... possibly even more of a transformation than
paper-based magazine publishers are attempting as
they rejig their content models towards the iPad.
Words like "para-narrative," "nontextual," and
"extra-narrative" certainly suggest this.
I hope it's a little more thought-out and realized than the last hypertext revolution.
Rather than try to tell everyone how cool and game-changing this is supposed to be, they should just do what they're going to do and let people find out (or not) for themselves.
Dude, if it's 1/10th as mindblowing as plain-text Anathem, I am first in line to buy this thing.
The downside is that even if it is transformative, that only tells us one thing: that Neal Stephenson can do this. It certainly doesn't tell us the average magazine publisher can carry it off.
Those with iPads... are there other examples of apps with immersive media like this that you've discovered? I'm extremely curious whether the iPad/tablet form factor is going to enable a completely new medium or if it will (like the kindle) just translate an old medium with some bells and whistles?
Rather than try to tell everyone how cool and game-changing this is supposed to be, they should just do what they're going to do and let people find out (or not) for themselves.