Are books still relevant?

[meglathon]

I love stories; the fact that many games now have a deep engrossing story only makes me love games all the more. But what about my other love books. Yes I?m a book worm and I read a lot. But many of my friends would rather go to church or have sex with an ugly fat chick instead of reading a book, even the good ones that I recommend them. So my escapist siblings what?s your opinion on the subject?

 

[DavidTanis]

Im really sorry to ask this but have you had your head scanned lately? Of course books are still relevant! Just because some of your friends would rather do something else isn't a solid foundation to question the relevance of one of the staples of human culture!

 

[Johnnyallstar]

I certainly hope so, else I've really fallen behind relevence. And as games having a deep engrossing story, I would counter that games are still rather shallow when you look at the capabilities of truly convoluted storylines. Here I give example to George R. R. Martin's prose A Song of Ice and Fire series. No game as of right now, could ever hope to achieve such a colossal storyline and expect to have any room left for game haha

 

[meglathon]

I George R. R. Martin's prose A Song of Ice and Fire series. No game as of right now, could ever hope to achieve such a colossal storyline and expect to have any room left for game haha

That is true hand down.

 

[cannot_aim]

I George R. R. Martin's prose A Song of Ice and Fire series. No game as of right now, could ever hope to achieve such a colossal storyline and expect to have any room left for game haha

That is true hand down.

That is one of the greatest book series of all time and no game can even get close to it (at the moment at least Bioware may prove me wrong)

 

[ace_of_something]

Yes, it's the only way certain kinds of movies can get made.

 

[joystickjunki3]

Are games still relevant? I mean, my parents don't particularly like playing them. And I know a whole bunch of people my age who also don't really play them either. And classic rock is definitely not relevant because the majority of the people I know do not appreciate it.

 

[Alex_P]

I George R. R. Martin's prose A Song of Ice and Fire series. No game as of right now, could ever hope to achieve such a colossal storyline and expect to have any room left for game haha

That is true hand down.

That is one of the greatest book series of all time and no game can even get close to it (at the moment at least Bioware may prove me wrong)

Torment.

-- Alex

 

[Wesker_Chick]

Games of late have inspired more books than one would think. Halo and Resident Evil come to mind immediately. I seriously doubt the written word would be killed so easily.

Besides, there are just too many good books out there...

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

What a blasphemous question.

 

[scotth266]

Books will never die out. I doubt that even when Amazon makes the perfect Kindle that people will stop buying books. It's just like CD's and records are for music: some people prefer to have the original medium.
As for people not reading, that just seems to be a thing of the times, most likely due to poorer standards of education and whatnot.

 

[meglathon]

Games of late have inspired more books than one would think. Halo and Resident Evil come to mind immediately. I seriously doubt the written word would be killed so easily.

Besides, there are just too many good books out there...

I agree and I hope there will be more Gears of War books and halo books.

What a blasphemous question.

It's not Blasphemous, Is what I whant ot now other people opinion on...

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

No matter how much time I spend on the web, playing games, watching movies, etc. I will never get tired of holding a good old paperback in my hand while lying in bed before I fall asleep. I'm a D&D gamer and I've downloaded some of the books in pdf format, but there's no substitute for just having a hard copy on hand to look for info. It's a hard thing to explain, but having a tangible book to hold is just so satisfying.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

Books allow the author to spill pure unmitigated thought onto the page. All mediums of expression have pros and cons, amd books succeed in some areas where movies and games cannot. Yes they are still relevent.

Even if books were a worse way to express something than anything else, writing is much easier to learn than movie and game making, and therefore people who otherwise couldn't tell a story get to with a simple pen and paper, or word processing program.

 

[Flying-Emu]

And classic rock is definitely not relevant because the majority of the people I know do not appreciate it.

I'm tempted to make a poll to see if anyone knows the meaning of relevance.

For something to be relevant, it has to have an effect on something modern. Since, without AC/DC or The Beatles, we wouldn't have modern music, it sure as hell is still relevant.

Also, the majority of people I know are classic metalheads; Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, etc.

@topic
Yes. Books are the most viable medium we have as of yet to convey a lengthy story in detail. Movies can't, since they're sadly constrained by an arbitrary "2+ hours=TOO LONG PETER JACKSON". Television shows can't, since they're rarely taken seriously. Video games can't, since they're not respected (and are actually reviled) by a significant portion of the community.

Books, now...

Books, since their words are permanently printed onto a sheet of wood, allow for a pick-up-and-go style. They allow for deep, introspective looks at Ego (as in the Latin word for Self), sprawling, beautiful epics, etcetera.

Also, I was offended by your comment that they'd rather go to church. I am a faithful churchgoer and enjoy the weekly sermon. I'll not be so totalitarian as to request it be changed, but I felt it important to let you know that that can be construed as offensive. (Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.)

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

And classic rock is definitely not relevant because the majority of the people I know do not appreciate it.

I'm tempted to make a poll to see if anyone knows the meaning of relevance.

For something to be relevant, it has to have an effect on something modern. Since, without AC/DC or The Beatles, we wouldn't have modern music, it sure as hell is still relevant.

Also, the majority of people I know are classic metalheads; Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, etc.

@topic
Yes. Books are the most viable medium we have as of yet to convey a lengthy story in detail. Movies can't, since they're sadly constrained by an arbitrary "2+ hours=TOO LONG PETER JACKSON". Television shows can't, since they're rarely taken seriously. Video games can't, since they're not respected (and are actually reviled) by a significant portion of the community.

Books, now...

Books, since their words are permanently printed onto a sheet of wood, allow for a pick-up-and-go style. They allow for deep, introspective looks at Ego (as in the Latin word for Self), sprawling, beautiful epics, etcetera.

Also, I was offended by your comment that they'd rather go to church. I am a faithful churchgoer and enjoy the weekly sermon. I'll not be so totalitarian as to request it be changed, but I felt it important to let you know that that can be construed as offensive. (Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that.)

I think he was being sarcastic about classic rock.

 

[JamminOz07]

But many of my friends would rather go to church or have sex with an ugly fat chick instead of reading a book,

Hmmmm, how fat and ugly are we talking here? lol.

Just kidding, books are awesome, and will never die.

 

[SquirrelPants]

People seem to think that the only books that matter any more are ones that entertain, and yet send no message. Messages are boring now. Me, I've got a bookshelf full of classics. The Fountainhead, 1984, all the good stuff that really shows how the psyche of men and whatnot work.
Also, I have my copy of The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide.

EDIT: Oh, and The Green Mile. I love that book...

 

[Flying-Emu]

I think he was being sarcastic about classic rock.

Well, there are a lot of people who don't respect classic rock. Namely people listening to FallOut Boy, Taylor Swift, and the mainstream rap. Minus Sean Paul, of course. He's just awesome.

Not knocking on any of those artists, just an observation...

 

[ADDLibrarian]

Im really sorry to ask this but have you had your head scanned lately? Of course books are still relevant! Just because some of your friends would rather do something else isn't a solid foundation to question the relevance of one of the staples of human culture!

Agreed. Quoted, posted, done librarian duty. Night.