Storybook Favorites

Storybook 1: Ragnarok: The End of the World

Depiction of Ragnarok,
from Alexander Scott's Storybook website

This storybook piqued my interest for a few reasons. I'm really interested in the concept of "the end of the world." It's something, like the storybook author describes in their introduction, that has fascinated and been dreamt about in just about every ancient and modern culture. The second reason is that I've been around Norse mythology a bit because of Academic Team, but I haven't ever really read it before. The author did a good job at transitioning into the explanation of Ragnarok, noting the key difference that it wasn't any typical end of the world scenario, but one that included the end of the gods as well. Like most humans, I am pretty interested in the future, but I never knew that the story of Ragnarok included premonitions about the gods' deaths. 

As far as design goes, the author did a good job at selecting a theme for their website to match the tone that an end of the world narrative brings about. It's clean and simple and easy to navigate. 

Storybook 2: Project Humanity: Human Research Program

Image from Author's Storyboard website,
Project Humanity

I was attracted to his story right away because of its title. I'm really interested in science fiction and technology, plus I was hoping for some sort of mad scientist story baked in. The storybook didn't turn out to be one detailing the trials of a rogue experimenter, but rather a futuristic tale of a researcher assigned to the boring task of revisiting the past and studying human beings. 

The introduction was fresh because it dropped you right into the world of our main character, subject AXKZ-1029. It was humorous, because his attitudes and thoughts were similar to many of our own towards topics or subjects for which we don't care much.

The color scheme was a little off, but I really enjoyed the rest of the design. The font choice brings to mind thoughts of technology and a potential technocrat future. I really like how the website also refers to the story as a "program", which fits right into the context of the story and its world. 

Storybook 3: Chasing a Rabbit Trail

Image taken from Author's Storybook,
Chasing a Rabbit Trail

I loved this storybook from the moment I saw it! The design is super crisp and appropriate, and the welcome page is a great way to interact with the reader. 

The introduction is both informative and well-written, explain the storybook as a journey that our narrator Oak decides to go on to become who he is supposed to. The excerpt at the top of the page does a good job of explaining the motivations that Oak has for wanting to travel, beyond just visiting some of his rabbit relatives.

I recognized some of the rabbit names, but to be honest I haven't read any of the stories from which these critters originate.