Publishers, Authors, and Readers - Will They Be One?

E-Books. Yes, I typed it. For those who have read my various blogs and articles about e-books in the past, you're probably thinking: here he goes again. But I'm not. Well, I am, but only long enough to link to another important article in The New York Review of Books. If you're a fan of books, and have ever wondered why books vanish from the shelves so quickly, and never return, then this is an article for you.

Actually, if you're a reader, writer, or publisher, this article is for you. Or, if you're alive, the article is a pretty good match for you. The fact that you're already on the Internet means it's a good fit. All in all, I'm saying follow this link and give, "Publishing: The Revolutionary Future," by Jason Epstein.

Zombies Can't Read

As promised, a few more (near) real time updates from the ConClave convention. I did a wonderful panel on Dark Fiction -which connected nicely to The Anthology of Dark Wisdom: The Best of Dark Fiction anthology I recently edited (www.williamjoneswriter.com/?p=217).

The anthology will appear in bookstores in the next few weeks. Although there are some advanced copies here at the convention. I believe the first batch sold out today.

Later in the evening I had a reading with the writer Stewart Sternberg. Both of read sections from our "zombie" novels (in my case, Pallid Light), as the reading was titled "Zombies Can't Read, but We Can."

The audience was delightful. There was a bit of overflowing music from next door - Wild Cherry's "Funky Music," and Cheap Trick's "Surrender." Attempting to read over the blaring music and karaoke was quite a challenge, but I believe it went well. Naturally I was in a hurry to get here, so I left my hard copy of the novel at hone. This left me reading from a Netbook screen - from an older version of the anthology.

Again my thanks goes to the audience who were spirited, and enjoyed zombie fiction, which made the entire thing worth the effort. Below is a photo of the audience (unable to get everyone into the photo -the room was too wide), and below that is a zombie I encountered in the hallway.

On Vampires

Have vampires in literature changed since Stoker's popular novel? That is to say, have vampires as symbols and/or metaphors changed over those centuries? My guess is that most would either answer "yes," or "metaphors?"

It has been argued by a few that Stoker created a creature of his time. A metaphor representing aristocracy ( The Count), and that metaphor was seen to also be a parasite - the landed/gentry living off the life energy (labor) of the common folk. Certainly the political and social atmosphere of the time viewed the aristocracy as a dying or dead social class. And that is part of the basis for such a reading.

Now, if we were to read the Stoker vampire in that fashion, it begs the question: How has it changed? Is it still tied to classism? Or has it become something different?

To assuage those who'd worry over Stoker's intent - meaning did or didn't he really see The Count as a metaphor for class - I'd say it doesn't matter what his intent was because so many people read it that way culturally that the vampire in many cases became such a metaphor. And, If he did intend it, then he's all the more insightful. But overall, the intent is no longer a part of the reading.

Today, and over a short few decades, we have seen the vampire re-emerge and change several times. The novels of vampires have become a sub-genre, which means they are a part of popular literature, and perhaps that popularity is tuned to or is the locus of some cultural element.

Certainly there are many types of vampires today, so there are many answers. I'd love to explore those. Maybe it would reveal something to us culturally and as a society.

The Future of Books

And so the story continues, but this time with another electronic reader. Over the last decade (or more), a variety of handheld devices have appeared, each a portent of the things to come. The things to come is the disappearance of the "paper book." What will replace the paperless book? Just as computers have reduced paperwork throughout the world (ahem), the paperless book will vanquish the ancient practice of tree death for the entertainment and education of humans. It is also a environmentally friendly choice - a Green book.

Nothing wrong with a little mild drama now and then. :) Besides, it's Friday (here), and I've been told countless times that Fridays are great days - no more work. I'll save that for another post.

Anyway, a company named Plastic Logic announced, and released photos, of their new electronic reader. In some circles this is called an "ebook," but I ask: Is it an ebook if there is nothing on it to read? And that's how they come, empty. So, I'm going with e-reader, and calling the content dropped into it ebooks.

Like Amazon's bid for the market, this device uses the same display technology (which was already flexible). Instead of placing the viewer in a cumbersome case, Plastic Logic is making their device "bendable." (For the pun, look up the definition of the word "plastic").

Other than being rather cool looking, I'm not sure of the purpose or function behind the flexibility. Plastic Logic states that the device can be "bent" but not folded. Maybe bending makes it easier to store in a backpack.

