Penguin Books has announced the launch of Anthony E Zuiker's 'Dark Origins' and the 'Digi-Novel' to the world of book publishing. The new Level 26 serial killer thriller books are complemented by a comprehensive online and digital component featuring exclusive cinematic content on a dedicated and fully interactive website.
The Level 26 site is an interactive extension of the book series, with the books and the site combining to form a 'Digi-Novel', a multi-platform experience that moves the reader from passages in the books to supporting videos and other content. Over the course of the book there are calls-to-action that direct the reader to the website to enter codes that unlock cyber-bridges.
These cinematic cyber-bridges take the experience to the next level, immersing the reader in the action and putting them inside the minds of a twisted torture-murderer and the man sent to take him down. The cyber-bridges have been developed by Anthony Zuiker and his CSI production team, and are designed to enrich the reader's experience, but are not essential to read and enjoy the story as one would traditional thriller books.
Anthony E Zuiker said: "I am extremely pleased to introduce you to my next project, 'Level 26: Dark Origins'. Level 26 takes the best features of books, film, and interactive digital technologies and rolls them all into a unique storytelling experience we're calling the world's first 'Digi-Novel'. I had a world-class cast and crew working alongside me on this project, and couldn't be more proud of the work they did, and the results we produced. I'll see you on the Dark side."
Stef Bierwerth, Editorial Director Michael Joseph said: "Dark Origins marks the great return of the classic, big serial killer thriller and at the same time takes the genre to a whole new level. Reading this novel will have the same effect on you as when you first watched Se7en or Silence of the Lambs on the big screen. It's incredibly dark, twisted and will make you face your worst nightmares. Steve Dark and Sqweegel are set to become the Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter of the 21st century and we're very proud to publish Anthony Zuiker's latest creation in the UK".
