Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Future of Publishing Goes Right in the Toilet

GalleyCat:
Forget fancy digital readers and electronic paper, the future of reading is written on a different medium. Japanese horror writer Koji Suzuki just published a nine-chapter novella on a roll of toilet paper.

[Insert Jim Born Joke Here ]

The "Drop" novella is set in a public bathroom, and can be read in a few minutes--taking up three feet of toilet paper. According to the AP, it retails for about $2.20 a roll. Suzuki wrote the "The Ring," a scary story adapted into popular Japanese and American movies.

I don't know what's worse. the fact it's written and sold on TP or the fact that it's called "Drop". I suppose I should count my blessings. It could be called "Plop."

Here's the spooky rationale behind the story: "Toilets in Japan were traditionally tucked away in a dark corner of the house due to religious beliefs. Parents would tease children that a hairy hand might pull them down into the dark pool below." (Via Ron Charles)

Makes me glad I grew up in America. We only had to worry about the ghoulies under the bed.

5 comments:

  1. I'm remembering a poster for a horror film called Ghoulies. It featured a monster climbing out of a toilet. The poster's tagline was, "They'll get you in the end!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...if that's what it takes to get published these days, then someone toss me a roll of Charmin while I dig up my favorite pen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Off-topic -- here's a suggestion for an upcoming newspaper column:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703627.html

    So help me, I thought for a minute that I was reading The Onion.

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's actually a pretty nice gimmick if you think about it. It's amusing and appropriate to the subject matter.

    But yeah the name is disturbing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Funniest story I've read in a while...

    So should we be saying, Look out Random House, Charmin wants in on our action.

    ReplyDelete