The Silent History

The Silent History is a groundbreaking innovation in digital fiction, the story of a generation of unusual children, told through serialization, collaboration, and exploration.

In the early years of the 21st century, doctors begin to notice more and more children being born with a strange condition: silence. No speech, no comprehension, and soon a complete lack of engagement with most human interaction. The kids are seen as not much more than empty vessels, and many are sent to orphanages and group homes — until a teacher at one of these facilities realizes that the children have developed enigmatic, powerful skills of their own.

The app itself (including two videos and a prologue) is free, and the text can be purchased by volume (1.99 USD) or as a whole (all six volumes for 8.99 USD).

The story is told via daily updates, called Testimonials: 120 parts, divided into six volumes, unfolding over the course of a year. Each day is a glimpse into a different character touched by the phenomenon — parents, doctors, classmates, skeptics, followers, mimes — intertwining and colliding to weave an epic narrative.

For readers who would like to explore more deeply, the app also includes hundreds of Field Reports — smaller incidents taking place across the U.S. and around the world, mapped upon the alleys, buildings, and overlooked artifacts that surround us. The Reports can be read only while you are present at the location in which they occur. (Note: the Field Reports are not necessary for a full enjoyment of the central narrative.) Readers of The Silent History are also invited to participate in the creation of the next wave of Field Reports.

The project is the result of a unique collaboration between the former managing editor of McSweeney’s (Eli Horowitz), award-winning authors (Kevin Moffett and Matthew Derby), Wired magazine’s “Most Wired Storyteller” (Russell Quinn), and contributors on five continents.