What if the book you are currently reading was fully interactive?  What if you could touch a scene in your book, and see it come to life as a movie?  Or examine a detailed drawing of the equipment and weapons in use?  What if your book spoke with an English accent?  What if a map of old London flashed onto the screen of your iPad as you read a chase scene, moving you through the city as the characters race to solve a crime?  Don’t the possibilities just send tingles down your spine?

What if you could participate in bringing this multi-channel project to life?

For his intriguing concept of a seven-book series of interactive novels, Richard Monson-Haefel collaborated with a writer, an artist, voice actors, and was authorized by the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle, to bring Sherlock Holmes back in an alternate steampunk world.  Not only has he brought the scenes to life through art and action, he has embedded an interactive soundtrack – music by the steampunk band, Abney Park.

In Richard’s own words, “Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus is multi-channel publishing project for the Web, eReaders (kindle, Sony, iBooks), audio players, tablets, and print. In other words, a complete editions of the books are going to be released on several different reading platforms so that everyone, no matter how they read, can enjoy the series.

Our motto is to ‘leave no reader behind’. No matter what your favorite reading platform is Steampunk Holmes will be there. 

A complete edition of every book in the series will be published on each of the following platforms:

• The Web Edition – A yearly subscription gives you access to the fist interactive novella as well as the seven planned sequels. 
• The Tablet Edition – Initially developed for the iPad, we plan to eventually create interactive editions for Android and other Tablets.
• The eReader Edition – for those folks who just want to read the text on their Kindle, Sony, or other eReader we’ll have an edition for them too.
• The Audiobook Edition – for those readers who love to listen to audiobooks while driving or cleaning the house, we have a dramatized audiobook that is about two shakes from being completed.
• The Print Edition – We love to curl up with a paper book as much as the next person and so we’ll have an illustrated printed edition as well.”

Watch Sherlock Holme’s steampunk debut here and get an update on the latest news about the project. 

Visit the official Steampunk Holmes website and check out the Black Widowmakr [sic] chopper built by Putsch Racing of Dublin, Ohio, available for sale in 2012.  I’d go steampunk if I had a chance to own Sherlock’s wicked ride.

Richard is currently seeking supporters to help fund the development of the Web and iPad applications, finish editing the audiobook, and typeset the print edition of the completed novella.  Oh, yes, and pay the artists and writer for their contributions.

He chose Kickstarter.com as the platform from which to solicit “angels.”  (For those unfamiliar with the term, an “angel” is someone who provides financial support for a production, especially on Broadway.)  Depending on your level of support, Richard has some interesting “swag” to share. 

Right now, you have the chance to join other excited supporters of Steampunk Holmes at a financial level at which you are comfortable.  Don’t worry about losing your money if Richard’s funding goal isn’t met.  If he fails to meet his goal by May 3, you don’t spend a penny.

How could you miss this opportunity to support a fellow writer in this innovative concept?  Go get your steampunk fix (don’t forget to scroll down and watch Abney Park’s new video) and help fund this novel which is breaking trail on the new future of books.

Leave a comment and let us know which platform you would enjoy the most, and tell us why.  Then kick back and let your imagination carrry you on a journey into the future of books.  How will you be creating that future with your stories?