So, here's an interesting topic CD. I suggested to a friend of mine the books of the Dragonlance Series books since she asked for good Medieval things like Game of Thrones on TV. So, she gets back to me the next day and tells me she went to the bookstore and looked it up and she complained with "It's like over five hundred pages and there's not even any pics in it. Why did they have so many pages when a show can tell you the whole book in an hour? Why can't they just turn all the books into movies or a TV show? I have better things to do with my time than look at some stupid book all day." That got me to thinking CD, is the book steadily becoming an antiquated pastime just like radio, DVDs and CDs in an age of increasing focus on our entertainment coming from visual and online media or is it a timeless art rapidly becoming an unappreciated art form? What's your opinion, CD?

If we are going to use terms like "oudated", then let's infer into reading as if it were a piece of technology. As is, it is the most detailed and inexpensive medium. Film has a higher production value and time works against it. Simply put, in a book you can have a large scale, in depth battle and have it as grand as you want. Films and other media have severe constrictions. Even the mighty Avatar can't compete against the human brain.

If one is used to having everything described and dictated to them, it may be hard to comprehend the value of a book, but until something better comes around, I will see it as king. And nothing probably will touch it as it is the most simple, primitive form but has endured the test of time. The closest thing that could rival it would be an on-rails virtual reality simulation, but even then, that would still be limited.

I'm kinda at a loss of words. How old is your friend; I was around 5 when I had that mentality? Not wanting to sound rude, there's nothing wrong in not liking books, but to not understand why they are so... Maybe it's some new age thing, similiar to fast food appreciated over home cooking by many (and constant instant gratification and over-ease of use with video games).

My vote goes obviously for "timeless art".

Books are meh.

Books are rad. There's nothing outdated about them. They're far more efficient than other forms of media in terms of production and scope, and they have so much more potential than any movie or TV show, when written by someone with talent. Books are rad.

What makes you feel that way about them, Mr. Gheart?

Timeless. I still read, not as often as I would like, but I'm getting back to reading at least a few chapters a day. I think it's timeless, because a tv show can't show you everything in an hour. Like Game of Thrones, it's going to take 7-8 seasons to show most of the books, but some characters, scenes, and plot lines will get left out completely. And then there are books that, while not unfilmable, would take an insane effort to tell those stories. Plus, books, IMO, tell a story better in most cases, than a movie or show would. You can see what the characters are thinking, you can describe the sights and smells so much better than just seeing it. It allows you to use your imagination as well, letting your mind form pictures of what is being described. Anyway, I think reading is actually hitting a the revival period with the increase in tablet reading, such as iPads and Kindles and Nooks.

Hollywood cannot live up to the power of your imagination, unless you're [censored].

I have a hard time not judging people who deem books outdated and a waste of time. Your friend is an idiot.

His friend is such an idiot, that I'd almost think she was made up.

That'd be a shame. She sounds like a cute airhead.

Yes, everyone who doesn't share your views is fake and made up. You got me bro. 10/10 case work there, Detective Phelps.

Definitely a timeless art.

I've seen tv shows and movies based on books, I've played games based on books, and I've never seen any of them come close to matching the books. Books can handle things that are beyond the budgets of films, tv series, and games, hell, things that are flatout beyond their limits. And they can do so with nothing more than words and your imagination.

And with ebook readers making it cheaper to buy books, and letting you have hundreds that take up virtually no space, if you ask me things are getting better for readers.

It's just a shame more and more peple are thinking like Colonel Martyr's friend.

X: Doubt

You haven't provided much information on your friend, Mr. Colonel Martyr, how do I know she's even real? For all I know, you made her up for the sole purpose of making this thread! Confess!

Definitely timeless art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnS49c9KZw8

Depends on the person. Someone with less of an imagination will obviously find it harder to enjoy a book. Even still, books of all kinds have and still are greatly influencing the development of our world, technology, and culture. Our world has always been influenced by literature, and educated the people around us.

To me, books are a timeless art, but only if they're written correctly.

There's an old Orwell novel where the main character runs a crappy bookshop, always voicing his contempt for the plebs reading awful pulp or cliched outdated writers. So I don't think a degree of stratification is particularly new. It's just that a lot of people don't enjoy the effort that it takes to learn to read at school, and they carry that attitude into advlt life, seeing reading as hard work.

When easier forms of entertainment appear, fewer people felt the need to read as they could get it elsewhere. I don't think it's calling the death knell of books, just that some people will always shy away from reading. It's not really my problem.

Books for me often manage to convey a depth and intricacy that seems to be missing from other media. Even speaking as someone whose atrocious attention span seems to preclude much reading these days.

And there's nothing quite like leafing through a leather-bound book with nice quality paper.

Books are awesome.

I think it's kind of sad how many people look to video games now when they want storytelling that's slightly more in depth and engaging than a movie.