James Patterson on Facebook

Along with his personal social networking site (myjamespatterson.com), Patterson released what is called, “the first author-created, crime-solving Facebook game” by Allfacebook.com.  Players partner with detective Alex Cross in To Catch a Killer to solve one of 11 crime scenarios.  Of course, there is a book, and Alex Cross is a character in many of those books, but Patterson offers a free online game to go along with this book.

So, what does this integration between literature and online gaming mean for the future of books?  It’s meant what I’ve suspected would happen to literature for a while now.  It will become more interactive.  Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books?  Maybe you read them as a kid or gave one to your son or daughter for Christmas.  They’ve been around for a while.

Well, I think many more books will become online interactive Choose Your Own Adventure games.  Though, with the direction gaming is headed, I think facebook apps only begin to touch the possibilities.  It wouldn’t surprise me if within the next 10 years there are virtual reality games in which a person can interact with the characters of books.

Now, what does this mean for those authors and aspiring authors who are lucky enough to make a profit with their writing?  It means get on Sony Online Entertainment’s good side.  Seriously, it means writing good books is no longer enough.  Instead, concentrate on writing good books people can interact with.  Allow them to get to know you, your characters, and your fictional world.