It’s a video! It’s a book! Look, it’s a vook!

First there was electronic + mail = e-mail.

Then there was Web + log = blog.

Now, there’s video + book = vook.

Say what?

Yeah, exactly. I’d never heard of it either until I saw somewhere that Anne Rice is turning a previously-published short story about vampires (yay!) into a vook, which, according to www.vook.com, is “a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story.”

That’s a mouthful and a tall order. Does it deliver? Reviews are still pretty few and far between, but for the most part, they aren’t really impressed. There’s just something too ADHD about trying to read a book while a screen is playing video at the same time.

Take a look:

The list of titles currently available in vook form is also pretty limited — there are only 13, with Anne Rice’s The Master of Rampling Gate coming soon.

So, with the success of the iPhone and Kindle, will the “vook” be the next big thing? I’ll reserve judgement for now, but I’d love to hear what you think. Would you be willing to shell out $2-7 per title for this?