Fantastic Metropolis

Intro · Likes · Rituals · Necessity
Examples · Memories · Bios

William Thompson

At present, yes. In future, probably not. Should technology ever be concertedly directed towards the development of e-reader technology—an effort recently abandoned or at least put on hold with the advent and popularity of PDAs—with hardware and software developed that will duplicate as closely as possible the present reading experience with traditional books—a hardware interface that replicates the size of a traditional book, is transportable, and offers the resolution quality or better of printed text—I foresee the conversion of traditional printed text to digital, with books being relegated to museum interest and limited, handmade editions for the collecting market. If I were to guess, this conversion to digital format is eventually a foregone conclusion at some point. But first the problems of delivery and resolution need to be resolved, as well as hardware at a price that makes it available to the mass consumer. At present, studies have shown (see Ohio State) that both comprehension and speed of reading from a computer monitor is approximately 25 to 30% less than with printed text. It is believed this is due in large part to a failure on the part of monitor resolution to equal that of physical print. Issues of potential damage to the eyes must also be factored, though it must be acknowledged that monitor alternatives are presently available, if at a price that precludes most of the population, and firms such as Microsoft are working on the text resolution problem… Though I believe conversion to digital format is likely inevitable, this need not necessarily be viewed as negatively. There is ample evidence in the field of research and academia that such conversion would likely lead eventually to increased access, and it has been suggested that such a conversion could lead to a renaissance in the area of illustration, as the current financial limitations imposed with traditional printing would be largely absent in reproduction in digital format. Also, writers and creators have only begun to explore the possibilities offered by storytelling in a multimedia environment, with the potential for presenting narratives in entirely new ways only now beginning to be glimpsed. Nor does conversion of publishing to digital format preclude production in traditional print and binding, but offers new alternatives.

Jeff Topham

Necessary? No. Desirable? Yes. I suppose I’m a Luddite in this respect. I just don’t think I’d derive as much pleasure from curling up in my favorite chair with a handheld reader, and I doubt that scrolling through a list of files would be as much fun as my desultory wandering through the shelves of my library. On the other hand, I enjoy having access to books online and do a good bit of reading via the Internet. I think electronic publishing has its place and certainly opens up intriguing possibilities. I find, however, claims that it will replace conventional publishing as ludicrously exaggerated.

Lisa Tuttle

Yes, they must exist physically! I can’t give a well-thought-out rational reason for this; it’s an emotional issue for me. I love books.

Gordon Van Gelder

Recently, I got a call from someone looking for a 1950s back issue of F&SF, the one with “Baby” by Carol Emshwiller in it. Turns out he was staying at an aunt’s house when he was a kid and found a box of issues in their basement. “And that’s why I don’t ever want the magazine to become an electronic publication,” I said.

Alan Wall

Yes. The last word in Joyce’s Ulysses. The great acclamation: yes. I can show you an extreme example, though a beautiful one, to prove the point. The Anathemata by David Jones. Faber and Faber, 1952. Now this is a case where pursuing the first edition isn’t a sign of unbridled bibliophilia, but straightforward necessity. No other version of the book is laid out so as to convey the decades of work that went into its composition, the astonishing thoughtfulness of its lineation. I forked out £75 for this a decade ago. Money well-spent. I suppose it is possible that words will be designed to fit into their electronic sites as well as words have here been designed to fit into a book, but I haven’t seen such an example yet. Here the book, the physical fact of the book, is the words’ true home. And the illustrations. I’ve suddenly realised how long it is since I took this book down from its shelf. As soon as I’ve finished here, I shall read some of it. I’d forgotten how good it feels in my hand. The book has enticed me, in its old fashioned, silently come-hitherish way. If the book should cease to exist as a physical object in our increasingly electronic world, then I sincerely hope they burn me along with the last copy, on the same bonfire, though I suspect I know well enough which one of us will be the turtle, which the phoenix emerging from the flames.

Michael Walsh

There is something about the concept of the physicality of the book that I love. I love the electronic world, but I do like nice paper!

Liz Williams

I have a problem curling up in bed with the computer. But it would be good for forests, for sure.

Neil Williamson

Yes. Because I (and I’m told others agree) am unable to read quantities of text off a screen. It’s the standard answer but it’s true. It hurts the eyes, it isn’t convenient to sit in the same place and read for hours—I can’t take my PC on the underground or to the gym—and even if I print out the text, the result comes nowhere near to approximating the physical relationship one has with reading a book.

Richard Winters

I sure hope so. But I think they will exist in the way handmade pottery and other implements still exist—as fine items for the aficionado. Otherwise they will be electronic, or else cheap throwaway items you can buy in the airport or market and read on the plane or the bus. At that point it doesn’t really matter if it’s electronic or not.

Paul Witcover

See my answer about cats. Other things are worth hitting with books as well, such as bugs, mice, dogs, and, occasionally, guests. Of course, other objects are also useful for this purpose. But books, since they come in so many different sizes and weights, are ideal, as the precisely desired amount of damage can be inflicted—assuming one’s library is sufficiently stocked!

Gene Wolfe

I wish I could say that physical books are necessary, but I sincerely doubt it. Nice, beyond question. But necessary? My wife has a reading machine. You put the book under it and read the screen, on which you can adjust the type size. She reads a lot, and just about everything she reads is read on that screen.

Tamar Yellin

I’ll probably only be repeating what others have said, but the book as cultural object is so freighted with history and association that its disappearance would leave a great void in our sense of ourselves as humans, as inheritors of civilizations. You might say that our grandchildren need not feel that way, but that will only be the case if we make it so. And the book is not, nor need become, an anachronism. It’s still as functional and handy (and tactile and tasty) as a sandwich. An electronic book can no more satisfy certain needs than can an electronic sandwich.

Zoran Živković

Of course it is! I can think of many, many reasons. One of them is the practical impossibility and moral abomination of taking a computer with me to the bed.