The e-Book and the Literary Revolution

Johannes Gutenberg devised the printing press in 1436. By the beginning of the 16th century this device was ubiquitous in Europe and had been a central figure in the democratization of literature -and hence, knowledge. Meanwhile, the computer is less than half a century old, most human beings were born before the invention of the Internet and, even though concepts such as hypertextuality already existed one way or another, electronic books are so new that recounting their history would be ridiculous. Nevertheless, there are those who feel confident enough to prophesy that this new support will be discarted as a lesser variation of printing.

There are generations of people alive today who remember a time before television. Also today, pretty much all information -be it from governments, finance or industry- is managed by computer science. Obviously, we live in an era of change which could end up being considered the Next Industrial Revolution or even a new age alltogether: The Information Age. Be it as it may, the undeniable fact is that society is transforming: the Internet is the biggest breathing ground for entrepaneurs and a massive new information source which outmatches printing in every way. In fifty years we have gone from having a few TV channels to being part of a mass comunication created by all of us, a democracy of information that in a sense -in a purely digital sense- fulfills the anarchist dreams of thinkers such as Noam Chomsky.

Many are worried by the fact that we are begining to depend upon this technology, just as many worried about our dependency on electricity. You bet both of them are the offspring of those who claimed with certainty that steam locomotives, at their incredible speed of twenty-five miles per hour, would render women unconscious if they got too close. There are those who fear progress because it is new, not because it is dangerous.

So, is there any reason we should keep delaying the exclusive use of electronic books for a single day? Although revolutionary acts rarely work, it must be pointed out this would not force a drastic change in our conception of literature: some digital publications can hold to the traditional static and linear structure while other authors take advantage of this new dynamic support. But the real reason for this change has nothing to do with literature itself -the main reason is that electronic books -or e-Books- are much more practical. They barely occupy storage space, they can be easily edited and published, they do not boost global deforestation and, if they do so desire, readers can pack thousands of books in a device the size of a leaflet and the weight of a hardcover. It truly is a dream came true.

Oddly enough, the fact that this new support is so practical is not only the main argument of its advocates but also of its detractors. They argue that the excessive democratization of information and literature results in more content of lesser quality. In other words, the issue seems to boil down to this: what do we value most, quality or quantity? Before this ultimatum, what shall we answer those of us who are not proud of our -manifest- ignorance? Maybe we will remember how the Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset diagnosed this sentiment as the American ill of anti-intellectualism: «The vulgar mind, knowing itself to be vulgar, has the assurance to proclaim the rights of vulgarity and to impose them wherever it will. As they say in the United States: "to be different is to be indecent." The mass crushes beneath it everything that is different, everything that is excellent, individual, qualified and select.» So then we will surely feel the urge to hastily reply: «Why certainly, quality must prevail!» But can the issue actually be reduced in such a way? Isn't a shameful false dichotomy to reduce our options?

Quality works still exist -simply, it may be more difficult to find them. And even that claim is dubious, or at least incomplete: while it is true that right now there is not a digital centre of great literature (although Google might want to say something about that) or a digital publishing house with strict criteria on which works to publish, these will eventually arrive -as it happened with music, cinema and independent videogames.

Now the rationalizations to postpone the revolution of digital literature become little more than shows of nostalgia. After all this argumentation about how practical, ecological and democratic the advent of the electronic book is, I am unable to hear nothing else but "past times were always better" when someone tells me how much they appreciate the smell and texture of printed books. In any case, considering we live in a planet where someone actually invented edible underwear, I am pretty sure that we can satisfy another whim and make an e-Reader that emulates the smell and texture of a 'proper' book.

Contrary to popular belief, it is reason and not emotion what distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom and hence makes us human. And reason tells us that the normalization of electronic books is in the near future and that with time they will get to change the structure of literature and even our perception of what literature is.

(Leer la versión original: «El libro electrónico y la revolución literaria»)