Different ways of storytelling

So I thought, since we're all working with cool technology such as the Nook, why not explore a slightly different way of telling a story?

Now don't get me wrong, I love books. Ask anyone who's been in my house--we have hundreds. There are two (full) bookshelves in my room alone. But with the increasing wonders of technology, there are more ways to read---or be shown---a story. The Nook is one part of this.

The reason this blog post comes up is because I've recently been playing a PC game that some of you might have heard of. It's called Dragon Age: Origins, and the way the story of this fantasy world is written is on par with great authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin.

You'll find many familiar things in the setting of Dragon Age. Elves, Dwarves, and Men (the three staple races of Tolkien's work) are in abundance, but the presentation puts a new spin on these classic themes. Elves, rather than being noble, aloof guardians of the woods, are instead oppressed and seen as "second class" citizens. Dwarves, meanwhile, give the appearance of nobility and honor (another Tolkien attribute) but are instead sly and unscrupulous, willing to do anything to gain political power.

It's these little things that make the story of Dragon Age so great. They're also what separate it from the scores of Tolkien-inspired fantasy and make it something that, if printed in book form, could easily hold its own with the great authors of today.

Let's think about that a bit. What other ways, besides books, can we tell a story?