The End of Books
was a unique outlook of the demise of novels.
However, I did find this article confusing as far as the specifics in
what is being affected. Im not a
literary buff, so if I were to assume the intent of the article, I gather that
novels are being threatened by "hypertext". I was not previously aware that there were
specific established systems in which people manipulated and added onto other
peoples writings. The effects of
"hypertext" was confusing at first but George P. Landow clarified exactly
what is occuring. He writes,
"Electronic text processing marks the next major shift in information
technology after the development of the printed book. It promises (or threatens) to produce effects
on our culture, particularly on our literature, education, criticisms and scholarships,
just as radical as those produced by Gutenberg's movable type". I found it interesting how these
"hypertexts" in "hyperspace" has no real rules or
base. Rather, it is a free for all with
no specific order or system.
Rob,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that this article was a unique outlook about how hardcover novels are becoming not as popular as they were. With the advances of the internet, it has become easier to access articles and books via the web. I was confused with what hypertext meant even after reading how he defined it. It’s a type of storage, yet I believe he thinks that hardcover and online readings have different writing styles.