Much Ado About Nothing a Postmodern Production

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What Will Become of the Books?

In the heart of most readers and writers there is a glimmer of hope that paper books are not facing extinction. However the cold reality is that paper books are soon to be replaced.   I came to this stunning realization when I read Karen Russell’s novella “Sleep Donation.” Russell’s work was published only as an eBook and is the foreshadowing of major change in the literary world. The demand for instant gratification in a fast paced world has created an audience that no longer desires the traditional reading experience. 

            Since the turn of the twentieth century human innovations have gravitated toward a need for speed. Making faster cars, faster Internet, and even faster food are all examples of human need for instantaneous satisfaction. The same goes for reading; people are and will be seeking out a way to hasten their reading experience as well. This is why the eBook has become such a trending commodity. It can carry many books in one, and the speed of obtaining a new book is instantaneous. This instantaneous satisfaction is what is driving people to purchase eBooks and their respective reading material.

            This change in the consumerist landscape is beginning to affect the way books are written and published. Authors cannot best the eBooks, so they may as well join them. This is seemingly the case with author Karen Russell, and her novella “Sleep Donation.” It’s publication only as an eBook is an accommodation to readers of the twenty first century generation.

            By publishing her book as an eBook Karen has lost a great portion of consumer demographic, those incapable of using eBooks i.e. the elderly, but gained the acknowledgment of those able to use the required technology. And by adhering to the demands of the contemporary generation Russell is able to launch her work off an entirely new platform than traditional novelist.

            Whether this new platform will remain thriving and bring Russell successes is not for certain. Although as readers and writers we can be sure that there is change afoot in the literary world and there is no stopping it.