The e-reader is 8.5 by 11 inches, and is very thin. The display is larger than any other e-reader on the market, and it also comes with a wireless connection. This does sound like a great device. However, we are left with the question of whether people prefer plastic or paper (I wasn't working for that pun, it set itself up - honest). Those of you who have been following me blog, or who have read my previous editorials in Dark Wisdom magazine, know that I sometimes rant about this topic. Here, take a peek at my previous rant/editorial (editorial), or my post about the loss of tools for reading (focus). What's clear, is I post all too much about the topic. From all of these posts comes the fundamental question: Will we be reading in the future? If not, then it makes no difference what type of e-reader we have. Yet, the race to make the SF version we've all read about (hmmm) continues.

I for one prefer paper. That might be because I grew up reading paper books. I do want there to be a good e-reader, because I can keep many of my books with me. Certainly Plastic Logic offers a tempting promise (not to be released until 2009, with a color version coming - maybe - in 2010).

Enough of my ramblings! It appears that soon, we'll be able to read newspapers on the go. Okay, well, we could do that before. But, we'll be able to bend them. Oops. You can fold those paper ones. Still, the news will be updated by the minute (ha! the paper version can't top that). Then again, in the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic decline in the number of people who read newspapers. Maybe that's because they weren't plastic - environmentally friendly, plastic.

This was added afterward due to a clever suggestion by Jeff Edwards in his post:

The Grin of the Dark - Ramsey Campbell

Ramsey Campbell is a master of horror literature. And fans of Campbell will delight in his latest novel. In his typical style, he creates a dark narrative that draws the reader into the story. While I'm not particularly a fan of "clown horror," Campbell manages to win me over with unsettling, spooky scenes containing these notorious circus performers. But he does much more than this.

The story is centered around Simon Lester and his quest to write a book about the silent film star Tubby Thackeray. The task takes him to a variety of locations, all wonderfully filled with intriguing characters. As the novel progresses, the surreal narrative grows strong - as though there is something from the past awakening. The style works well with novel's subject.

As Lester continues to research Tubby Thackeray, things become more mysterious. There is little material to be found about a silent film star who rivaled Charlie Chaplin in fame. It is as though someone is intentionally trying to erase him from history.

With each passing page the novel grows darker, and yet maintains lighter moments - humorous elements that lift the gloom long enough for the reader to dive in again. At first glance, a novel about a character who is researching a silent film star, perhaps doesn't "sound" like horror. But when handled this well, the mystery and the horror unravel into a brilliant tale.

I would suggest that readers who are new to Ramsey Campbell start with one of his other books. The Grin of the Dark is stylish and well done, but it is perhaps not the starting point for acolytes. In this novel, he works with the prose, making the the writing as much a part of the story as the characters and plot. It is an excellent example of why he is a modern horror master.

Deep Focus and the New Dark Age (Part I)

Over the past few days, I've had quite a bit of time to focus on living without electricity. It is a wondrous thing we've mastered: energy. And in so many ways we've built our lives around it. So when storms cause power outages, daily life is changed. Lucky for me I have plenty of books, and the entire world was not without electricity (meaning Starbucks is the bright light in the darkness - as they never run out of power).

The events of the storm, and a recent WAMU radio show I heard on my car radio started me thinking about the direction of culture. That's not completely true. I started thinking about it a week earlier (known as "the golden age of electricity"), when I noticed that a television show was "frozen" to allow someone to be overlaid and make a commercial pitch. Yes, the show was in progress; the screen froze, and then a fellow appears with the show in the background, and the commercial begins. Why? Because those folks with DVRs are skipping commercials. The DVR is also responsible for the bottom of the screen always beubg filled with ads and commercial, and now the shows are stopping in the middle to prevent DVR drivers from skipping past the commercials (I love my DVR.

In any case, that's when I started thinking about this topic. Then synchronicity brings about a power failure and a show on a related topic. It's a must I post about it.

So what am I going on about? Two topics really, which is why I have a PART I on this post. One topic is culture and commodities, and the other topic is deep focus - our attention span (I wonder how many people have stopped reading by this point? :> )

Recently, on the Diane Rehm show, the subject of "Distraction and Democracy" was the focus. The guests spoke quite a bit about the decreasing attention span of our culture, while making a few predictions about the future. One guest, Maggie Jackson, has even written a book on the subject: Distraction: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age. I've yet to read it, but from what I've garnered, she compares historical moments, focusing on "ages of darkness," and concludes that our present culture is on a historical precipice for a new dark age (that's surface information in action). That is to say, it seems there are quite a few similarities to the present historical moment and previous historical moments prior to the onset of a dark age.

