Neal Stephenson has created a startup to develop a platform for digital novels:
http://www.nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2010/09/01/01venturebeat-writer-neal-stephenson-unveils-his-digital-n-97561.html
The article mentions they aim to bring images and video and music to the novel.
Meh.
What I would like to see, and what I've wanted to see for quite some time, are dynamic glossaries that reflect where you're up to in the story.
For example:
Bob (from page 1+)
A young orphan boy living with his granny in the woods.
Bob (from page 100+)
A bearded young man who is the lost nephew of Prince Peter.
Princess Bob (from page 150+)
A delicate woman, born a boy in a forest, married to Prince Peter.
Queen Bob (from page 250+)
Ruler of the land of Laurenthesia and widow of Prince Peter.
Too often descriptions in lengthy novels / series are only applicable to the first few chapters, or they risk giving away too much information about plot development.
(and now I yearn to discover whether Queen Bob the Just can hold her tattered kingdom (queendom?) together against the invading forces of darkness...)
