the future of literature

[cacian]

What next do you think?
What would be the next big thing after Sci-Fi and Fanction?
Most of the words are now being halfed nicknamed abbreviated as well cut and shipsghaped to half numbers and half words who knows halfed letters next all for the sake of mobile phones computers and speed
Are we heading towards ''no words left to write with'' now that we are faced with tablets to read from and keyboard taken off for the sake of touch screen and technology?

here is my opening thoughts
''there was once a word that grew into a language but unfortunatley it keeps getting jammed against technical speed just like a car against traffic lights thus createing queues and ultimately havock oh end punctuation is another way of jamming technology too it slows down my writing and encumber my keyboards with unecessary stops grrrrrr''

Please discuss

[crusoe]

My personal future regarding the odds and ends of HOW TO READ and WHAT TO READ lies definetely in the past. (19th century Naturalism...preferably french)

...but back to your question. COMICS will be the future. Half sentences, grunting...in short: modern communication and pics = COMICS

Throw your TV away...

[RicMisc]

I don't know what'll become of literature in the future. I personally wouldn't be able to live without reading a book but a lot of my peers straight out DETEST reading and those that do read do not read literature. I am somewhat afraid of what the future will hold but I hope there will always be enough people that read books so that people will keep writing them.

As for how we are going to read them, I think ereaders will become standard or something in that direction. I have one already and I read a lot of books off of that thing and I'm really pleased with it. Paper will gradually disappear if you ask me.

[Paulclem]

There's never been so many books sold and read as now in whatever format. The novel is not dead, but the general classifications keep on growing - just look at the Dark Romance vampire stuff, which is very new.

The other thing is that regarding literature, people look into it when their reading develops. I began reading war stories and pulpy horror, but I progressed on from there and began to read around a lot. Reading by an individual develops over time. How long can comics sustain reading - good as they are? People don't stay in one place with their reading.

[Revolte]

It's really a flipping coin. It could go sour, or it could get better. I absolutely hate the transformation to LCD screens as a preferable outlet. And it scares the hell out of me as a writer. If there ever comes a time I'm able to get long enough work published, say a novel or a book of poetry, and my only reasonable outlet is through download then I will be forced to refuse and give up my dream, as it would have already been dead. I don't want that for me, or for anyone else.


"...but back to your question. COMICS will be the future. Half sentences, grunting...in short: modern communication and pics = COMICS"

Ah but something such as a graphic novel is a multi-art, like video games. It's been relevant for years. I wouldn't see it as the future of literature, but this new found obsession with pictures and the claim that written word isn't gripping could mean a rise before a fall. I understand people may not take learning as being very important now days, and it's easier to look at a picture then to read lines of text, but it would be harmful as a people to lose written word in place of pictures. When I was little they helped, as I was learning to read and it was difficult to understand so many different words in so many different contexts. But I'd like to think that reading and learning will make a comeback.

[Monamy]

The way I see it, it won't be a literary work nor a comic, but something in-between.

Mr. Wolf is right when he said:

I understand people may not take learning as being very important now days, and it's easier to look at a picture then to read lines of text, but it would be harmful as a people to lose written word in place of pictures.

That's why I think the upcoming generation might try to mix both into one. Comics could be an example of this actually, but Comics seem to have their focus on images than text and/or storyline. I don't know if it can be called a genre itself, but what if someone writes a book then squeezes some pictures here and there (ie major characters, cities, items etc.) Or maybe print every 'page' of the book with a visual background (in place of the usual milky-white blank of the paper) that is related one way or another with the story so far? That idea was in my head for some time now, I wonder if I will ever get to write a story good enough for publishing. But once I do, I intend to make my book like that. Of course, that will mean looking for a suitable artist (a collaboration of some sort) but it's worth a try, in my opinion.

[Paulclem]

Why stick to pictures? We had a similar discussion in the poetry thread, and the question I asked was could multimedia enhance the language? I still don't know why it couldn't, but it's early days yet.