What I'm going to ramble about is something similar - but maybe I'll hold off on the dark age aspect as I've yet to read her book. Instead, I'll touch upon the fact that we do live in society with a reducing attention span. And our culture is growing around the need to reduce the attention span all the more. Television is always the first suspect when hunting for the cause of reduced attention spans. The Internet is a popular second. As television has been covered quite a bit, I'll stick to the Internet. Seldom are books and dictionaries (printed versions) blamed.

A technological marvel, and the world's thinest layer of information is the Internet. Almost any topic can be found on the Internet, but seldom is more than a "page" or two of information pulled up. The Internet is a great glosser (my word) of data. Want to learn about an event in history? Wikipedia will have a page that sums it up. If not there, then a blog (uh oh). But usually the blog post will be brief (ha-ha), sometimes a two part post, and then a few comments. There is no "deep focus," such as found in a book on the topic. And it's easy! This means we spend less time reading a web-page on Aristotle's book on ethics then we do reading Nicodemian Ethics. This is termed surface information - Cliff's Notes, or Spark's Notes, etc. In fact, in today's culture, who has time to read Nicodemian Ethics, except for those in the academic world? This is how our culture reinforces the need for surface information. What was once a convenience is now becoming a necessity. That is to say, in the Information Age, we have a need for less information.

Of course, there are many causes for our need of surface information. But regardless of the causes, our culture is pushing us into a condition of being vaguely informed rather than deeply informed. All of this begs a question. Are we losing our ability to retain a deep focus on a subject? Many say "yes," and fault television with its quick commercials, sound bites, and news channels with talking head and tickers at the bottom (which is how most television shows look today). Others cite video games and the Internet for the aforementioned reasons, and too overall much variety of entertainment. Perhaps these things are all sources of the problem, but they are no longer independent issues. Each one has mingled with our culture and with our drive-through lifestyles. It seems they can no longer be singled out. It is how we live, and we live a life of distraction. Such a culture pushes for the need of surface knowledge, and reduced time investment in gathering knowledge. It seems ironic that the Information Age can bring about the Uninformed Age.

Naturally, this puts books on the endangered species list because books do require deep focus. Then again, maybe not. Books can be written to be fluffy and fast, and if we don't look beneath the surface of the words (as our culture teaches us to do), then even books becomes collections of surface information.

Hopefully my electricity will be restored by the time this post hits the Internet, and I can find other distractions. :) I'll follow with Part II, and our commodity culture, which is a part of this topic.

Reading on a Lazy Afternoon

I was strolling in my backyard this morning, when I remembered something I'd read. So I pulled out my digital camera, snapped a few shots, and came up with this post.

Years ago, I read Carl Sagan's book Cosmos - which was also a popular television series. In one of the chapters, when he was discussing the possible dire fate of humanity, he presented a sentence about "reading a book on a lazy Sunday afternoon." This sentence was a contrast against the potential doom that intelligent life perhaps inevitably encounters. Sagan poses that maybe intelligent species advance to a point where they always destroys themselves - which is one theory as to why Earth has not detected or encountered other inhabitants in the universe.

Of course, that is not the topic on hand, at least directly. In remembering that sentence about reading on lazy afternoons, I was struck by how seldom I have such an opportunity. Every passing year, technology advances, and it seems my schedule has less time for sitting outdoors in the afternoon and reading (that's something I do at night). I know I'm not alone in this. But why I'm returning to the notion is because several decades ago the promises of technology predicted a future with more luxury time - more time for those lazy afternoons. However, each advancement seems to find a new way to keep us in contact or on an electronic leash, and able to do our work from anywhere, providing the batteries last or there is a power outlet. Over all, it is a strange sort of advancement. One that seems ever-consuming, gnawing away at our free time - or did we ever have free time?

The Somnambulist - Jonathan Barnes

A milk drinking giant and a stage magician named Edward Moon find themselves investigating murder in historic London. But Moon is more than a prestidigitator - he is the real thing. He uses real magic in his stage act. Even so, as the 1900s arrives, his career as a performer passes away.

By all accounts, this is a urban fantasy (although some would say steampunk). It is set in a gritty historical London. Moon has solved several murders in the past with his uncanny abilities, but when a zealous religious cult threatens the city itself, Edward Moon and his milk-drinking companion (the somnambulist) work to uncover the plans of the cult.

