Here's a sample image from the book: 'The Merchants of Cool' by Kevin Bourgeois.
(The Guardian has a gallery here if you'd like to see more.)
The book is simply a collection of 3D artworks by young contemporary artists exploring the form. Which isn't to belittle it - It looks great. But it did get me thinking about whether 3D is a possibility for literary fiction. I for one would love to see a book made like this, an experiment in taking the fictional and imaginative into 3D. But I suspect this is a pipe dream that would never be realised, and perhaps it would be more novelty than novel... Perhaps.
What do you think? Would you read a 3D novel?
3 comments:
A 3D novel is certainly a fascinating concept, presenting a fresh and contemporay preference for readers to experience. I like the sound of the idea, indeed - although, speaking as someone from within the printing & binding industry. The printing costs can become be astronomical in producing pages containing colour throughout, that'd be the draw back with printing red & blue text to achieve a 'tradional style' 3D effect. If the the 3D composition could be achieved without colour combinations of that kind, and could be printed in black and white, then the concept seems financially viable.
Thanks Matt, that's a really interesting perspective on it.
My take on it would be slightly different, in that if you were going to produce a 3D novel, you ought to view it as a special or artist's edition, and so you shouldn't compromise.
Print it in full colour, but with a higher price than you're average novel..?
True, a higher price shouldn't detract from the real value and uniqueness of such a publication, in fact even if a limited-special edition was costly to produce, confidence in the quality of the content should counteract any uncertainties. I'd personally be happy to pay a little 'extra out of the ordinary' for something a little bit extraordinary!
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