I
recently became a late adopter of Game of Thrones. It only took me eight years to catch onto the
Emmy-winning, critically-acclaimed series that concluded this year. Of the eight seasons, I’m now nearly into
season number three after a week and a half of binge-watching. But this post is not about the fictional
world of kings, whores, and wars. It’s
about time and the future of books.
Let
me explain.
In
watching Game of Thrones I found it interesting to see how evolution
takes place. Though the world of the
show is not historic and seems to be set in a mythological time and place, it
certainly closely resembles Medieval times.
So in watching how people lived with limited resources, knowledge, or
needs, one can then compare to our present-day world and wonder if a thousand
years forward our world will be evolved for the better.
It’s
hard to accept certain things. From a
young age we are told of how things will be later on – that we may wed, raise a
family, get old, and die. We accepted it
only on some level, not fully understanding or appreciating what awaits
us. Even now, in my middle-age, I
somehow don’t wish to fully acknowledge that a time will come when I might be debilitated
and just a shadow of my former self. It
doesn’t happen overnight, but one day, I imagine, you wake up and realize that
you are on an irreversible course with death.
Ok,
so back to Game of Thrones.
Certain things remained the same over time – the consumption of food,
the joy of sex, the bonds of family, the ego that drives people to violence,
and the fear of the unknown. Perhaps all
of these things make us inherently human and will continue to exist. Or maybe they won’t. Perhaps the book, with us for centuries in
its current printed form, will no longer be with us in the future.
Books
are us. They are extensions – and
reflections – of who we are. There’s a
reason that thrillers involving psycho killers outsell books of poetry that
discuss love, life, and morality. There’s
a reason business books outsell some other genres. Books give us not only what we want, but what
we need.
The
future of books is at a crossroads. Will
books keep acting as an authoritative, comprehensive, research-based source of
reliable information – or will they become a home for old blog posts and opinionated
essays? Will technology make books
obsolete, whether an e-book or a printed book, simply because people will only
look for shorter pieces that pop up on our screens from a simple search?
Like
anything, we -- society — define the value and worth of a viewpoint, a way of
life, a thing, a resource. Books still
have perceived value today, but will that always be the case?
Will a futuristic Game of Thrones exist with books? Time, technology and human lifestyle will dictate whether our world embraces or extinguishes books.
Will a futuristic Game of Thrones exist with books? Time, technology and human lifestyle will dictate whether our world embraces or extinguishes books.
“A painter should not paint what he sees, but what will be seen.”
--Paul Valery
“People know what they want because they know what other people
want.”
--Theodor Adorno
“The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a
friend is to be one.”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson
“He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies.”
--William Hazlitt
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Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and
interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of
his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2019. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.
This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby
http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized
by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. Also named by
WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on
book publicity for Book Expo America.
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