I recently wrote a short list of four websites that I think readers would find useful. On the list were three websites that had collections of e-books or audio books. It is inevitable that we will move from physical, “paper” books to e-texts. I would now like to look at the implications of this, what we will lose and what we will gain by this shift.

The Physical Book

I am a bit of a book nerd, and I don’t just mean I love to read but that I love books. It may be cheesy but I love riffling through books, I love the texture of hardback covers and I especially love the smell of old books.  Basically I love the physical aspect of the physical book.

Then of course we have the “Coffee Table” or show off aspect to books. People assume one thing if they see a copy of War and Peace on your coffee table and another if they see a copy of Harry Potter.

Of course the most obvious downside to the physical book is that they can be heavy, bulk and they can take up room. They can also be awkward to carry around if you like reading on the bus or train.

Obviously with libraries and second hand books shops you can read without forking out too much (if at all.) Though buying new books or specialist books can be expensive, for example the Saatchi Opus which is priced at £ 2,250 (US$4,200).

The E-Text

In comparison to books, I think e-texts can seem a bit too clinical.Also some people find that staring at a screen for too long can give them headaches.

Unlike physical books, e-books and audio books take up very little space, and with the help of electronic readers, it is now possible to have hundreds of books wherever and whenever you want.

But whilst it is possible to get some e-books and audio books for free, e-book readers are still quite expensive. Most are still in the £250-£300 price range.

But I think the most overlooked, but potentially the most exiting of this merging of literature and technology is the birth of Hypertext Fiction. Hypertext Fiction is a genre of literature that relies on interaction and hypertext links. I think it’s a very interesting branch of literature that is only possible because of technology.