The challenge of e-book will create a new form of narrative

The electronic book is slowly becoming a reality, but is of concern in many quarters, and especially calls for a reflection on the meaning and future of the book in general. Lucio Felici, a leading figure in the history of publishing for twenty years director of editorial Garzanti and later editorial director of the joints and Newton & Compton, is asked whether and how the e-book will change not only the publishing, but also how to write. To discover that the electronic book is a challenge to which not even a publisher “traditional” can not resist.

Professor, do you think that e-book will compete with economic issues?

The electronic book can compete with the so-called great works, works of reference such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, manuals: tools for updating, which need a quick and precise. These works – if done well, but even if they are made worse – much cost to publishers, they can be easily replaced by the electronic book.

Therefore think that the book object can never be replaced by an electronic book?

We must wait until the movie becomes a portable object. I know that there are prototypes. If reading is conditioned to the screen, it’s difficult. As long as they are consulting is fine, but if we speak of a continuous reading, you create problems, not just psychological, but also with respect to the time of reasoning.

Do you like publishing is changing with the computer?

“For years now publishing uses of information technologies, which speed production with very questionable results. The problem is that the publishers do not there is sufficient control of the means, tools, items of information itself. It would be necessary review throughout the production cycle. If you need information technology to produce the traditional printed book, it is necessary to envisage different ways than in the past, which may in a sense replace the functions performed editor who worked on paper or proof-reader. There is the illusion that the computer can be made to be right and good: I think it is early, but not well.

According to her the spread of e-book that kind of change will bring?

Certainly there will be changes in the writing, which probably will get tighter. But the records were always short used. This will be found in the new codes. The risk is that you arrive at a certain type of writing. But this will depend on the subject: in general codes, we can be of personal codes. I believe that Information Technology is a means and not an end.

She read an electronic book?

If these are the prototypes of which I spoke before, that are not yet on the market, probably yes. For the rest, I could download from a site an e-book to put on paper. Certainly not read a novel, continuously to the computer, my reasons are cultural and generational.

What do you think of the fact that many publishers are creating the series of e-books?

It is good to reflect on what to propose. For example, do not seem interesting transactions such as electronic Pinocchio. I think not even the interesting interactive novel in which the reader-user can choose between two options. The way things are, that repeated tests already done. Personally, I think of a series devoted to works of reference, which should be continually updated and a hand, of creative works. For the creative thinking of works specially written for electronic book: we should study the summary details languages. The electronic book could create a new form of narrative, constitute a form of creative writing, with its own grammar and its own rhetoric.