If you're a fan of supernatural detectives, this novel is a good bet. There are a number of clever twists in it, along with an unreliable narrator (not uncommon for such period works). The mood and tone of the prose work wonderfully. The book is filled with unusual characters, with even more unusual names. But it captures the spirit of the genre. And it maintains pacing, which keep the pages turning. Johnathan Barnes produces a nice balance between humor, dark mood, and several eerie moments. This is a fun novel, but it isn't always light hearted. It deals with social issues through an historic lens, and the somnambulist, who is a riddle in himself, is a clever character that acts as a moral guide through a dark world. Yet, the novel does not burden the reader with a n over-determined, historical writing style.

All of the weird elements work together to form a strong narrative, with a surprise narrator. Really, there are too many secrets to be revealed. So try reading the novel before reading too many reviews.

Dark Fantasy Ponderings

I enjoy dark fantasy fiction - I have a few tales slated for this year and next year in anthologies from various publishers. And what I mean dark fantasy in the Howard or Smith sense of fiction, but darker in mood, and bit more up to date for modern readers. Also, I enjoy the "weird" elements these authors brought to the fiction.

If you're wondering, this post is not really going anywhere, except it allows me to speculate upon how many people would email me if they to had an interest in a dark fantasy anthology. Such a book would have limited space. And the last thing I need is another project for this year. Still, it is an interesting thought experiment.

Boo!

Having read quite a bit of fiction in my life, I tend to view it in a different manner as time passes. Many years ago, I remember reading horror stories, finding them engaging, and they were usually "page turners." But I'm not sure something ever occurred in a story or novel that startled me or suddenly scared me - causing me to have a physical reaction, like someone sneaking up behind and yelling "Boo!" Rather, I found myself disturbed by the novels, or I had images lurking in my mind. This would be something like watching the film Jaws, and then having a fear of the water. Except, Jaws, like most films, has the ability to "surprise" the viewer - the "Boo!" factor. I wonder if that is possible in fiction. And by that I mean sudden surprise. Certainly fiction has the ability to produce the unexpected, but what about doors opening with something jumping out, or a hand resting upon a character's shoulder. In film, that would cause some one to stir or jump or even scream. Is this possible in fiction? I'd imagine someone has experienced it.

This probably seems like a strange question coming from someone who writes in the genre. But after a while, either through reading or writing, some of the unexpected aspects are lost. Or, it might be that horror fiction can disturb or unsettle a reader, but maybe not create a startling surprise that causes the reader to jump out of his or her seat. Or, maybe this is something I simply have lost over time.

For those interested, this topic contrasts well with a previous post: Horror: What scares us and why do we like it so much?

What brings this topic to mind is that at conventions, I often hear readers asked for the "scariest" books or stories. This, in turn, makes me wonder about what I've just been rambling about.

The Horrors of the Headless Horseman

I suspect most readers have seasonal books they pull off the shelf at certain times of the year or during holidays (or films they watch). I have several, so choosing and finding the time to read them is really the difficult task. For Halloween, I can't resist Poe, and with the re-release (and soon to be film) of Richard Matheson's I am Legend, I've already returned to that work this month. My goal every year is to find a new book or story. I have several heaped in a stack, but I've yet to decide which to read. First, I suppose I need to get a proper pumpkin pie and to brew some tea, and then wait for a "dark and stormy night."


Another of my old favorites include Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and Tim Burton's film variation, Sleepy Hollow. As a writer, I've often thought about continuing Icabod Crane's life in further tales of supernatural adventure. With a name like that, it is tough to avoid the temptation.

Given the direction of horror fiction since the publication of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (which wasn't originally termed a "work of horror"), I wonder if there is any thrill or terror left in something as seemingly mudane as an ambulatory figure missing a head?

The Age that Reading Died

A while back, I wrote an editorial for Dark Wisdom magazine (issue #8, www.darkwisdom.com) that produced quite a bit of interest. As that particular issue is sold out at many locations, I figured I'd re-ignite the topic by posting the editorial here (slightly modified):

For decades readers, writers, and publishers have speculated upon the future of the printed word. Much ink and paper has been dedicated to predictions that some day electronic media will replace the archaic “printed word.” After all, e-texts are low cost, take little space, and can even have “content on demand.” However, all of these advantages are commonly countered with arguments that rely upon the “senses”: the feel, weight, and smell of a printed book can never be replaced. To thwart this, manufacturers have tried to produce reading-pads, or displays that in many ways mimic books — feel, heft, and ease of use (such as flipping a page with a touch) are all existing and proposed technologies. Still the debate still rages, with many publishers straddling the fence, producing both printed and electronic material. But there might be something overlooked in this on-going debate. Regardless of form, will there be anyone to read in the future?

