HTML5 and the future of eBooks

What does coding and programming have to do with books, you might ask? Is this the death of print books? What could all that gobble-de-gook that I see on my web browser have to do with the smooth simplicity and non-tech-iness of my favorite book?

In the future, probably quite a lot.

eBooks are growing as a way that people consume literature of all kinds. Last year's VentureBeat headline says it all: "Ebooks are the fastest-growing area for book sales, especially for youngsters." Apart from using the word "youngsters," that headline hits the nail on the head. eBooks are growing rapidly, and the most eyebrow-raising aspect about it is that younger people are buying them. That means that as they age, they will have a connection to eBooks as a way of consuming literary content.

So what's this HTML5 business about?

In it's most basic form, HTML5 is the nickname for all of the new things that coders can do with HTML. It's the evolution of the front-end programming language that is used to create, deliver and stylize most of the web and digital content we all use and consume on a daily basis.

HTML5 as a next step brings some important new functionality to the language, and from a publishing standpoint, the important part is that this new functionality is available for formatting and delivering new books.

Where the eBook we all know seems intent on delivering a digital version of the print-reading experience, HTML5 allows eBooks to act as digital content rather than an imitator, and allows a lot of the interactivity and design options that the Internet has gotten us all used to.

That's the high level view. Imagine your future eBooks having hyperlinks, interactive video and image content, geolocation options to customize book reading experiences - and that's just the tip of the eBook functionality iceberg.

Have any of you read a book created with HTML5? What do you think?

If you're interested in digging deeper and learning more about how HTML5 will impact eBooks and publishing in the future, I recommend this great book simply and powerfully called HTML5 for Publishers from O'Reilly Media.

Image courtesy of campuspartybrasil via flickr