The Book AsMain MenuA Repository of InformationA PerformanceA JourneyJessie CarterA Conceptual Playground for Choice(sagesolar, 2014, “The king of hearts”)A Medium for Universal LanguageA Phenomenal ReadingA Relationship Between Recto and VersoA Vision of the FutureA Repository of LanguageKate Aberman74d96e55dd29b74bef0e0a20c2d79e879fab26ccEmmie Banksd3c00922e17d33400599c8143d1d353f7d36ea7aJessie Cartera6f04f02805133baaf416ab9fcd9a4a2b857b080Deanna Fayed2f0ded76fb9215a15ea7a11b638a892a604843bfGabby Huberta3f266b029aa2bada1c10fd4a31317d37a1bec9dKatherine King6125a92332113f4973e618b8e428aac70a6ed790Carol Leea596a4440954bb8282b044cb431f3d2b8a9a8e75Sarah Richmanbeb66f0b62cd0c55d75ac46cfcf447f52ffe6aa8Matthew Winz5800f51dc1a62f1d2397973f41e4b16a521351b3whitney trettienf2bbb7126b60dc1bee07050dccbd9d30f12d7b2b
Octave Uzanne's (somewhat satirical) work "The End of Books" predicts a future in which books have been eradicated as a visual medium, having been entirely replaced by audio. Similar to Brown, Uzanne believes a more immediate and portable form than the book is necessary to keep with the times. This is partially inspired by the rise of more compact print forms, such as the pamphlet, servicing a need that Uzanne believed could better be done with a more radical shift in media.
One of the more interesting aspects of Uzanne's work is his full consideration of the social impacts of this change. He describes a world in which authors with poor voices flounder, eventually being forced to hire actors to read their works for them. In this new audio-centric era, train cars have listening devices for passengers, and authors roam the streets, peddling their novels with harness-based listening stations. The real value of Uzanne's proposed future is how comprehensive and detailed it is, showing a deep understanding of how technology and culture interact.
