'World first' virtual reality deal struck for YA trilogy

Interactive entertainment company To Play For has acquired virtual reality (VR) rights to the Fallow Trilogy by Amy Lankester-Owen, in the first deal for the books.

Sarah Such at Sarah Such Literary Agency called the deal "a world first, where a book series has been licensed specifically for a VR production". To Play For will adapt the text to enable users to see directly into the minds of protagonists Lori and Rem.

The trilogy is set in 2166, in a world in which the authorities are experimenting on teenagers. In the first book, Neuromod, elite tracker Lori is sent on a mission to find 16-year-old Rem. Lori uses "mind fusion" to manipulate Rem's actions and in the process realises she can merge her thoughts with his, uncovering secrets about the authorities in doing so.

Guy Gadney, c.e.o. and founder of To Play For, said: "Amy's series has exactly the sort of characters and story worlds that we are looking to develop interactively. The books' 'mind-fusing' is a perfect match for VR technology."

Lankester-Owen, formerly editorial director at Jessica Kingsley, added: "VR is an exciting area and it will be fascinating to see how it can be used to immerse people into the worlds of Rem and Lori."

Gadney, who was previously head of digital at Penguin UK, will speak about virtual reality at the FutureBook conference in London on 2nd December.