(2010-06-05) Stephenson Mongoliad

Wow, just discovered Neal Stephenson's Mongoliad EBook plans. the app interface. A series of clickable options run down the left side of the iPad screen, including access to chapters, movies, images, maps, and a "pedia" or glossary...Though interactive fiction (novels) have had snippets of movies and images in them since the mid-1990s, PULP is what makes The Mongoliad stand out as a possible way forward for post-print publishing. PULP makes this book into something that's truly the product of our collective imaginations. When you're reading a chapter of the book, you always have the option to pull up a an interactive discussion window and leave a note or enter a discussion about the book. You can write your own additional storyline. Or add to the pedia to explain more about the historical setting. You can also rate every aspect of the book, rating any page on a scale of one to five stars. The Mongoliad isn't just a story; it's a platform for collaborative worldbuilding. The question is, how do you prevent such an endeavor from degenerating into chaos? "We have the concept of canonicity – if we like it we'll tag it as canon," Bornstein says.

Aug26 update: hmm, haven't heard anything since I signed up...