The Silent History

The groundbreaking digital novel, the story of a generation of unusual children — now updated and rebooted. One of Apple's Best Apps of the Year. “Entirely revolutionary.” —Wired. “Will change your reading experience forever.” —Buzzfeed.

The Silent History is a groundbreaking innovation in digital fiction, the story of a generation of unusual children, told through serialization, collaboration, and exploration.

“Entirely revolutionary.” —Wired

“A landmark project that illuminates a possible future for e-book novels.” —LA Times

In the early years of the 21st century, doctors begin to notice more and more children being born with a strange condition: silence. No speech, no comprehension, and soon a complete lack of engagement with most human interaction. The kids are seen as not much more than empty vessels, and many are sent to orphanages and group homes — until a teacher at one of these facilities realizes that the children have developed enigmatic, powerful skills of their own.

Testimonials are presented in the form of oral histories told by characters directly affected by the condition — parents, teachers, doctors, cult leaders, faith healers, and government officials, with unexpected intersections and unifying narratives. The 120 Testimonials provide the central backbone of the story.

The Field Reports are short, site-specific accounts that deepen and expand the central narrative, written and edited in collaboration with the readers of the Testimonials. To access and comprehend a Field Report, the reader must be physically present in the location where the Report is set. Reports are deeply entwined with the particularities of their specific physical environments — the stains on the sidewalk, the view between the branches, a strangely ornate bannister, etc — so that the text and the actual setting support and enhance each other. Each of these reports can be read on its own, but they all interrelate and cohere within the larger narrative.

The project is the result of a unique collaboration between the former managing editor of McSweeney’s (Eli Horowitz), award-winning authors (Kevin Moffett and Matthew Derby), Wired magazine’s “Most Wired Storyteller” (Russell Quinn), and contributors on five continents.

"Exquisitely designed… The overall effect is one of total immersion."
—Boston Globe

"A book-app chimera with the weight and flow of a good novel and the open-ended world-making potential of a collaborative game. … A revelation."
—Contents

"One of the most talked-about new experiments."
—NY Times

"Absolutely stunning… Brilliant. I am firmly hooked."
—AppAdvice

"The Silent History is both an experiment and a dramatic statement: what is possible when fiction and technology merge in a meaningful and innovative way?"
—KQED

"Incredibly interesting."
—TUAW

"No interactive or electronic book in existence has ever come close to the creativity or the uniqueness or the altogether newness of The Silent History."
—TeleRead

"Will change your reading experience forever."
—BuzzFeed