Comments on: Doctorow on the decline and fall of novels http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/ Presenting the fact and fiction of tomorrow since 2001 Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: jon http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-19995 jon Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:53:13 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6234#comment-19995 this reminds me of the debates some of my sporty friends have over whether Test Cricket is doomed. Maybe it is. But who decided, and when, that the perfect cricket match should last for five days, or that the ideal novel should be 300 or so pages long? The sport of cricket survives in some shape or form and so does Narrative With Plot, even when it gets shorter. On the other hand, extremely long-form sagas on TV have grown in popularity over the last decade or so. Look at Babylon 5 and Lost for examples. No the novel is not dead, it just won't be called a 'novel' anymore. this reminds me of the debates some of my sporty friends have over whether Test Cricket is doomed. Maybe it is. But who decided, and when, that the perfect cricket match should last for five days, or that the ideal novel should be 300 or so pages long? The sport of cricket survives in some shape or form and so does Narrative With Plot, even when it gets shorter.

On the other hand, extremely long-form sagas on TV have grown in popularity over the last decade or so. Look at Babylon 5 and Lost for examples. No the novel is not dead, it just won’t be called a ‘novel’ anymore.

]]> By: Darren T http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-19856 Darren T Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:43:22 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6234#comment-19856 The novel is here to stay. The modes of delivery may change and shift (witness the popularity of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone_novel" rel="nofollow">mobile-phone-novels</a> in the Far East but I can't see a paradigm shift away from long-form fiction completely occurring any time soon. The novel is here to stay. The modes of delivery may change and shift (witness the popularity of mobile-phone-novels in the Far East but I can’t see a paradigm shift away from long-form fiction completely occurring any time soon.

]]> By: Eric http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-19823 Eric Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:14:07 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6234#comment-19823 I highly doubt novels will become poetry, and I doubt that the web will replace everything. I think the web replaces a large number of news, gossip and porn, and novels will still be around but in nicer jackets and covers. I highly doubt novels will become poetry, and I doubt that the web will replace everything. I think the web replaces a large number of news, gossip and porn, and novels will still be around but in nicer jackets and covers.

]]> By: Gadget Sleuth http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-19776 Gadget Sleuth Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:46:06 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6234#comment-19776 Two things: Americans (and society at large) is about the worst its been with reading and writing skills, and yes, digital technology is slowly replacing printed material as the way to entertain and read stories (ADD in the general population is a factor too; no one will read 800 page super-epics anymore, just as you don't see 3-4 hour epic movies in the theaters anymore). Two things: Americans (and society at large) is about the worst its been with reading and writing skills, and yes, digital technology is slowly replacing printed material as the way to entertain and read stories (ADD in the general population is a factor too; no one will read 800 page super-epics anymore, just as you don’t see 3-4 hour epic movies in the theaters anymore).

]]> By: Nancy Jane Moore http://futurismic.com/2009/02/23/doctorow-on-the-decline-and-fall-of-novels/comment-page-1/#comment-19761 Nancy Jane Moore Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:43:53 +0000 http://futurismic.com/?p=6234#comment-19761 Well, maybe more people will be interested in short stories. They work well for those with short attention spans. And they're a lot of fun to write, to boot. Well, maybe more people will be interested in short stories. They work well for those with short attention spans. And they’re a lot of fun to write, to boot.

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