FOR true bibliophiles, no amount of technological wizardry matches the feeling of paper on skin that only ''real books'' can provide.
With the release next week of the pocket-sized, ultra-light ''flipback'' book, they can enjoy the feel of a printed novel and the portability of an e-book.
The books measure 12 by 8 centimetres and weigh less than 150 grams, barely more than an iPhone. The format was invented in 2009, when Dutchman Hugo van Woerden, the CEO of Christian printing house Jongbloed, was looking for ways to use excess Bible paper. He put the lightweight, high-quality ''onion skin'' into a series of miniature sideways books that can be read with one hand, perfect for crowded buses and trains.
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The books were an instant success, prompting some to claim the paperback was fighting back against electronic readers.
''I certainly wouldn't claim these are 'Kindle slayers', although some book sellers are saying it,'' said Louise Sherwin-Stark, a sales and marketing director at Hachette Australia.
The publisher will release 11 titles in flipback form on July 12. They include Stephen King's Misery, John le Carre's Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy and James Frey's controversial memoir, A Million Little Pieces.
Hachette will release another six titles in the small format in October and a further six during the Christmas period.
Despite their size, flipback books cost slightly more to make than the average-sized paperback, partly because they are all made at the one printer in the Netherlands, but also because they use high-quality paper and have cloth binding on the spine. They are expected to retail for less than $20.
Brett Osmond, the marketing and publicity director at Random House Australia, welcomed the new format.
''Publishing has never needed the spirit of invention more than it does now, to remind people that printed storytelling is relevant, dynamic, interesting and adapting to changing tastes - and that publishers are prepared to take a risk.''
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http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/enterta ... z1QzGPsiTb
since they are a SCiFi & Fantasy publishing house I can see that site becoming a firm favourite of mine 
