Level 26: CSI creator’s new “digi-novel”

As if creating the CSI juggernaut wasn’t enough, Anthony Zuiker has now cooked up the concept for the first “digi-novel,” an innovative blend of novel, movie, and interactive website.

The blood-and-guts-soaked murder mystery Level 26: Dark Origins, co-authored with Duane Swierczynski, was released in book format in early Sept. Every 20 pages or so, there is a code that links to a website, where the reader can watch a short film clip featuring former CSI actors. The site, www.Level26.com, also features a discussion forum where participants can talk about the “digi-novel” and contribute to the story. 

CBC News reports that Zuiker hopes the “digi-novel” will change how readers consume books and revolutionize the publishing industry.

According to Reuters, Zuiker believes the “digi-novel” is the way of the future:

Every TV show in the next five, 10 years will have a comprehensive microsite or website that continues the experience beyond the one-hour television to keep engaging viewers 24/7 … Just watching television for one specific hour a week … that’s not going to be a sustainable model going forward.

I wanted to bring all the best in publishing, in a motion picture, in a website, and converge all three into one experience. And when the book is finished … I wanted the experience to continue online and in a social community.