Will fictional e-books ever be as popular as the print versions
Will the day come when fiction written in electronic format (e-books) be as popular as the print versions? The answer to the question lies in the question itself. It is a fact that printed books are very popular, and a fiction that fictional e-books can also become very popular (Ever heard about reality fiction?)
Somebody once said that nobody ever wrote a perfect novel except Charles Dickens. We can easily extend that to say that there is no better way of reading a perfect novel other that its hard copy. Opinions may differ, pros and cons may be studied and analysed, but before jumping to any conclusions regarding the popularity of E-books and paper books, readers are requested to take a simple test.
TESTING TIMES
Testing time folks. Take this simple test to check whether your views match with the popular opinion to verify if fiction e-books can be as popular as their printed counterpart:
Q1. Think of fiction and the first thing that comes to mind is
a. Computer Screen and PgDn key
b. Harry Potter (one or all the books)
c. Friction built tracks and engine wheels
Q2. Sunday morning. It’s raining heavily, a cup of coffee in the right hand, what would you ideally do with your left hand (or vice versa?)
a. Tap keys in Computer Keyboard
b. Turn pages of the latest Bestseller (Robin Cook, Jeffery Archer, put the name of your favourite author here)
c. Shut the windows
Check your answers
If you answered ‘a’ to both the questions, you are an e-book lover. If you went with ‘b’ for the questions, you are a print book lover. (Of course, if you went with ‘c’s, you are a genius and shouldn’t be reading this article!)
If you have answered any other combination of options then you belong to the confused lot who need to know the pros and cons between reading electronic books versus print books.
TWO SIDES OF FICTION BOOKS
The classics can only be brought to life by the feel of paper. Similarly the sight of computer screen with all the colourful displays and animation is something every e-book lover will stand for.
“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand was a novel far ahead of its time. Ayn Rand predicted the future of the world in the title of this timeless classic. The E-Revolution has brought about a host of mini-revolutions in its wake, e-Fiction revolution being one of them.
E-Fiction is a phenomenon that has already begun, and currently is in its incubation period. The full effect of this revolution will be felt in a few years.
PROS
All e-book lovers are going to love this section. The advantages of e-books are listed below (though not in alphabetical order)
a. Environment Friendly: No trees have to be cut to print the book.
b. Cost Advantage: The cost of an e-book is much less compared to its hard copy version.
c. Boost to new writers: E-book is bringing about a revolution in fiction writing by providing a platform for budding writers to display their talent.
d. Advances in Technology: With advances in technology like PDAs and laptops, there can be no stopping the popularity of e-books.
Hard Copy books
a. Old is Gold: The feel of paper is something every book lover will swear by.
b. Old Classics: Classics like “Sense and Sensibility”, “Gone with the Wind”, “Catch 22”, “Great Expectations” and a lot more can be enjoyed in their true form only with the hard copy.
c. Eye Guard: The e-book format of fiction causes more harm to eyes. To protect your eyes opt for hard copy fiction.
The coming years will see a surge in e-fiction sales.
AND THE VOTE GOES TO
The test results are out. To find out who (or which form of fiction) has won, continue reading.
Fiction comes in a variety of formats.
Short Stories
E-books are definitely thumbs up for Fiction in this form.
Novel
Novels are best read in their Print versions. (Icing on the novel - if it is signed by the author)
Epic
Reading an epic at home? Go for the Hard copy, but if reading while travelling, then e-books are the lighter option.
Comics
Definitely hard copy. Archies, Spiderman and Dennis look better on printed paper.
Fables
E-Books are slowly but surely creating a niche for themselves in this category. Parents find it handy to read an e-fable and narrate the same to their children.
SUMMING IT UP
Autobiographies, study notes, short stories, fables and a host of other books in e-book formats are very popular, but for fiction, it is the good old bound book, that my vote goes to. The recent Potter mania is a testimony to this fact.
When typewriters were going strong, computers were given a thumbs-down by many. But today, typewriters have become antiquated pieces. Quite possibly the same story may be repeated 10 or 12 years down the line. History has a tendency to repeat itself. Paper books may become much sought after antiques. But till then, grab a nice novel, take a cup of hot steaming coffee and dash to the cosy sofa.
Well, to each his own way of reading.
Ultimately what matters is what you read rather than how you read.
Today is the day of PRINT VERSION
Tomorrow it will be the day of E-BOOK VERSION
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