"The End of Books" by Octave Uzanne
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.
