That's what I want to know! Sure I want that handwriting reading, web-surfing, project tablet/screen thingy that'll serve up my sci-fi fix on the side, but I've got a bookcase full of treasures I'll have forever. I doubt I'll have my Cassiopea two years from now.
It's an E-100, sweet, and I've found some great books, some classics, some modern -- books that I wanted to read. And then I found AvantGo.
So cross off the PalmPiloteers -- they won't get through it. Oh a few mighty souls will, sure. But the masses? Nay.
And sure, we've got the horrific pull of Mr. King's words to lure us onwards, but I've never finished anything over 20 pages (and rarely 100 words) on screen. So scratch off monitor users.
And there go the printers, chewing up reams of paper. What with the economies of scale I really do wonder which is more efficient -- to spread "common" resources (reams of paper) out to the masses and let 'em loose in a digitally distributed world, or keep those mammoth printing presses roaring against the sheer scale of it all.
But I had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard at this -- the truth hurts:
As the Net traumatizes one institution after another, some appear to be eating their young.
How many will actually read that story all the way through electronically? Cause if ya go to paper, I think that's still in the empire's domain... And once they get this printing-on-demand thing down. Hmm.
Agreeing with many of the comments posted -- Gibson is Literature with a Capital L. Some would say a visionary, a spotter of trends, and he himself describes his writing as that moment before the bug hits the windshield (windshield being reality, his writing is just a tad out in front of us, taking a peek right around the corner). Individual Opinions aside -- the SciFi community appluaded his entrance on the scene by giving him the TripleCrown for Neuromancer -- swept the 3 big sci fi awards in 84 I recall... Further, in the halls of academia THEY ARE STUDYING HIM. You can find a couple of essays and analysis of his writings -- they're breakin him down! Personally -- he's got a cool soul! I've got a drummer/programmer buddy, I play guitar, I strum a chord and just FEEL that Marshall stack holding the sustain of six strings in tune all vibrating and humming and SINGING. I say Oh Man, Listen to THat, FEEL THAT! And my drummer begins to explain why the frequencies of the individual notes mesh to create a larger sound, how harmonics work, yada yada yada... He doesn't FEEL it at all (same guy told me why my pulse was racing on a Roller Coaster...)... And that's what's up with Gibson -- he resonates! He hums and vibrates around in the brain of those that dig him. Those that want to analyse him may miss the point, miss the beauty, miss the forest for the trees... all that cliche stuff... And the trees themselves are so cool. His writing is pure poetry. Every sentance rolls past the eyes with rythmn. Every scene a slice of life... In a way, he's like that Steve Jobs ZONE OF ILLUSION trick -- when STeve talks about apple people forget reality! Same with Gibson -- in a purely sci-fi analysis -- He Suspends our Disbelief. We know he ain't writing about reality, but you don't figure that in while your reading him -- It's Real! And of course -- he's out in front! Stephenson and others are riding on his coat tails. He started it, he continues it, he's the capital A Artist that mere technicians come behind and mimic. I've tried reading Snowcrash 3 or 4 times and couldn't get past the first 10 pages. Just a matter of style. One of only five books I've stopped reading. So I can't bag on STephenson cause I haven't read him -- I just know he didn't sync with me. Baird was a tough one too (and Gibson digs her). And what the hecks up with CRYPTOMIUM (?) -- nobdoy I know has finished it... Yet it continues to be praised? Everybody says it has a Capital R Research undertone that's a real drag. A snobby kinda look how much I've studied my topic -type undercurrent... A good novel can be told in 180 pages -- everything else is fluff, especially when you get over about 300 pages. Right about there you need to think about splitting the book, making sequels or trilogies... (but yeah, I always look for big ol' books to get a good return on my $$$, but sometimes it's just a waste of time....) Well, I'll be back on this... BTW -- ANYBODY been able to get to his Yardshow Website???? His official site? No luck here...
