# Self-Destructing Digital Books 'A Universe Explodes' is Designed to Morph and Shrink When Shared By Joey Haar | Published 2017-04-14 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-universe-explodes References: [wired](https://www.wired.com/2017/04/bizarre-digital-book-must-destroy-sharing/) & [a-universe-explodes](https://a-universe-explodes.com/) 'A Universe Explodes,' a new digital book written by Tea Uglow, developed by [Impossible Bureau](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/impossible-metals), and published by Editions At Play, subverts the commonly held notions about what digital books are. Whereas a physical book can be limited edition simply by having the publisher print a limited number of copies, digital books are theoretically infinitely copiable. 'A Universe Explodes' uses coding and a clever design concept to change this theory. The original version of the story was released to just 100 owners. Though these owners can indeed share the book infinitely, it can only be shared once they remove two words and add one word to every page. This means that, every time the book gets [shared between owners](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/video-sharing1), it will look slightly different and it will have one less word per page. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 12% | Activity: 39% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Self-destructing Digital Books:** Creating opportunities for limited edition digital content by using code and design concepts. - **Dynamic Digital Content:** Engaging audiences with interactive digital content that changes with each iteration. - **Collectible Digital Content:** Generating exclusive and collectible digital content using unique sharing requirements. ### Who This Affects Most - **Publishing:** Innovative possibilities for digital publishing with new ways to create and share exclusive and collectible content. - **Art & Design:** Opportunities for artists and designers to create interactive digital content that can be manipulated by the audience. - **Digital Marketing:** Innovative marketing strategies that utilize collectible and dynamic digital content to engage audiences and generate buzz. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Interactive Fantasy Fiction Books](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/curious-readers.md) - [Phygital Journal-Style Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/interactive-book-game.md) - [Water-Activated Book Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dehydrating-book.md) - [Digital Release Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/shreddit.md) - [Electronic 3D Book Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bbook.md) - [Nordic Library Book Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dawit-isaak-library.md) - [Dynamic NFT Magazines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vogue-singapore-magazine.md) - [Feed-Style Reading Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-holdout.md) - [Texting Publication Services](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/my-forever-books.md)