The modern novel has often clashed with literary tradition but never before has it eschewed the written word altogether. Now, it appears that the latest form of fiction can be found only as a digital download.

Audible.co.uk, an internet supplier, has launched the world's first audio-only novel, Sex on Legs by Brian Luff, in the hope that it could herald a new path for the novel and the publishing industry.

The 75,000-word work, described as a "comedy scifi thriller" by Luff, takes minutes to download and a little less than six hours to get through.

While a novel in audio-only form can reach a far bigger audience on the internet than in book form, some in the industry question where this leaves the written word and whether it might discourage younger generations from reading.

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