Afterworld- a new kind of story

I ran across this yesterday. A unique way of bringing a story to life.

Afterworld lists itself as an immersive, multi-platform, sci-fi series. There are to be 130 episodes in season 1, and I’ve been through the first ten. The story starts with a man named Russell Shoemaker, who leaves his family in Seattle for a business trip to New York. When he wakes up after his first night in the Big Apple, however, he finds all technology is no longer functional and it looks like everyone in the entire city is gone. Just up and vanished. This even is soon named “The Fall.” So begins a journey of survival, self-reflection and the moral path of humanity that spans the entire country.

It’s an interesting blend of basic CGI animation, voice-over storytelling, and online interaction, where you can browse Russel’s journal, track his progress on an interactive map and interact with others who are going through the story as well. And on a musical note, the soundtrack to the website and all is rather…peaceful, I found. I like the philosophy of hope that threads its way through the events.

Check it out. Let me know what you think. I like the approach of this story. Not quite a movie. Not quite an audiobook. It requires a little of both for each webisode, and the promise of future depth and audience interaction should prove fun. I’m looking forward to the next set of episodes.

Now, I’m off to paint the apartment. Wish me much tarp-splattered luck.

I see that smile.