Experiencing A Book through Virtual Reality by Khaled Talib

I’m pleased to welcome Khaled Talib to the site today. Based in Singapore, Khaled is a former journalist whose articles were syndicated worldwide. His short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines, he is a member of both UK Crime Writers Association and International Thriller Writers, and Khaled’s debut novel, Smokescreen, was met with great reviews from both readers and Khaled’s peers. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Khaled on two novels, the first of which, Incognito, drops today from World Castle Publishing. Look for Gun Kiss later in 2017.

Khaled Talib Experiencing A Book through Virtual Reality

It started with rocks, then tablets, then scrolls, and when you thought it’d stop, the world surprised you with e-books. Lo and behold! Then came audio books. Yes, audio books are so popular nowadays — and why shouldn’t they be? I used to spend hours in the kitchen as a kid listening to dramas on the radio as my grandmother cooked lunch. It was fun listening to the voices and sound effects.

But tell me honestly, what’s your take on new reading technology for the publishing world? Makes you feel like those apes jumping and gawking in front of that monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, doesn’t it? Well, at least in my case.

I can just see my reaction when virtual reality books become available. I imagine seeing books that let the reader enter the author’s mind beyond words. I am talking interactive, like a Holodeck (Star Trek) where you enter different realms or dimensions for recreation purposes. The concept already exists in games; players put on special goggles and go into different worlds. They can explore strange environments and even pretend to battle monsters and enemy combatants.

Imagine experiencing a novel through VR where the reader accompanies the protagonist along the way from start to end. Perhaps they could even have an option where the reader becomes the protagonist or chooses one of the other characters to play.

I don’t know about the cost of this kind of setup, but I’m sure the tech geniuses out there can work things out. I mean, seriously, even as an author, I’d be excited to enter my own novel in VR mode. Forget marijuana, man. This is the absolute high! And I see a new kind of bookstore – a VR bookstore. You go in, check out the books and decide where you want to be today.

So, if you are a genius or one of those VR experts who’s reading this, please make it happen. Just don’t forget to create an EXIT door. Oh, hell, screw that! I want to keep going.

Khaled Talib’s publishing career began with the release of Smokescreen in 2014, a spy thriller about a magazine journalist who becomes a scapegoat in a plot to assassinate the Israeli Prime Minister. His new novel, Incognito, released by World Castle Publishing, tells the story of three specialists dispatched to find the Pope who is missing. Khaled is a former journalist with local and international exposure. His articles have been published and syndicated to newspapers worldwide, and his short stories have appeared in literary journals and magazines. The author, who resides in Singapore, is a member of the UK Crime Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers. To learn more about Khaled, visit his website.