Recently in the U.S. the National Education Center for Statistics (NCES) presented a literacy survey spanning from 1992 to 2003. The results do not bode well for print or e-books. The survey of “prose” readers are divided into several categories, with “Proficient” at the top of the scale, defined as a reader capable of understanding complex prose — this includes skills such as analyzing and making inferences from a work such as a novel or a short story. Other categories are “Below Basic,” “Basic,” and “Intermediate.” The NCES defines “Intermediate” as possessing “skills necessary to perform simple and everyday literacy activities.” This includes comprehending “simple” prose and understanding an author’s overall intention. Furthermore, what the survey revealed is that 15% of the U.S. population possessed Proficient literacy skills in 1992, with the remainder falling into the lower categories. In 2003 that 15% number had dropped to 13%, a figure the NCES considers to be a significant decrease. As for the Intermediate range, the number raised from 43% in 1992 to 44% in 20033. Overall, the indications are clear, the number of skilled readers is decreasing in the United States.

Another interesting finding is that in 1992, 16% of the overall Proficient readers were males, and 14% were females. By the turn of the century, the 2003 figures indicate a dramatic decrease among the males — 13% — while females remained level at 14%.

Accompanying these figures is also a shift in the age group of Proficient readers. In 1992 the largest body of readers in all categories fell into the 25-39 age group. This portion accounted for 33% of all readers. Eleven years later, and that group has dropped to 28% — once again, a shift the NCES considers to be significant. Where did the readers go? It appears some have aged, as the 40-49 age bracket increased from 17% in 1992 to 20% in 2003. And perhaps some of the borderline readers dropped into the next age group: 50-64. These readers increased from 16% to 21%, yet another significant change. Meanwhile, the remainder of the categories has either remained static or decreased.

To the Proficient reader, what this indicates is the number of readers is growing older, and not increasing in numbers. In fact, Proficient readers and male readers are on the decline, and female readers seem to be relatively unchanged. Just for the record, I am classifying “readers” as those from the Intermediate and Proficient categories.

These literacy survey results might change the locus of the print/electronic argument; without people to read texts, the format makes little difference. Perhaps the future isn’t heading toward a digital library, but one where reading is a lost skill — something more akin to the ancients’ view: a magical art. Of course, many would argue that audio books will be the new future. At first glance it seems that literacy skills are not required to listen to prose. That is not entirely true, however. Having a book read aloud is perhaps more difficult for the listener to comprehend, as the prose structure and language used are often overlooked. Hearing the printed word also obscures elements of fiction such as structure and the play of words. However, with today’s audio books, actors are sometimes left to interpret the text, and musical scores provide the emotional cues for the listener.

Maybe this negates the necessity for Proficient literacy skills, as those re-producing the book perform the required interpretations. If so, then maybe the issue at hand is not the future of the printed word, but the future of the audience. Will there be anyone to read or even listen to prose? Is writing itself, and not the medium, facing a dilemma, perhaps in its final chapter, an epilogue of extinction? I certainly enjoy listening to audio books, but I often find myself caught-up in the accessories, wondering how much is owed to the “reader” and production, and how much is owed to the author. I’ve certainly found some audio books that are better when professionally read. Simple vocal inflection and strong acting can do wonders for poor writing.

This discussion intentionally avoids film, even though many propose it is the emerging medium (a good text on this is Movie Made America: A Cultural History of American Film, by Robert Sklar; it argues that Hollywood is a part of American culture — where else would film stars become elected leaders?). And with fewer readers, there are less and less people who say “the film wasn’t as good as the book.” Rather, I often hear, “the book ripped-off the film.” So is the question really print or electronic? Or are we beyond that? Readers appear to be a slowly dying group.
With more books in print than in any previous point in history, who is it that is doing the buying? Maybe we’ve been focused on the wrong point all these years. There isn’t a battle between print and electronic books; it isn’t one or the other that will vanish; it seems it is the readers who are disappearing. To read or not to read? Is that the question?