The Future of Books

[Owain Taggart]

I have a Kindle, and I still like reading regular books from time to time. I don't think regular books will disappear anytime soon. There's more of a prestigious feeling to holding an actual copy of something you've written, compared to a digital copy, and it will always be easier to catch someone's eye with a good looking cover sitting on a store shelf. I find that knowing when a regular book is out on the shelves makes it easier to know when to look for the ebook, as ebooks can easily be lost in the number of them available.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Paper books aren't going to die overnight, I think there is just too much love of physical information over digital, and e-books are still in their infancy, really.

I'm not entirely sure I agree. The degree of uptake in the States has been phenomenal and I don't see any reason to think the same won't be true in other English-speaking countries.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

In the future there will be some kind of reader-device developed that will re-create the advantages of books, namely that print is more readable on a page vs text on a computer screen, and the fact that you can drop a book in the toilet or leave it on the subway without it being a pricey disaster.

I like the idea that's shown every so often in sci fi of a computerized form of paper that you read like a newspaper or a book, but the text and images can be changed continually. You could also be able to fold it into a newspaper or book format, as you see fit (or open it up to poster size or use it as a small notebook). I haven't seen that in sci fi but it would add to its appeal.

Until that sort of thing is developed, I'm happy with the old fashioned style of book. I still even check books out for free from the library!

 

[Tom Hendricks]

I read a lot and now mostly on my iPad. I love reading several books at once, however that usually meant still only carrying one book and being stuck with it. However now, I can pick up and continue with any book I choose. This is whats so appealing to me as a reader. Having ALL my books with me ALL the time. If I want to re-read a chapter of Dune, which I just finished reading...I can do that. I want to start that new Steven King novel then move onto a new Star Trek book after a chapter or two, I can do that. However with all that said, I love collecting books. Having several book shelves full of books in my office, I love to just turn around and look at the books. I wish book companies offered a way for you to purchase a physical book and get a digital download.

 

[Kemaiku]

I bought my first e-reader over a year ago and now prefer the experience, after accumulating over 300 books and reading them all my life. I don't see physical books ever completely disappearing but I do see them becoming more like vinyl, still around but niche and retro.

I'll be sticking to my e-reader from now on, but I'll keep a few select 'real' books around for nostalgic reasons.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Having ALL my books with me ALL the time. If I want to re-read a chapter of Dune, which I just finished reading...I can do that. I want to start that new Steven King novel then move onto a new Star Trek book after a chapter or two, I can do that.

It's also very handy to have the ability to search a book if you're in a book group and look up some reference or if there's a question about whether a given line/word was used. I don't really have space for loads of books, so there's a practical aspect as well.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Here's another thought: if there is a type of paper (I'll call it a "codex" just to have a label for it) that can be shaped like origami into whatever format you like, with whatever content you like downloaded onto it, it could expand beyond the traditional uses of books.

You could shape it into a poster size and download the Mona Lisa to display on your wall for a while, for instance. It should also be very cheap, so you could hand it out as a flyer and not expect it back. (However the person you give it to could also use it for their own purposes.)

I also appreciate the aesthetics of a book cover and nice paper. That could be re-created by the codex as well. If you can change the shape of the paper to make it a poster, newspaper, coffee table book, paperback, flyer or notebook, you could also have it display a beautiful cover and change the texture of the paper itself.

There's no reason to focus on the negative. The expansion of media into the digital realm means that more niche tastes will be catered to, not discarded. The era of scarcity-driven mass media is coming to a close. People who don't care about book cover and paper aesthetics will get what they want. People who do care will also get what they want. Even tastes that haven't been dreamt of yet (artwork on demand) will be catered to.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

What struck me is how rare it is on TV to see non-American characters, especially ones who authentically react in ways Americans wouldn't. It took some effort and imagination on the writers' parts to give Colette a backstory and reaction that is very different from her colleagues.

Agreed. I think that's what I really love about this show. It feels like it has cultural flavour, and I think the show could get to be more popular in Europe as a result. You can tell the writers put a lot of effort in researching things. And for once, we have a show that isn't set in a big American city, and I think that's what sets it apart.

Oops, that belongs in the Pan Am thread.

Or did the server somehow do that? It's acting very weird now.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Hah nah, I had that in my clipboard. I meant to post it in the Pan-Am thread. I absent-mindedly posted it in here thinking I was in the Pan-Am thread. It's been confusing with the board being intermittent. Oops indeed! I tried deleting my post before anyone could see it when I realized the error, but again, the board's been intermittent. Off to put it in the right thread!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Here's another thought: if there is a type of paper (I'll call it a "codex" just to have a label for it) that can be shaped like origami into whatever format you like, with whatever content you like downloaded onto it, it could expand beyond the traditional uses of books.

