year, thanks to climbing sales figures from online stores dealing in printed books and ebooks. And just as this market is evolving, so is the form of the printed word, and the ways in which we consume it.
So what am I talking about, if I've already mentioned ebooks? Our mobile devices make it possible to enjoy a range of content, including three recent reimagined experiences of books that go beyond flipping pages. Let's dive in, shall we?
Gamebooks
If reading books makes you feel like you want to get in on the action, you should definitely check out the recent crop of gamebooks that are now available on phones and tablets. Gamebooks let you assume a role in your favourite adventures, explore magical worlds, make hard decisions that determine your character's fate, solve puzzles and battle evil foes in the quest for victory, gold, and kingdoms.
Inkle makes beautiful interactive stories that will have you playing and reading in quick succession, making entire Sundays go by in mere minutes. Embark on a quest as a warrior or wizard to find the Crown of Kings in Steve Jackson's richly illustrated Sorcery!, follow the chilling tale of Frankenstein retold by Dave Morris, or circumnavigate the globe like Phileas Fogg once did in 80 Days, scripted over 5,00,000 words by Meg Jayanth: no matter what you choose, you'll end up somewhere special.inkle.com
Web, iOS and Android
Motion books
If you are into comic books and/or graphic novels, you're going to love motion books, which bridge the gap between illustration and animation. These digital publications incorporate sound, motion and depth into digital comics that make for an almost tactile reading experience on your screen. Panels swipe in and out as they move the narrative along, backgrounds let you pan a cam era in all directions to explore scenarios like you're actually there, and soundtracks and audio effects bring the story and characters to life.
Developed and made available by the good folks at Madefire, motion books can be enjoyed on any modern browser or iOS and Android mobile devices. This new format has attracted both major franchises like Batman, Star Trek, Transformers and Hellboy, and indie releases like Liam Sharp's Testa ment and Des Taylor's The Trouble With Katie Rogers.If you've been on the fence about buying a tablet, motion books make one of the most compelling cases to get one.madefire.com
Web, iOS and Android (free samples and issues at Rs 120 each)
Audiobooks
My first job out of college saw me commute for nearly two hours, and spend 13-15 hours a day at the office — leaving me with no time to unwind and catch up on my latest bookstore finds. I quickly gravitated towards audiobooks so that I could finish a book a week just by tuning in to my iPod, on my way to and from work. Soon enough, I discovered that there was more to this new medium than just convenience: audiobooks allowed me to enjoy the stories and ideas in a whole new way; by hearing authors/volunteers read the books to me by an uninterrupted voice.
Delve deeper, and you'll find that there's often more to audiobooks than meets the ear. Some works are read by the authors themselves, adding a whole new dimension to the content — listening to Khaled Hosseini takes you through the streets and sounds of Kabul, and The Kite Runner becomes an experience you'll never forget. There are also dramatisations read by entire casts of characters, that fans of radio plays are sure to enjoy, such as Agatha Christie's thrilling Murder on the Orient Express.
So what am I talking about, if I've already mentioned ebooks? Our mobile devices make it possible to enjoy a range of content, including three recent reimagined experiences of books that go beyond flipping pages. Let's dive in, shall we?
Gamebooks
If reading books makes you feel like you want to get in on the action, you should definitely check out the recent crop of gamebooks that are now available on phones and tablets. Gamebooks let you assume a role in your favourite adventures, explore magical worlds, make hard decisions that determine your character's fate, solve puzzles and battle evil foes in the quest for victory, gold, and kingdoms.
Inkle makes beautiful interactive stories that will have you playing and reading in quick succession, making entire Sundays go by in mere minutes. Embark on a quest as a warrior or wizard to find the Crown of Kings in Steve Jackson's richly illustrated Sorcery!, follow the chilling tale of Frankenstein retold by Dave Morris, or circumnavigate the globe like Phileas Fogg once did in 80 Days, scripted over 5,00,000 words by Meg Jayanth: no matter what you choose, you'll end up somewhere special.inkle.com
Web, iOS and Android
Motion books
If you are into comic books and/or graphic novels, you're going to love motion books, which bridge the gap between illustration and animation. These digital publications incorporate sound, motion and depth into digital comics that make for an almost tactile reading experience on your screen. Panels swipe in and out as they move the narrative along, backgrounds let you pan a cam era in all directions to explore scenarios like you're actually there, and soundtracks and audio effects bring the story and characters to life.
Developed and made available by the good folks at Madefire, motion books can be enjoyed on any modern browser or iOS and Android mobile devices. This new format has attracted both major franchises like Batman, Star Trek, Transformers and Hellboy, and indie releases like Liam Sharp's Testa ment and Des Taylor's The Trouble With Katie Rogers.If you've been on the fence about buying a tablet, motion books make one of the most compelling cases to get one.madefire.com
Web, iOS and Android (free samples and issues at Rs 120 each)
Audiobooks
My first job out of college saw me commute for nearly two hours, and spend 13-15 hours a day at the office — leaving me with no time to unwind and catch up on my latest bookstore finds. I quickly gravitated towards audiobooks so that I could finish a book a week just by tuning in to my iPod, on my way to and from work. Soon enough, I discovered that there was more to this new medium than just convenience: audiobooks allowed me to enjoy the stories and ideas in a whole new way; by hearing authors/volunteers read the books to me by an uninterrupted voice.
Delve deeper, and you'll find that there's often more to audiobooks than meets the ear. Some works are read by the authors themselves, adding a whole new dimension to the content — listening to Khaled Hosseini takes you through the streets and sounds of Kabul, and The Kite Runner becomes an experience you'll never forget. There are also dramatisations read by entire casts of characters, that fans of radio plays are sure to enjoy, such as Agatha Christie's thrilling Murder on the Orient Express.
You can find these audiobooks and thousands more at Audible, and enjoy them on your PC, mobile devices or portable MP3 player. Most books include a free sample for you to check out before you buy them. If you'd like to get started with a few free ebooks, head over to LibriVox to find several classic fiction and non-fiction works that are now in the public domain read by volunteers. You can download them for free.audible.com
Web, PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Windows Phone
Web, PC, Mac, iOS, Android and Windows Phone
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