We of the print generation might think that pictures are a distraction from the text, let alone video etc, but I don't see why it should be so in the long run. it's just a case of getting the mind used to it. the idea that the best, most serious and important ideas will be ensconced in print only is merely our narrow mindedness. With multimedia and our brains' undoubted ability to assimilate lots of info, then i think it's a distinct possibility that there will be a literary mash up with other media. Why not? In fact how many of us choose to listen to music as we read? it's not a big step away from that to include pictures and animation. imagine playing chapters of book as you read it. i think that would be great. All we need is the audience to realise they want it and be willing to pay for it.

[crusoe]

A story in pictures (Comic) gives us a finished interpretation...I want to imagine the scenes by myself (with the help of the author's word-power.

[Monamy]

Paulclem, good point there. But I think one of the most magical things about literature is that it's a silent work in which the author (and the reader) breath life into it as it enters the mind. We imagine voices, sounds, personalities and so on. Sometimes not the way the author intend it to be, but that's not always a bad thing.

Sure, why not? Mixing soft, tranquil music with a thrilling story at night is still one of my own personal delights =D

[Paulclem]

A story in pictures (Comic) gives us a finished interpretation...I want to imagine the scenes by myself (with the help of the author's word-power.

I don't disagree - and no doubt this will continue for those who want it that way. I just wonder what the digital revolution will do for readers who have been brought up on reading screens and with the access they have to multimedia. Putting the two together without debasing either medium will take skill and sensitivity, and no doubt there will be grosser interventions - again forthose that want them.

In poetry, just as line length, stresses, internal rhymes and different forms enhance the words, so too could other appropriate effects such as colour - fade in and outs, highlighted words etc etc. The language would still be there, but with visual as well as language effects.

[Alexander III]

It's really a flipping coin. It could go sour, or it could get better. I absolutely hate the transformation to LCD screens as a preferable outlet. And it scares the hell out of me as a writer. If there ever comes a time I'm able to get long enough work published, say a novel or a book of poetry, and my only reasonable outlet is through download then I will be forced to refuse and give up my dream, as it would have already been dead. I don't want that for me, or for anyone else.

I know that feel, and understand your pain. But for me it was not the LCD screens and the kindles. It was Guttenberg's devil machine which killed any aspiration I had to be a poet. I mean, was Virgil's oeuvre churned out by some expressionless machine making identical and soulless copies, or where his works copied out by skilled artisans who imbued into every line of every word the art of the human soul, matching the passion of their curves to the passion of his words. Gutenberg killed literature.

[Paulclem]

Excellent post Alex.

At the moment a lot of the internet is text based, and that's fine. A few years ago i wondered whether my kids would move away from text and some other video/ second life/ avatar interaction would take over facebook and other mediums. It hasn't yet, though there is an interesting interaction of text, photos, comments, symbols, videos etc which can be drilled into to eke out more information if you want. It seems to have been like this for a while after that initial jump into the internet.

I think it has its advantages - there is a barrier, as there is on here, which means that you can converse quite freely with people wthout them trying to intimidate you in all the usual ways. Even a kid can stand up for themselves in text. It makes a comfortable playing field on which to converse. It seems to work as the more rabid members don't seem to last: they don't forge and hold any digital relationships.

We and many others enjoy reading, and so the market won't just disappear, but it will be interesting to see what is made of it. Pwerhaps there'll be artistic digital installations which are interactive and include art, literature and music. It ust takes imaginatin.

[Revolte]

\ they don't forge and hold any digital relationships.

Good, they live in a real world and know the difference between grass and code.

[Monamy]

Nice opinions

Yeah, virtual worlds seem to be just the hit in this generation. But even those virtual worlds have their share of literature, believe it or not. I checked second life, for example, and found a good number of lands that have libraries. There are digital 'books' in there that you can purchase using ingame currency (or whatever) but that also brings up the subject of reading off the screen instead of papers.

I fear for our beloved literature in the coming decades.

[Paulclem]

Good, they live in a real world and know the difference between grass and code.

Why wouldn't they? The two are not mutually exclusive, and I don't know about anyone else but neither digital nor real world relationships impinge on each other. I just conduct them at different times.