You could shape it into a poster size and download the Mona Lisa to display on your wall for a while, for instance. It should also be very cheap, so you could hand it out as a flyer and not expect it back. (However the person you give it to could also use it for their own purposes.)

I also appreciate the aesthetics of a book cover and nice paper. That could be re-created by the codex as well. If you can change the shape of the paper to make it a poster, newspaper, coffee table book, paperback, flyer or notebook, you could also have it display a beautiful cover and change the texture of the paper itself.

Sounds like Mr Whoopee's 3DBB.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

All my ideas come from Rocky & Bullwinkle.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Here's another thought: if there is a type of paper (I'll call it a "codex" just to have a label for it) that can be shaped like origami into whatever format you like, with whatever content you like downloaded onto it, it could expand beyond the traditional uses of books.

You could shape it into a poster size and download the Mona Lisa to display on your wall for a while, for instance. It should also be very cheap, so you could hand it out as a flyer and not expect it back. (However the person you give it to could also use it for their own purposes.)

I also appreciate the aesthetics of a book cover and nice paper. That could be re-created by the codex as well. If you can change the shape of the paper to make it a poster, newspaper, coffee table book, paperback, flyer or notebook, you could also have it display a beautiful cover and change the texture of the paper itself.

There's no reason to focus on the negative. The expansion of media into the digital realm means that more niche tastes will be catered to, not discarded. The era of scarcity-driven mass media is coming to a close. People who don't care about book cover and paper aesthetics will get what they want. People who do care will also get what they want. Even tastes that haven't been dreamt of yet (artwork on demand) will be catered to.

A little off topic here, but you should really check out a book titled Containment, by fairly new author Christian Cantrell. It takes place in the future and the author, who has some background in the sciences, spends a great deal of time going into the details of the future technology in use, including the types of "paper" and writing surfaces they use in this future world. Plus it's just an awesome book with a great mystery at its center. Having read about what kind of movies/TV shows you like around here, I think you would enjoy it.

And just to stay on topic, I'll mention that I read it on my Kindle. Actually I usually never read scifi books, but I was browsing e-books on sale and it was only 99 cents at the time, so I gave it a try and loved it!

 

[Starbreaker]

Maybe I'm over the feel and smell of real books. I like being able to slip my Sony into my back pocket and take it everywhere I go. I can lay it down on a table and pretend like I'm working sometimes at work or prop it up and read when I'm going to sleep, or take it if I eat lunch by myself and be able to eat with both hands.

 

[Saxman1]

I got a Kindle about 6 months ago (the last of my immediate family to do so) and I'm thrilled with it! You can even borrow books from the library system for Kindle!

 

[Snaploud]

Count me among the people who read more with an e-reader than prior to purchasing an e-reader. Plus, the leather cover allows me to stay professional at client-sites and the office without having to explain sci-fi covers all the time.

 

[Starbreaker]

Count me among the people who read more with an e-reader than prior to purchasing an e-reader. Plus, the leather cover allows me to stay professional at client-sites and the office without having to explain sci-fi covers all the time.

Me too. Everybody always says "what are you reading?" and I say "Stephen King" and they say "oh..." End of discussion.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I always see situations like that as an opportunity to promote creative writing.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I will always and only buy real, physical books until the day I die. And that's a fact.

 

[Vulagr]

Hell, 100 years from now paper itself might not even be around anymore.

And that's actually an interesting thought, too. Do you think there will be a time when people stop learning how to write?

Considering how people text, and junk like leet speak, I'm sure people have forgotten how to write.

 

[23skidoo]

I will always and only buy real, physical books until the day I die. And that's a fact.

Amen. E-books were always intended to be a compliment to real books, not a replacement.

Don't worry, people like you and me will have the last laugh. We're already seeing how vulnerable people are when they rely on the Cloud and third-party servers to store their data. Just a few weeks ago I was on a tech forum and some loser was bellyaching about how he lost all his e-books in a system upgrade. Absolutely no sympathy from me.

Same with those who moan and complain when they can't get download/stream their movies because their ISP is throttling the connection or the server went down or whatever. You made your bed.

My favorite statement on all this occurred in an NCIS episode a couple years back. Ziva and Tony are panicking because their Internet connection had gone down, and they were asking if there was some way they could keep up with the news without the Internet. And then Gibbs slaps a newspaper down on the desk in front of them.

We'll win. Don't worry. And the whole "will there be paper" thing is bullsh*t. Paper is wood, a renewable resource and a recyclable one, and there's no law saying books need to be printed on paper. There's a reason why pages are also referred to as "leaves", after all. And if you want to talk about environmental footprint, check out the footprint left by computers, laptops and e-readers. A book, if you really wanted to, can be burned in a fire, thrown in the garbage, or broken down for toilet paper. Try doing any of the above with a computer product and you'll get a hefty fine in many places - and possibly even a hospital (and not just for taking the last example literally).

Alex