Slashdot Mirror
That's what I want to know! Sure I want that handwriting reading, web-surfing, project tablet/screen thingy that'll serve up my sci-fi fix on the side, but I've got a bookcase full of treasures I'll have forever. I doubt I'll have my Cassiopea two years from now.
It's an E-100, sweet, and I've found some great books, some classics, some modern -- books that I wanted to read. And then I found AvantGo.
So cross off the PalmPiloteers -- they won't get through it. Oh a few mighty souls will, sure. But the masses? Nay.
And sure, we've got the horrific pull of Mr. King's words to lure us onwards, but I've never finished anything over 20 pages (and rarely 100 words) on screen. So scratch off monitor users.
And there go the printers, chewing up reams of paper. What with the economies of scale I really do wonder which is more efficient -- to spread "common" resources (reams of paper) out to the masses and let 'em loose in a digitally distributed world, or keep those mammoth printing presses roaring against the sheer scale of it all.
But I had tears rolling down my face I was laughing so hard at this -- the truth hurts:
As the Net traumatizes one institution after another, some appear to be eating their young.
How many will actually read that story all the way through electronically? Cause if ya go to paper, I think that's still in the empire's domain... And once they get this printing-on-demand thing down. Hmm.
Agreeing with many of the comments posted -- Gibson is Literature with a Capital L. Some would say a visionary, a spotter of trends, and he himself describes his writing as that moment before the bug hits the windshield (windshield being reality, his writing is just a tad out in front of us, taking a peek right around the corner). Individual Opinions aside -- the SciFi community appluaded his entrance on the scene by giving him the TripleCrown for Neuromancer -- swept the 3 big sci fi awards in 84 I recall... Further, in the halls of academia THEY ARE STUDYING HIM. You can find a couple of essays and analysis of his writings -- they're breakin him down! Personally -- he's got a cool soul! I've got a drummer/programmer buddy, I play guitar, I strum a chord and just FEEL that Marshall stack holding the sustain of six strings in tune all vibrating and humming and SINGING. I say Oh Man, Listen to THat, FEEL THAT! And my drummer begins to explain why the frequencies of the individual notes mesh to create a larger sound, how harmonics work, yada yada yada... He doesn't FEEL it at all (same guy told me why my pulse was racing on a Roller Coaster...)... And that's what's up with Gibson -- he resonates! He hums and vibrates around in the brain of those that dig him. Those that want to analyse him may miss the point, miss the beauty, miss the forest for the trees... all that cliche stuff... And the trees themselves are so cool. His writing is pure poetry. Every sentance rolls past the eyes with rythmn. Every scene a slice of life... In a way, he's like that Steve Jobs ZONE OF ILLUSION trick -- when STeve talks about apple people forget reality! Same with Gibson -- in a purely sci-fi analysis -- He Suspends our Disbelief. We know he ain't writing about reality, but you don't figure that in while your reading him -- It's Real! And of course -- he's out in front! Stephenson and others are riding on his coat tails. He started it, he continues it, he's the capital A Artist that mere technicians come behind and mimic. I've tried reading Snowcrash 3 or 4 times and couldn't get past the first 10 pages. Just a matter of style. One of only five books I've stopped reading. So I can't bag on STephenson cause I haven't read him -- I just know he didn't sync with me. Baird was a tough one too (and Gibson digs her). And what the hecks up with CRYPTOMIUM (?) -- nobdoy I know has finished it... Yet it continues to be praised? Everybody says it has a Capital R Research undertone that's a real drag. A snobby kinda look how much I've studied my topic -type undercurrent... A good novel can be told in 180 pages -- everything else is fluff, especially when you get over about 300 pages. Right about there you need to think about splitting the book, making sequels or trilogies... (but yeah, I always look for big ol' books to get a good return on my $$$, but sometimes it's just a waste of time....) Well, I'll be back on this ... BTW -- ANYBODY been able to get to his Yardshow Website???? His official site? No luck here...