The Future Of Reading And The World’s First Immersive Novel With L.S Larson

Sheer fantasy and delight await those who scroll through the world’s first Immersive Novel: IGIST (the Intergalactic Institute of Science and Technology; pronounced “eye-gist”), which is now available on iOS and Android platforms. The journey’s intended medium is an innovative app that combines the essential elements of an e-reader with gamified techniques you might find in Angry Birds or your favourite filter on TikTok.

The real power of the experience stems from the compelling story that is elegantly enhanced by all the capabilities of your smartphone. Marrying technology and art, the IGIST app (Android link ) immerses the reader in an extraordinary universe in a way that traditional books and e-readers can’t match.

The World’s First Immersive Reading Experience

As you enter the IGIST app, an opening crawl sequence transports you to the not-so-distant future. Imagine a teenager dreaming of this universe where mankind has spread across the cosmos, and orbiting the moon is a space station called IGIST, the most prestigious science university in the solar system.

IGIST teaches its students to overcome the most complex scientific challenges in the galaxy by instilling in them a simple ethos: No matter what problems we face an idea can prevail. However, the IGIST universe is certainly no nirvana. Over the last hundred years, there has been a space brain drain, leaving Earth a dreary backwater and frightening location for those left behind. The bygones, those left on Earth, are terrorized by an amoebic monster called the plague.

Enter our heroine, a young woman named Emi, who dreams of escaping the plague-ravaged Earth, attending the elite IGIST, and becoming a great scientist. Emi is a strong-willed student with crazy determination, a spark of creativity, and an unquenchable desire to make an impact. In her first year at IGIST, she enters the Agon—the most renowned science competition in the galaxy—with the goal of creating a remedy for the plague to save her fellow bygones.

Described as a “stellar futuristic tale” in a Kirkus Review, the story is a breathless succession of escapes, intellectual pursuits, unexpected encounters, and dangerous missions. True to the nature of progress, Emi and her comrades persevere through countless defeats, making for an enthralling adventure. The power of the story comes from the rich detail of the IGIST universe as well as the courage of our heroine Emi, who overcomes her obsession of working alone, evolving into a great teammate and leader.  

Despite the captivating drama, the world of IGIST is chock-full of surprising delights, such as the tradition of IGIST pranks dubbed “Sputniks.” In one notable Sputnik, IGIST seniors burn the name of the school onto rival Apollo University’s home turf on the moon large enough for the people on Earth to see it.

Hailing from all over the galaxy, the dynamic cast of characters includes Emi’s orb-shaped drone pal, Sadee; the ever-optimistic Hans, a deep space explorer attending IGIST via hologram; shaggy, yak-like giants called Wardens, the gatekeepers to the school; and Jack Lemore, a transhuman figure who morphs into a tiger-like humanoid, known as a misfit. The colorful characters display their emotions, fears, and triumphs on a human scale, in the midst of a distinctive sci-fi universe. IGIST was described as “Star Wars meets Harry Potter” by another reviewer

So, is it a book? A game? An augmented reality app? It’s difficult to say exactly what it is other than extraordinary. The immersive novel enhances the story with photorealistic illustrations and animations that pop up throughout the text. As readers progress through the story, they earn badges and coins which they can then use to purchase character portraits and stickers, as well as character cards, including concept art and a video interview in which author L.S. Larson describes how the characters developed over time.

In addition, augmented reality features enable readers to turn themselves into a hologram and interact with the props, settings, and characters from the story. They also bring IGIST posters, merchandise, and illustrations from the paperback (available on Amazon) to life.

And the best part? L.S. Larson and the IGIST crew are currently launching IGIST around the globe. They hosted a stellar launch event at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where Larson gave an enlightening presentation about the inspiration for creating IGIST as well as IGIST’s mission to inspire the next generation of innovators to study STEM and build a better future.

While they were in Edinburgh, Larson and the IGIST crew also visited Calton Hill and the Elephant House, where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter. Later this summer, Larson and the IGIST crew will be in England, Switzerland, France, and Italy, hosting free IGIST launch events. At the events, Larson will be available to sign books and take pictures with fans. Visit igist.com to register for a launch event near you and learn more about the first of many innovative and exciting IGIST experiences.

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